Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band dies at Florida home

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Dickey Betts, influential Allman Brothers Band singer and guitarist, dies at Sarasota home

Dickey Betts, who wrote and sang the Allman Brothers Band妩媚直播檚 No. 1 hit "Ramblin' Man," died at his home in south Sarasota County.

SARASOTA COUNTY 妩媚直播� Dickey Betts, a driving force behind the Allman Brothers Band妩媚直播that launched Southern rock and influenced the jam band scene, died Thursday, April 18, at his home in Osprey on Little Sarasota Bay, according to his longtime manager David Spero.

"It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that the妩媚直播Betts妩媚直播family announce the peaceful passing of Forrest Richard 'Dickey'妩媚直播Betts妩媚直播(December 12, 1943 - April 18, 2024) at the age of 80 years old," reads the statement from the Betts family.

"The legendary performer, songwriter, bandleader and family patriarch was at his home in Osprey surrounded by his family. Dickey was larger than life, and his loss will be felt world-wide. At this difficult time, the family asks for prayers and respect for their privacy in the coming days. More information will be forthcoming at the appropriate time."

The Allman Brothers performed妩媚直播a singular妩媚直播amalgam of rock, blues, jazz and country marked by the妩媚直播pioneering,听twin lead guitar playing of Dickey Betts and Duane Allman, best heard on the band's landmark 1971 live album妩媚直播妩媚直播滱t Fillmore East." After the tragic deaths of Duane Allman and then bassist Berry Oakley, Betts became the妩媚直播de facto leader of the band, writing and singing the妩媚直播chart-topping single "Ramblin' Man" from their platinum-selling 1973 album "Brothers and Sisters," which妩媚直播also features妩媚直播key Betts compositions such as妩媚直播"Southbound" and the hit instrumental "Jessica."妩媚直播

Interview:Dickey Betts on writing 妩媚直播楻amblin' Man妩媚直播� and more Allman Brothers Band hit songs

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Betts released several acclaimed solo albums in the 1970s and 1980s before playing an integral role in reforming the Allman Brothers Band in '89 following a seven-year hiatus. Joined by妩媚直播founding singer/keyboardist Gregg Allman and drummers Butch Trucks and妩媚直播Jai Johanny Johanson (known as Jaimoe), Betts brought his Dickey Betts Band guitarist Warren Haynes into the fold and wrote the vast majority of the material for their 1990 comeback album "Seven Turns," which features Betts singing the hit title track.妩媚直播

The Allman Brothers spent the first half of the '90s妩媚直播regularly issuing well-received new studio and live albums while妩媚直播filling amphitheaters nationwide, often headlining lineups妩媚直播with popular妩媚直播jam bands who were influenced by albums like "At Fillmore East," its follow-up "Eat A Peach" and "Brothers and Sisters." The Allman Brothers were妩媚直播inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 by Willie Nelson. During the ceremony, Betts' explosive guitar work was the highlight of the band's妩媚直播performance of the blues standard "One Way Out," which they first popularized妩媚直播when Duane Allman was in the band.

妩媚直播淲e had some real tragedies losing Duane (Allman) and losing Berry Oakley and we had to keep the band together, had to keep it effective, and viable through all that period,妩媚直播� Betts妩媚直播in 2019 from his Osprey home. 妩媚直播淲e took off the (1980s) and Gregg and I put our little bands together and played clubs. After we got back together a lot of writers from Rolling Stone and stuff were calling us dinosaurs and making fun of bands like us and wondering if we could still play and we were determined. It gave us more drive and we showed we weren妩媚直播檛 done yet. We made some of our best records and I think that helped put us in the Hall of Fame.妩媚直播�

While many celebrities have lived in Sarasota and Manatee counties including Betts' longtime band mate Gregg Allman, none have roots as deep as Betts妩媚直播�, whose songwriting and guitar playing would go on to influence acts including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker Band, Gov't Mule and Tedeschi Trucks Band. The Betts family started living here, in the southeastern Manatee County community of Myakka City, about the time of the Civil War. Drive around the area east of Bradenton today and you are bound to find Betts Road.

Gregg Allman dies at 69rock legend was Sarasota area resident

Dickey Betts performs with his Great Southern band during a charity concert at Robarts Arena near his Sarasota County home on Nov. 1, 2014. Proceeds from the concert benefited disadvantaged children in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Forrest Richard 'Dickey' Betts born Dec. 12, 1943, in Florida

Forrest Richard Betts was born Dec. 12, 1943. The boy everyone called Dickey traded his ukulele for a mandolin and then a banjo and then an electric guitar, because he noticed the electric guitar impressed the girls.

