Dickey Betts

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Dickey Betts
Betts in 2008
Betts in 2008
Background information
Birth nameForrest Richard Betts
Also known as
  • Dickey Betts
  • The Ramblin' Man
Born(1943-12-12)December 12, 1943
West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
DiedApril 18, 2024(2024-04-18) (aged 80)
Osprey, Florida, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • composer
  • guitarist
Instrument(s)
Years active1960–2021
Member ofDickey Betts Band
Formerly of
Websitedickeybetts.com

Forrest Richard Betts (December 12, 1943 – April 18, 2024) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer best known as a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band.

Early in his career, he collaborated with Duane Allman,[1] introducing melodic twin guitar harmony and counterpoint which "rewrote the rules for how two rock guitarists can work together, completely scrapping the traditional rhythm/lead roles to stand toe to toe".[2] Following Allman's death in 1971, Betts assumed sole lead guitar duties during the peak of the group's commercial success in the mid-1970s. Betts was the writer and singer on the Allmans' hit single "Ramblin' Man". He also gained renown for composing instrumentals, with one appearing on most of the group's albums, including "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" and "Jessica" (which was later used as the theme to Top Gear).

The band went through a hiatus in the late 1970s, during which time Betts, like many of the other band members, pursued a solo career and side projects under such names as Great Southern and The Dickey Betts Band. The Allman Brothers reformed in 1979, with Dan Toler taking the second guitar role alongside Betts. In 1982, they broke up a second time, during which time Betts formed the group Betts, Hall, Leavell and Trucks, which lasted until 1984. A third reformation occurred in 1989, with Warren Haynes now joining Betts on guitar.

Betts was ousted from the band in 2000 over a conflict regarding his continued drug and alcohol use; he never played with them again, nor would he appear with other former band members for reunions or side projects. With the death of Betts on April 18, 2024, Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson is the last living founding member of the Allman Brothers Band.

He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995[3] and also won a best rock performance Grammy Award with the band for "Jessica" in 1996.[4] Betts was ranked No. 58 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time list in 2003, and No. 61 on the list published in 2011.[5][6]

Life and career[edit]

Born in West Palm Beach on December 12, 1943, and raised in Bradenton, Florida,[7][8] Betts grew up in a musical family listening to traditional bluegrass, country music and Western swing. He started playing ukulele at five and, as his hands got bigger, moved on to mandolin, banjo, and guitar. At sixteen and feeling the need for something "a little faster", he played in a series of rock bands on the Florida circuit, up the East Coast and into the Midwest before forming Second Coming with Berry Oakley in 1967. According to Rick Derringer, the "group called the Jokers" referenced in "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" was one of Betts' early groups.[9]

Early Allman Brothers Band years[edit]

In 1969, Duane Allman had parlayed success as a session player into a contract with Southern soul impresario Phil Walden, who planned to back a power trio featuring Allman. The ensuing Allman Brothers Band eventually grew to six members, including Duane's brother Gregg, Betts, and Oakley.

After the death of Duane Allman in late 1971, Betts became the band's sole guitarist and also took on a greater singing and leadership role. Betts, over the course of one night's traveling, practiced slide guitar intensively in order to cover the majority of Duane's parts. He went on to write "Jessica" and the Allmans' biggest commercial hit, "Ramblin' Man".[citation needed] "Jessica" was inspired by his daughter of the same name.[10]

Solo career and later work[edit]

Betts in 1974

Betts's first solo album, Highway Call, was released in 1974, and featured fiddle player Vassar Clements.[11] After the Allman Brothers fell apart in 1976, Betts released more albums, starting with Dickey Betts & Great Southern in 1977, which included the song "Bougainvillea", co-written with future Hollywood star Don Johnson.[12] In 1978 he released an album, Atlanta's Burning Down.[13]

The Allman Brothers reformed in 1979 for the album Enlightened Rogues with two members of Great Southern replacing Allman Brothers members unwilling to participate in the reunion: guitar player Dan Toler (for pianist Chuck Leavell) and bassist David "Rook" Goldflies (for bassist Lamar Williams). Several albums would follow, with various personnel changes, until steadily declining record and concert ticket sales and tensions around management issues led the group to again disband in 1982.[citation needed]

