Dan Toler, former guitarist for Allman Brothers Band, dies

Dan Toler passed on Monday. Dan Toler played for the Allman Brothers from 1979-1982. He also played with Dickey Betts & Great Southern.

Guitarist Dan Toler, who played in the Allman Brothers Band in the late 1970s and 1980s, has died of Lou Gehrig's disease at his home in Sarasota, Florida, his manager said.

Toler died on Monday and was in his early 60s, the manager, Glen Halverson, said.
T

oler and his late brother, drummer David "Frankie" Toler, played in several groups, including Dickey Betts & Great Southern. Dan Toler was part of the Allman Brothers Band from 1979 to 1982 and was featured on the group's albums "Enlightened Rogues," "Reach for the Sky" and "Brothers of the Road."

"His ability to make people laugh and feel good and happy was amazing," the Sarasota Herald Tribune quoted his friend and former bandmate Chaz Trippy as saying. "That smile of his is just a force of life and, God, how he loved playing that guitar."

Dicky Betts, in a 2002 interview with Jambands.com, said of Toler: "When we were together with Great Southern back in the 70s and 80s and in the Allman Brothers, we played a lot the same. Now we don’t play so much the same. He has really developed kind of what I would call a Western Swing style. It’s got a lot of chord movements. It’s not New York jazz it’s got more of a Western influence. Anyway, it’s working out nice. We are having a lot of fun and we fit like a glove."

Condolences and tributes roled in on his Facebook page, and a memorial service announcement:

"CELEBRATION OF LIFE for Dan Toler will be held on March 9th, 1pm at Faith Presbyterian Church/ Faith Sarasota. Event page to come soon.
 The family is overwhelmed by the amount of love and support for Dangerous Dan Toler and family. God Bless you all!!"

 (Editing by Martin Golan)