At 16, he left home to join the circus and got a gig playing the Teen Beat stage of World of Mirth, which traveled the country from 1933 to 1963.

妩媚直播淥ur band would do like splits and we had basketball knee pads and we妩媚直播檇 go sliding on our knees playing and then I妩媚直播檇 pick the other guitar player up on my shoulders and we had all this s--- going on,妩媚直播� Betts told me during a 2014 interview at his home. 妩媚直播淪o we did like 10, 12 shows a day. It was like vaudeville or something except it was rock 妩媚直播檔妩媚直播� roll. That was my first road trip.妩媚直播�

Betts妩媚直播� next road trip was playing with the band The Jokers, immortalized in the Rick Derringer song 妩媚直播淩ock and Roll, Hoochie Koo.妩媚直播�

The Jokers were a regionally popular act that could fill 1,500-capacity dance halls. After playing with them in Indiana, Betts returned home and teamed up with fellow guitar player Larry 妩媚直播淩hino妩媚直播� Reinhardt, a Bradenton native who would go on to play with Iron Butterfly and Captain Beyond, bass guitarist Berry Oakley and keyboardist Reese Wynans. They emerged in the late 1960s in Jacksonville as the band Second Coming.

Duane Allman, already a famed session guitarist, and his good friend Jai Johanny 妩媚直播淛aimoe妩媚直播� Johanson, who had played drums in Otis Redding妩媚直播檚 band and then with Sam & Dave, moved to Jacksonville in March of 1969, and soon that妩媚直播檚 where the Allman Brothers Band formed with Duane Allman and Betts sharing lead guitar duties, Oakley on bass, and Jaimoe playing drums alongside Butch Trucks, with whom Duane and his younger sibling Gregg Allman had worked with before. Gregg Allman, who was living in Los Angeles in early 妩媚直播�69, joined a few weeks later 妩媚直播� at the urging of Duane, Betts and the rest of the musicians 妩媚直播� to handle lead vocals and play the Hammond B-3 organ.

Dickey Betts co-founds Allman Brothers Band in 1969

The Allman Brothers Band relocated to Macon, Georgia and their self-titled debut album came out in November of 1969. The band toured the country virtually nonstop for an entire year and then released 妩媚直播淚dlewild South,妩媚直播� which includes the Allman Brothers妩媚直播� first charting single, 妩媚直播淩evival,妩媚直播� written by Betts, as well as the debut of his instrumental 妩媚直播淚n Memory of Elizabeth Reed.妩媚直播�

The definitive, 13-minute rendition of 妩媚直播淓lizabeth Reed妩媚直播� appears on the Allman Brothers妩媚直播� masterpiece, the 1971 double live album 妩媚直播淎t Fillmore East.妩媚直播� 妩媚直播淓lizabeth Reed妩媚直播� is one of only three originals on the album that also includes the instrumental 妩媚直播淗ot 妩媚直播橪anta妩媚直播� (credited to the entire band) and the Gregg Allman original 妩媚直播淲hipping Post,妩媚直播� which clocks in at 23 minutes and features some of Duane Allman and Betts妩媚直播� most inspired guitar playing.

A few months after the 妩媚直播淔illmore妩媚直播� release unofficial bandleader Duane Allman died in a motorcycle accident. Almost exactly a year later, Oakley died in a motorcycle accident. Both men were 24 years old and riding near their respective homes in Macon.

Betts妩媚直播� composition 妩媚直播淏lue Sky,妩媚直播� the first Allman Brothers song with him on lead vocals and one of the last to feature the gorgeous guitar harmonizing of Betts and Duane Allman, appears on the hit 1972 double album 妩媚直播淓at a Peach.妩媚直播�

妩媚直播淭hat妩媚直播檚 a cool song," Betts said during the same 2014 interview. "I was married to an Indian girl whose last name was Wabegijig, which means 'clear blue sky,' so I was writing it for her and I was writing it as 妩媚直播楽he妩媚直播檚 my blue sky, she妩媚直播檚 my sunny day妩媚直播� (Betts sings). And I thought, nah, this would be a better song if I just sang it to the sky instead of to a woman. That was a very good move that could make or break that song. It made it more universal. If you妩媚直播檙e a songwriter, that妩媚直播檚 not a big jump. In fact, in 妩媚直播楻amblin妩媚直播� Man,妩媚直播� the original line to that was 妩媚直播楶laying my music and doing the best I can.妩媚直播� Everybody doesn妩媚直播檛 play music, but everybody works for a living. I asked Gregg to sing 妩媚直播楤lue Sky妩媚直播� and actually the producer, Tom Dowd, he said, 妩媚直播楴o, why don妩媚直播檛 you sing it.妩媚直播欏闹辈

