The Poignant Song Gregg Allman Wrote In Response To Martin Luther King Jr.’s Assassination

Civil Rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is honored each year on the third Monday of January with a day set aside to honor the Civil Rights leader. In 2024, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is being celebrated today, January 15, coinciding with the date MLK was born in 1929.

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was tragically assassinated on April 4, 1968. MLK’s indelible legacy continues far beyond an annual holiday celebration and will extend for generations to come. MLK’s impact is immeasurable and ongoing. His influence will forever inspire those who champion equality for all people.

Numerous tributes came in response to MLK’s untimely death, as artists of varying backgrounds honored the Civil Rights pioneer through their work. Both overtly and in subtle ways, the life of Martin Luther King Jr. has permeated the artistic and creative endeavors of those motivated by his call for equality and justice for all.

Shortly after learning about MLK’s murder in Memphis, Gregg Allman was inspired to write a song in his honor. Allman, who would co-found The Allman Brothers Band the following year, wrote a song in tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. on the day after MLK’s assassination.

Never properly recorded for an album or as a single, Allman’s musical memorial to MLK came in the form of the song he titled “God Rest His Soul.” In his 2012 memoir My Cross To Bear, Allman discussed the song, stating:

“‘God Rest His Soul’ was a song I wrote in tribute to Martin Luther King right after his assassination. I never intended to put that song on an album. I thought Martin Luther King was a beautiful man, and he was trying to bring us all together and end the strife in this country.

“He knew we couldn’t do that by fighting each other, and he knew we couldn’t do it by bombing other people halfway across the world. He was trying to show us there was another way to go about it, and he died because of that.

“So ‘God Rest His Soul’ was my personal memorial to him.”

“It’s a shame this song is still relevant today,” Allman said in 2016. “Although I’m grateful to the men and women who continue to fight for justice and equality.”

A recording of “God Rest His Soul” appeared on the 1972 album, Duane & Gregg Allman. The one-off album consisted of recordings made by The Allman Brothers Band precursor The 31st of February.

Allman recorded the song during sessions for his 1973 solo album, Laid Back. The song was left off the album, but outtakes were later included on the record’s deluxe reissue. One of those bonus tracks, a poignant, solo version of “God Rest His Solo,” which Gregg dedicated to his mother, can be heard below: