Warren Haynes

Born in Asheville, North Carolina, Warren Haynes was surrounded by soul, R&B and blues from an early age, picking through his older brothers’ record collection of the likes of Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Smokey Robinson. By 12, Haynes had picked up the guitar, taking to it like a duck to water, soon finding himself playing at parties as he tried to emulate his hero, Eric Clapton’s sound.

By his later teens Haynes was regularly playing in North Carolina clubs, joining the popular band Ricochet. David Allan Coe’s bassist saw Haynes play and impressed, he secured Haynes a gig with the band after their former lead guitarist left. Haynes played with Coe’s band for four years (1980 to 1984), during which he embarked on several tours and appeared on three albums.

A brief stint with the Nighthawks acted as an interlude between gigs, with Haynes later joining former Allman Brothers guitarist, Dickey Betts, appearing on his album, “Pattern Disruptive,” in 1988. The following year, Betts and Greg Allman reformed their band, bringing Haynes in as their second guitarist. At this time, Haynes also formed his own band, who performed in between his commitments with the Allman Brothers.

In 1993, Haynes released his first solo album, “Tales of Ordinary Madness,” yet then formed another group the following year, Gov’t Mule, a trio with the Allman Brothers’ Allen Woody (bass) and Matt Abts (drums). After their self-titled debut, Haynes decided to focus solely on Gov’t Mule, leaving the Allman Brothers. However, the tragic death of Allen Woody in 2000 stalled the project, with Haynes rejoining the Allman Brothers. Eventually, Gov’t Mule continued as a duo, playing shows for the next few years with a revolving door of bassists. By 2003, the lineup had solidified again with Andy Hess (bass) and Danny Louis (keyboards).

Warren Haynes moved to another classic rock act in 2004, having being asked to join with the Grateful Dead, playing on their first reunion tour in 2009. Haynes then started his band back up again, whist continuing with these several commitments, forever busy as an artist. Haynes also featured on several collaborations, from Dave Matthews to Corrosion of Conformity, still highly in demand. With 2011’s “Man in Motion,” Haynes returned to his southern soul roots, released on the legendary Stax label. The live album, “Live at the Moody Theater,” followed in 2012, offering the perfect showcase of Haynes incredible talent.