Former President Jimmy Carter to attend Gregg Allman funeral

ATLANTA – Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter says he plans to attend the funeral of musician Gregg Allman.

A private memorial will be held Saturday afternoon in Macon, Georgia, where The Allman Brothers Band first became famous. Allman will be buried near his late brother, founding Allman Brothers guitarist Duane Allman, and late bandmate Berry Oakley at Rose Hill Cemetery.

Carter said in a statement on Friday that he and his wife, Rosalynn, were deeply saddened by Allman’s death.

Carter says The Allman Brothers Band helped his 1976 presidential campaign, helping draw bigger crowds than Carter got alone at the time. The 92-year-old former president says he has always been grateful to Allman, and he wants to show his respect.

Carter helped award Allman an honorary degree last summer at Mercer University.