Cher has said her goodbyes to Gregg Allman. The pop icon, who was married to Allman from 1975 to 1979 and has a son with him, arrived at the Southern rock legend’s funeral in Macon, Georgia…
Cher has said her goodbyes to Gregg Allman. The pop icon, who was married to Allman from 1975 to 1979 and has a son with him, arrived at the Southern rock legend’s funeral in Macon, Georgia wearing a large, black brimmed hat. Cher was one of only about 100 people invited to attend the private service inside the small chapel, according to a report by the Associated Press. Cher has been having a very hard time in the days following the death of her ex-husband, who died at age 69 at his home in Georgia over Memorial Day weekend.
Cher was joined at the private funeral services at Snow’s Memorial Chapel in Macon by Allman Brothers Band alum Dickey Betts. Former President Jimmy Carter, who was the governor of Georgia in the early 1970s when the Allman band rose to fame, was also listed as one of the attendees. In a statement posted by The Macon Telegraph, the former president joked that when they first met, “Gregg Allman was better known than I was.”
Cher told a Telegraph reporter that nothing would keep her from attending the memorial service for her late ex.
“I’ d go if it was a shack, ” Cher wrote. “Jimmy (Carter) wouldn’ t care either. It looks just fine. Macon is preparing for our beloved Gregory.”
According to Rolling Stone, the intimate, private ceremony for Cher’s second husband was limited to a small group of close friends and family, and mourners were asked to wear jeans and “no suits.” Cher was photographed entering the chapel shortly before the funeral was scheduled to start.
Fans lined the streets of downtown Macon to watch the procession as Gregg Allman was taken to his final resting place at Macon’s Rose Hill Cemetery, where he will be buried alongside his brother Duane Allman and fellow Allman Brothers Band member Berry Oakley, who died in separate motorcycle accidents during the band’s 1970s heyday. Cher was seen walking alone with her head down after the service as she headed to the private burial.
Cher has been using her social media account to express her grief over the passing of Gregg Allman. Earlier this week, Cher took to Twitter to say that it has been a “rough time” for the entire family in the week since Allman died after a battle with liver cancer, but it seems as though the pop superstar is having an especially rough time herself. On her Twitter page, Cher wrote that the grief comes in waves.
“You seem fine, you think, ‘I’ m fine,’ then you’ re crying, ” Cher wrote.
Cher also added that the supersized family is together again and that “Gregory is happy.” In addition to Elijah, his 40-year-old son with Cher, Gregg Allman is survived by his Michael, Devon, Delilah and Layla, his kids from four other relationships.
Ahead of Gregg Allman’s funeral, Cher revealed that she had to get it together before the memorial service in Macon, Georgia.
“Gotta put my head in place 4 tomorrow, but Gregory wouldn’ t accept this 4 a New York minute, ” Cher wrote of her grief. In another tweet, Cher described the late Southern rock legend as “shy, kind and loving, ” adding that, “The sadness is immeasurable for all.” You can see some of Cher’s tweets below.
Cher remains loyal to the legacies of her ex-husbands. In 1998, Cher delivered an emotional eulogy at her first husband Sonny Bono’s funeral after he died in a freak skiing accident. Although she broke down several times, Cher managed to include some light-hearted memories of her late husband and longtime musical partner in her poignant speech.
After Gregg Allman’s death, Cher initially told her social media followers she had “words are impossible.”
You can see Gregg Allman performing “Midnight Rider” on Cher’s TV variety show in 1975 below.
[Featured Image by Branden Camp/AP Images]