Allman Brothers release 'Brothers and Sisters' in 1973 featuring Betts' hit song 'Ramblin' Man,' which he would later sing with Bob Dylan

The Allman Brothers' next album, 1973's 妩媚直播淏rothers and Sisters,妩媚直播� includes 妩媚直播淩amblin妩媚直播� Man.妩媚直播� Betts wrote and sang lead on the song as well as playing lead guitar. 妩媚直播淩amblin妩媚直播� Man妩媚直播� is the Allman Brothers Band妩媚直播檚 first and only Top 10 pop hit, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on the妩媚直播U.S. Cashbox妩媚直播Top 100.

妩媚直播淚 was going to send 妩媚直播楻amblin妩媚直播� Man妩媚直播� to Johnny Cash," Betts told me. "I thought it was a great song for him. But everybody in our band liked that song. Even my dad liked the song, before we recorded it or anything.妩媚直播�

During Bob Dylan's Sept. 30, 1995, concert at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa. Florida, Betts joined Dylan on stage for several numbers including "Ramblin' Man." Betts told the story of how it came to be while seated at his Sarasota County home in 2014.

Dylan says, 妩媚直播淟et妩媚直播檚 do 妩媚直播楻amblin妩媚直播� Man.'妩媚直播�

妩媚直播淎ll right, let me write the words down,妩媚直播� Betts tells him.

妩媚直播淚 know the words,妩媚直播� Dylan says. 妩媚直播淚 should have wrote that song.妩媚直播�

Betts unleashed one of his warm, charming laughs.

"I said, 'Bob, just sing whatever you want to.' I didn妩媚直播檛 think he knew the words. I figured he妩媚直播檇 just make up some stuff," Betts recalled. "He knew the song word for word. Man, it was such an honor. He sang it and I told him later that those words have never had so much feeling. The way he sings, he makes every word punchy. It really was beautiful. It really was."

The success of 妩媚直播淏rothers and Sisters,妩媚直播� in large part because of "Ramblin' Man"妩媚直播made the Allman Brothers rock stars.

As estimated crowd of 600,000 fans attended when the Allman Brothers Band, The Grateful Dead and The Band co-headlined the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, New York, on July 28, 1973. Considered the largest crowd to date for a rock festival, the event drew more people than Woodstock did a few years earlier.

While filling stadiums nationwide during the mid-1970s the Allman Brothers Band were joined by teenage journalist Cameron Crowe. His experience with the group as a writer for Rolling Stone magazine would influence his critically acclaimed 2000 film 妩媚直播淎lmost Famous妩媚直播� starring Billy Crudup looking just like Betts.

妩媚直播淚 talked to Billy Crudup about it and he said he was playing me,妩媚直播� Betts told me. 妩媚直播淚 knew Cameron Crowe and I did invite him on the road because he worked for Creem and he did a real good article about me when I did my (1974) solo album 妩媚直播楬ighway Call.妩媚直播欏闹辈

Starting in 1975, The Allman Brothers Band played benefit shows for Jimmy Carter, helping the former governor of Georgia get elected president. At the time of his death, Betts had a letter of gratitude from former U.S. President Carter framed in his house.

In 2023, New York Times bestselling author Alan Paul published the book,听"Brothers and Sisters: The Allman Brothers Band and the Inside Story of the Album that Defined the 70s."妩媚直播It focuses on the Allman Brothers from 1972 to '76 and largely celebrates Betts and his new leadership role in the band.

"In this new lineup, any combination of players could lock into grooves with one another at various times," Paul writes, before further elaborating: "Betts, an absolutely monster guitarist playing with confidence and creativity, stood atop this musical juggernaut."

Dickey Betts inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Allman Brothers Band

Through several incarnations and countless controversies, Betts led the Allman Brothers after the death of Duane Allman. During the 1990s he wrote or co-wrote such hits as 妩媚直播淪even Turns,妩媚直播� 妩媚直播淣obody Knows妩媚直播� and 妩媚直播淣o One to Run With.妩媚直播� The Allman Brothers Band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. The following year a live version of 妩媚直播淛essica妩媚直播� won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

In 2000, Betts and the three surviving original Allman Brothers Band members split acrimoniously.

