Allman Brothers

Members of the Allman Brothers Band, Cheap Trick and other classic rock bands signed to Sony BMG will have reason to smile when they receive their next royalty statements. On Wednesday, a five-year lawsuit against the label was settled to the tune of $7.95 million and a three percent raise in their royalty rates on sales of digital music, Rolling Stone is reporting.

The Allman Brothers Band will release three live and archival CDs and one DVD on Dec. 6 as part of a new distribution deal that gives the band control of their own music to an unprecedented level. “Finally, after 40 years, (the band) are making records for their own label, without any interference from non-musicians,” says Gregg Allman.

Gregg Allman will have to lay low for a while before he can get back on the road to support his ‘Low Country Blues’ album. The upper respiratory infection that resulted in Allman canceling four June shows in Europe hasn’t cleared up. So that means he’s pulling the plug on the rest of his North American concerts that were scheduled from late August to mid-September.