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Gregg Allman w/Alan Light My Cross To Bear Book Review
Singer/songwriter/musician Gregg Allman, of The Allman Brothers Band and solo artist, collaborated with Alan Light to put out his book “My Cross To Bear” in 2012.
This is about Gregg’s life growing up, his relationship with his older brother Duane (also in The Allman Brothers Band), good and bad times with the band, breakups and reunions, deaths (including his brother Duane and bassist Barry Oakley, and unfortunately in 2025 as I type this, most of the members of the band are gone including Gregg), substance abuse, relationships and marriages Gregg had (including with Cher), and all kinds of rock and roll stories.
If you are a fan of Gregg’s and The Allman Brothers Band, I don’t know how you could not read this book.
It’s got it all and then some.
I wish Gregg and most of the guys in the band were still here, but thank goodness for the music they made, together and separately, and for this document of a lot of their history, told by the very talented Gregg Allman, or as his friends called him Gregory.
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Queen Of The Ring Movie Review
One of my best friends and I went to see the movie Queen Of The Ring on Saturday, March 15, which was about a week since the movie premiered.
Queen Of The Ring is about the female wrestler Mildred Burke, who was popular in the 30s, 40s, and 50s.
She was a single mother who wanted to get in the professional wrestling business.
She ultimately met a wrestler/promoter by the name of Billy Wolfe, who became her husband and manager, and who ran a female wrestling troupe, which included the female wrestler Mae Young and others.
Mildred started wrestling in carnivals and eventually moved up the ranks to become a very popular female wrestler, in a time where female wrestling was banned in certain parts of the country.
This movie, Queen Of The Ring, chronicles Mildred’s start in the business, her relationship (good and bad) with Wolfe, being a mom and wrestler at the same time, trials and tribulations of being a female wrestler in a male dominated industry, and ultimately defying the odds and becoming successful.
Like any movie, some of it is exaggerated or even held back (the book the movie is based on is much more detailed), and even some of the names/events are different for dramatic effect.
However, this does not take away from Queen Of The Ring being a very good movie.
You do not have to be a wrestling fan to appreciate this movie.
It has a great story and a very good cast.
Emily Bett Rickards plays Mildred, Josh Lucas plays Billy Wolfe, Francesca Eastwood plays Mae Young, Walton Goggins plays promoter Jack Pfefer, and Martin Kove plays promoter Al Haft.
Some of the cast are in the wrestling business.
For example, wrestling manager/booker/promoter/commentator/announcer/podcaster Jim Cornette plays an athletic commissioner and Kailey Farmer, known as the wrestler Camille, plays another wrestler named June Byers.
My friend and I really enjoyed this movie.
Wrestling movies and biopics can be hit or miss, but I think this one is a hit.
It is an independent movie, directed and co-written by Ash Avildsen, and if you like good stories, this is one you should see.