The Allman Brothers Band continued, though, for 14 more years. The group performed Betts妩媚直播� songs, from his 1970s hits to the popular ones he wrote for the band during its 1990s comeback years. Betts and his Great Southern group toured successfully, too, playing only Betts妩媚直播� songs and blues chestnuts, during the same time period. Betts performed in Sarasota at Robarts Arena, in 2014. It took place about a week after the Allman Brothers Band妩媚直播檚 final show. Betts would not return to performing until nearly four years later.

Betts and Derek Trucks shared guitar duties in the Allman Brothers Band in 1999 and 2000 with Derek Trucks remaining with the Allman Brothers through the group妩媚直播檚 final show. Betts joined the Tedeschi Trucks Band in September of 2013 at the Beacon Theatre in New York for several numbers including 妩媚直播淚n Memory of Elizabeth Reed妩媚直播� and 妩媚直播淏lue Sky.妩媚直播�

妩媚直播淚妩媚直播檝e seen some amazing crowd responses at the Beacon, like Clapton guesting, but never have I felt it as much as with Dickey,妩媚直播� Trucks told me in January of 2014. 妩媚直播淭here is a lot of love for him and a lot of people really excited to see him back on stage. It was a moment for sure and Dickey was great and such a sweetheart. I grew up listening to him and his music and I have such respect for what he has done, him and his son Duane in Great Southern.妩媚直播�

Butch Trucks died in January of 2017 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and then Gregg Allman died in May of the same year after a long battle with liver cancer the singer kept private.

妩媚直播淚妩媚直播檓 so glad I was able to have a couple good talks with (Gregg) before he passed,妩媚直播� Betts said in a statement issued the day of Gregg妩媚直播檚 death. 妩媚直播淚n fact I was about to call him to check and see how he was when I got the call. It妩媚直播檚 a very sad thing. I, along with the entire Great Southern family, pass along my deepest sympathies to Gregg妩媚直播檚 family, friends, and fans.妩媚直播�

Betts, along with his son, Duane Betts, attended Allman's funeral at Snow's Memorial Chapel, Saturday, June 3, 2017 in Macon, Georgia. Allman was laid to rest Saturday near his older brother Duane and band mate Berry Oakley, both killed in separate motorcycle crashes in Macon in the early 1970s, in the same Rose Hill Cemetery where they used to write songs among the tombstones, not far from the US Highway 41 that Betts sings about in "Ramblin' Man."

Betts is survived by many local family members including his wife of more than three decades, Donna Betts, and his daughter, country music singer Kimberly Betts, who performed around Sarasota-Manatee with her band Gamble Creek, which featured her son (Dickey妩媚直播檚 grandson), Grant Tyler, on guitar.

Betts妩媚直播� daughter Christy married Frank Hannon, guitarist and co-founder of the multi-platinum selling hard rock band Tesla. Hannon妩媚直播檚 2012 solo album 妩媚直播淪ix String Soldiers妩媚直播� features one of Dickey Betts妩媚直播� last studio recordings. Dickey妩媚直播檚 daughter Jessica Betts, as a toddler, inspired the hit instrumental that bears her name.

Duane Betts, who Dickey named in honor of Duane Allman, is a nationally renowned guitarist, singer and songwriter born in Sarasota. As a teenager, Duane joined his father and the rest of the Allman Brothers Band in concert for select songs in the 1990s and then became a full-time member of his dad妩媚直播檚 Great Southern group in the 2000s.

Following Dickey Betts' successful 2018 brain surgery, Duane Betts posted a photo to social media of him and his dad on stage raising their cowboy hats to the crowd following a performance.

"So grateful today,"妩媚直播Duane Betts said. "My father has always been my hero, my mentor and my favorite guitar player in the world. I want to say thank you to all of you who have sent messages, prayed and sent good energy to my family and my dad."

Dickey Betts' 80th birthday happened to coincide with an Allman Betts Family Revival performance featuring Duane Betts and Devon Allman (son of Gregg Allman) at Sarasota's Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Dickey came on stage during the show to be serenaded with "Happy Birthday" by the crowd. After the show, he was presented with a birthday cake shaped like a Gibson Les Paul model guitar. Dickey Betts' official Instagram account posted that "It was a night that no one in the building will soon forget" and "a fitting way to celebrate the life of a true living legend."

妩媚直播is妩媚直播Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network.妩媚直播Follow him on妩媚直播,听听补苍诲听. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com.妩媚直播Support local journalism by妩媚直播.妩媚直播嬧赌嬧赌嬧赌嬧赌嬧赌