The nephew of the Allman Brothers drummer Butch Trucks, the Jacksonville, Florida, guitarist Derek Trucks formed his first band at the age of 12. A combination of family connections, his own innate talent, and the 1990s growth in popularity of Allman-style jam bands led to his 1997 debut solo album, as well as an eventual gig with his uncle’s band. Dividing his time between that outfit, his own Derek Trucks Band, and guest appearances with such like-minded artists as Gov’t Mule and Widespread Panic, Trucks has become a major player not only on the jam band scene but also in early-21st-century rock music.