Shocking Blow! Ill Cher Devastated As Rock Star Former Hubby Gregg Allman Dies

Cher, who has been battling her own illness, is devastated that former husband Gregg Allman died today.

The co-founder of The Allman Brothers Band (with his brother Duane) and heralded Southern rock star was 69. As Billboard reported, he was diagnosed with hepatitis C in 1999 and underwent a liver transplant in 2010.

Cher, 71, was married to Allman from 1975-1979 and he was the father of her second child, son Elijah Blue, now 40. Pop culture icon Cher wed Allman right after her divorce from first husband Sonny Bono, with whom she had daughter-turned-son Chaz Bono.

As RadarOnline.com recently reported, Cher was being pushed to the brink by the illnesses of Allman and her mom Georgia Holt, 90. Pals feared she was going to pieces over the death spiral.

"She knows she has to be strong. She's trying to hold it together," a source told RadarOnline.com.

Cher cancelled a film project after both Allman and Georgia took a turn for the worse.

While Georgia is bravely hanging in there, Allman has now passed on.

The source confided to RadarOnline.com that Cher and her ex-husband were friends at the time of his death.

"They've had some rocky times, and he put her through hell during their marriage. But she's forgiven him everything," the source said.

As RadarOnline.com has reported, Cher has serious medical problems of her own and now, one of the most important men in her life is gone.

Allman wrote such classic songs as "Midnight Rider," "Melissa" and "Whipping Post."

Allman's longtime manager and close friend Michael Lehman said, according to The Hollywood Reporter,  "I have lost a dear friend and the world has lost a brilliant pioneer in music. He was a kind and gentle soul with the best laugh I ever heard. His love for his family and bandmates was passionate as was the love he had for his extraordinary fans. Gregg was an incredible partner and an even better friend. We will all miss him."