Hewell “Chank” Middleton, Close Friend and Confidant of Gregg Allman, Passes Away at 71
Photo by Herb Kossover via Gregg Allman’s Official Facebook
Hewell “Chank” Middleton, the close friend and confidant of the late-Gregg Allman, has passed away. Middleton’s death was confirmed on Allman’s official social media accounts. He was 71. The cause of death has not been released.
Middleton initially met the Jacksonville, Fla.-based ensemble upon their move to Macon, Ga., in 1969. The story goes: “They found a place to crash and started rehearsing in their manager’s recording studio. The studio was hot, with no air conditioning and no amenities. The guys would drop into the barbershop next door to grab a Coke from the soda machine and cool off in the air conditioning, and sometimes slide in the back for a few rolls of the bones in the ever-running dice game that took place there. The barbershop’s shoeshine concessionaire was young, just like the musicians, and they struck up an immediate conversation with each other, sharing the joy of music and life, and becoming fast friends. That was the nexus of Hewell “Chank” Middleton and the Allman Brothers Band.”
In a post shared by the Allman Brothers Band on their official website, they confirmed Middleton’s passing. In addition, they offered a fond memory of Middleton’s nickname, “When asked why he was called Chank, he smiled, laughed in his trademark chuckle and replied, ‘I don’t know, my grandma called me that. It must have been something I was doing as a little kid.’”
The statement concluded, “Chank developed a friendship with the entire group, but especially Gregg Allman, as they became the closest of friends. At various times, Chank worked for Gregg and the ABB as a personal assistant, facilitator and confidant; everyone in the ABB loved and cherished Chank.” They concluded, “The Allman Brothers Band family is deeply saddened by the loss of their brother, Chank Middleton, as he joins Duane, Berry, Butch, Gregg, and the rest of the ‘crew.’ Let them know we will all be coming – won’t be long before we are there.”
Read the statement shared on the Allman Brothers Band’s official website here.
View other homages shared by friends and colleagues below.
