Allman Brothers Drummer Butch Trucks' Death Was Suicide: Police

Updated, 5:20 p.m., Jan. 26: Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks, who died Tuesday at age 69, was the victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, the Miami Herald and The Daily Mail reported Thursday, citing police reports.

Trucks' wife of 25 years was standing near the drummer when he used a pistol to kill himself in their West Palm Beach condo, the Herald reports.

A 911 "dispatcher noted on her cryptic report that Melinda witnessed Trucks pulling the trigger," according to the Herald, which added that Trucks was breathing when police arrived but "expired seconds later as the dispatcher concluded the call by noting a 'Signal 7,' police code for a dead person."

Read the full Miami Herald report here.

Updated, 3:06 p.m., Jan. 25: Butch Trucks, a founding member of the legendary Southern rock band the Allman Brothers Band, died at age 69 on Tuesday. The band confirmed the drummer's death in a Facebook post Wednesday afternoon.

Trucks, who along with fellow drummer Jaimoe formed the rhythmic backbone of the band, was a member of the Allmans from the band's formation in 1969 in Jacksonville, Florida, until the group broke up in 2014.

"Butch Trucks, a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band, tragically died the night of January 24 in West Palm Beach, Florida," the band wrote. "His wife, four children, four grandchildren and all of the Allman Brothers Band, their families and Road Crew survive Butch."

Trucks' former Allman Brothers bandmates Jaimoe, Derek Trucks (who is also Butch Trucks' nephew) Gregg Allman and Warren Haynes shared their thoughts in poignant Facebook posts Wednesday.

"He was the Lou Gehrig of rock drummers," wrote Haynes. "I’ve seen him play many times when he was injured or sick and most people would have bailed or phoned it in. Not Butch. He would play with the utmost intensity till he was about to fall over with no regrets. He was very proud of the fact that up until our last shows in 2014 he was the only member of the band who had never missed a show. His mission in life was to serve the music. And serve the music he did."

Other musicians, including Jason Isbell, also offered their condolences online.

Awfully sad to hear of the passing of Butch Trucks. A deserving legend, with a family full of ridiculously talented and truly sweet people.
— Jason Isbell (@JasonIsbell) January 25, 2017

Organizers of the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival, where Trucks was scheduled to perform in May, were one of the first to share the news Wednesday morning.

Trucks was born on May 11, 1947, in Jacksonville. He formed the Allman Brothers with Duane Allman, Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts and Jaimoe. Duane Allman and Oakley passed away in the 1970s.

Photo credit: Carl Lender via Wikimedia Commons