Betts then formed Betts, Hall, Leavell and Trucks, where he was co-frontman along with former Wet Willie singer, saxophone, and harmonica player Jimmy Hall. Despite getting good notices, the group was unable to secure a recording contract and disbanded in 1984.[14] Betts then returned to his solo career, performing live at smaller venues and releasing the album Pattern Disruptive in 1989. When a one-off reunion tour was proposed in support of the Allman Brothers' Dreams box set released in 1989 to commemorate the band's 20th anniversary, Betts's solo band again supplied the Allman Brothers' other guitarist, slide guitarist Warren Haynes. The one-off tour's success resulted in a permanent reunion which absorbed Betts's energies for the remainder of the 1990s. This band lineup went on to release three acclaimed studio albums between 1990 and 1994.[citation needed]

Betts was replaced on numerous Allman Brothers tour dates throughout the mid-to-late 1990s, for what were reported in the media as "personal reasons". While remaining active as a touring band, they failed to release an album of new studio material after 1994's Where It All Begins until 2003's Hittin' the Note. Haynes and Allman Brothers bassist Allen Woody formed Gov't Mule with former Dickey Betts Band drummer Matt Abts as a side project in 1994, and left the Allman Brothers for Gov't Mule full-time in 1997. Betts' last show with the Allman Brothers was at the Music Midtown Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 7, 2000.[15]

Things reached a breaking point when the remaining original Allman Brothers members – Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks, and Jaimoe – suspended Betts (reportedly via fax) before the launch of the band's Summer Campaign Tour 2000.[16] According to Betts, the band told him in the fax to get clean (presumably from alcohol and/or drugs). Betts was subsequently ordered out of the band after the dispute went to arbitration.[17]

Betts was temporarily replaced for the 2000 tour by Jimmy Herring, formerly of the Aquarium Rescue Unit. When Betts filed suit against the other three original Allmans, the separation turned into a permanent divorce. Although separated personally and as musical bandmates for over 15 years, Betts and Gregg Allman did reconcile before Allman's death in 2017.[citation needed] Betts re-formed the Dickey Betts Band in 2000 and toured that summer. The band reassumed the name Dickey Betts & Great Southern and added Betts' son Duane (named after Duane Allman) on lead guitar. In 2005, Betts released the DVD Live from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[citation needed]

Betts' final album release was Dickey Betts & Great Southern Official Bootleg Vol. 1 (2021), a two-CD live album of performances from the 2000s.[18]

Personal life[edit]

Betts married his fifth wife, Donna, in 1989.[19] He had four children: Kimberly, Christy, Jessica, and Duane. Christy is married to Frank Hannon of the band Tesla. Jessica is the namesake of Betts’ instrumental. Duane, named for Betts' former bandmate Duane Allman, is also a musician and performed and recorded with his father.[20]

Although he briefly resided in Georgia during the formative years of the Allman Brothers Band, he lived in Florida's Sarasota metropolitan area for most of his life.[21]

Health and death[edit]

In August 2018, Betts suffered a mild stroke and had to cancel upcoming tour dates with his Dickey Betts Band. He was in critical yet stable condition at a Florida hospital following an accident at his home in Osprey, Florida. An operation was planned for September 20, 2018.[22] He successfully underwent surgery to relieve swelling on his brain. In a statement posted on his website, Betts and his family said the "outpouring of support from all over the world has been overwhelming and amazing. We are so appreciative."

Betts died from cancer and COPD at his home in Osprey, Florida, on April 18, 2024. He was 80.[23][24] Following his death, drummer Jaimoe (Jai Johanny Johanson), became the last surviving original member of the Allman Brothers Band.[25]

Name[edit]

Betts's name has been styled in several different ways on recordings throughout his career:

  • 1969: "Dick Betts" on the jacket of The Allman Brothers Band self-titled album
  • 1970–72: "Dicky Betts" on the jackets of Idlewild South and Eat a Peach
  • 1973–74: "Richard Betts" on Brothers and Sisters and his first solo album, Highway Call
  • Afterward: "Dickey Betts"

Discography[edit]

See also: The Allman Brothers Band discography
  • Highway Call (1974) (as Richard Betts)
  • Dickey Betts & Great Southern (1977) (as Dickey Betts & Great Southern)
  • Atlanta's Burning Down (1978) (as Dickey Betts & Great Southern)
  • Pattern Disruptive (1988) (as Dickey Betts Band)
  • Let's Get Together (2001) (as Dickey Betts Band)
  • The Collectors #1 (2002) (as Dickey Betts & Great Southern)
  • Instant Live: The Odeon – Cleveland, OH 3/09/04[26] (2004) (as Dickey Betts & Great Southern)
  • Bougainvillea's Call: The Very Best of Dickey Betts 1973-1988[27] (2006) (as Dickey Betts)
  • The Official Bootleg[28] (2007) (as Dickey Betts & Great Southern)
  • Rockpalast: 30 Years of Southern Rock (1978–2008)[29] (2010) (as Dickey Betts & Great Southern)
  • Live at the Coffee Pot 1983[30] (2016) (as Betts, Hall, Leavell and Trucks)
  • Live from the Lone Star Roadhouse[31] (2018) (as Dickey Betts)
  • Ramblin' Man: Live at the St. George Theatre[32] (2019) (as Dickey Betts Band)
  • Official Bootleg Vol.1[33] (2021) (as Dickey Betts & Great Southern)

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Come and Go Blues: The Incredible Guitarists of the Allman Brothers". Archived from the original on January 26, 2010.
  2. ^ "The Allman Brothers Band: The Road Goes on Forever". Guitar World. July 20, 2009. Archived from the original on February 2, 2010.
  3. ^ "The Allman Brothers Band: inducted in 1995 | The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum". Rockhall.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
  4. ^ "1995 Grammy Award Winners". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  5. ^ "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone. No. 931. September 22, 2003. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  6. ^ "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone. No. 1145. November 23, 2011. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  7. ^ Poe, Randy (August 1, 2008). Skydog: The Duane Allman Story. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9781617134876. Retrieved February 3, 2021 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ Fitzgerald, Michael (August 13, 2008). "Betts, Dickey". North Florida Music Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  9. ^ Scott Freeman, Midnight Riders, pp. 41-42
  10. ^ Paul, Alan (2014). One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band. St. Martin’s Press. ISBN 978-1250040497.
  11. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/highway-call-mw0000199122
  12. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/dickey-betts-great-southern-mw0000602906
  13. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/atlantas-burning-down-mw0000049199
  14. ^ Leavell, Chuck; Craig, J. Marshall (2004). Between Rock And A Home Place. Dry Branch, Georgia: Evergreen Arts. pp. 260–264. ISBN 0-86554-975-3. For the ending year, see Tunis, Walter (April 21, 1991). "David Goldflies' jazz vision". Lexington Herald-Leader. pp. C1, C7. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Roger Catlin (May 25, 2000). "BETTS IS ANGRY AS ALLMANS DUMP HIM FROM TOUR". Courant.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  16. ^ Reese, Lori (May 18, 2000). "Brothers in Law". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  17. ^ Allman, Gregg. My Cross To Bear, HarperCollins, (2012).
  18. ^ "Dickey Betts Announces 'Dickey Betts & Great Southern Official Bootleg Vol. 1'". Dickey Betts. April 24, 2021. Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  19. ^ Browne, David (November 22, 2017). "Dickey Betts Looks Back: The Lost Allman Brother on Regret, Retirement". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 18, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  20. ^ Tatangelo, Wade. "Duane Betts talks album with Devon Allman, Dickey Betts Band live CD/DVD and Aug. 15 Sarasota show". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Archived from the original on September 29, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  21. ^ Paul Liberatore (June 29, 2012). "Lib at Large: Duane Betts and the legacy of the Allman Brothers". Marin Independent Journal. Marinij.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  22. ^ "Dickey Betts to Undergo Brain Surgery Following Accident". www.msn.com. Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  23. ^ Browne, David (April 18, 2024). "Dickey Betts, Allman Brothers Band Singer-Guitarist, Dead at 80". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  24. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  25. ^ https://variety.com/2024/music/news/dickey-betts-dead-allman-brothers-guitarist-1235975041/
  26. ^ Eder, Bruce. "Instant Live: The Odeon – Cleveland, OH 3/09/04". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 21, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  27. ^ Jurek, Thom. "Bougainvillea's Call: The Very Best of Dickey Betts 1973-1988". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  28. ^ Jurek, Thom. "The Official Bootleg". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  29. ^ Thompson, Dave. "Rockpalast: 30 Years of Southern Rock (1978–2008)". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  30. ^ Wright, Jeb. "Betts, Hall, Leavell And Trucks – Live at the Coffee Pot 1983". Classic Rock Revisited. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  31. ^ "Live from the Lone Star Roadhouse". Record Store Day. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  32. ^ Bernstein, Scott (June 5, 2019). "Dickey Betts Band Announces 'Ramblin' Man Live' Concert Film & Live Album". JamBase. Archived from the original on June 6, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  33. ^ Tatangelo, Wade (April 23, 2021). "Allman Brothers' Dickey Betts Releasing 'Official Bootleg Vol. 1'". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.

External links[edit]

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