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Dickey Betts, the legendary co-founding guitarist of Allman Brothers and one of the most influential rock guitarists of his generation, has died aged 80.
The news was announced by Betts’ family in a statement issued to Rolling Stone. Betts’ manager David Spero also confirmed to Rolling Stone that the cause was cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was surrounded by family at the time.
“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that the Betts family announce the peaceful passing of Forrest Richard ‘Dickey’ Betts (December 12, 1943 – April 18, 2024) at the age of 80 years old,” Betts’ family statement reads. “The legendary performer, songwriter, bandleader and family patriarch was at his home in Osprey, Florida, surrounded by his family.
“Dickey was larger than life, and his loss will be felt worldwide. 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.”
Born Forrest Richard Betts in 1943, Dickey was raised in Bradenton, Florida, and grew up surrounded by music. His early influences were a melting pot of bluegrass, country, jazz and more, and by the age of five had started playing his first instrument: the ukulele.
The banjo and mandolin soon followed, and after exposure to “rock and roll and Chuck Berry” (via Rolling Stone), the guitar joined them.
“I studied Chuck Berry, B.B. King, Albert King,” he told Guitar Player in 2019 of his early influences. “I also hung around this western-swing guitar player that was so, so good. He’s the one who influenced me, and that’s how I really learned to play.”
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After a stint in the ‘60s touring with a band named the Jokers, Betts then threw himself into the Florida rock circuit, playing with a handful of groups and also forming a band of his own, the Second Coming, which featured bassist Berry Oakley.
Betts would eventually cross paths with Duane Allman at the turn of the decade, and ended up joining him in the newly formed Allman Brothers, alongside Duane’s brother, Gregg, and Oakley in 1969.
Though he was playing alongside the band’s namesake guitarist, Betts held his own, and contributed to the dynamite guitar double-act that defined the Allman Brothers’ early years. Their 1971 live release, At Fillmore East, was a breakthrough, with a particular highlight including a 13-minute jam of In Memory of Elizabeth Reed – a song Betts penned.
After Duane Allman’s death in 1971, Betts became the lead guitarist in the band, and would continue to contribute his dynamic Les Paul chops – which were characterized by a distinct blend of genres – to the group.
In the wake of the tragedy, Betts would adopt a greater leadership and vocal role in the band – something he wasn’t too keen on.
“I actually never wanted to be the leader, and neither did Duane,” he told Guitar Player. “We were a pretty loose outfit, and didn’t have a real regimented hierarchy kind of thing. If one guy had a grudge or a problem with the rest of the guys, we’d get together and talk about it. That’s how we kept things together.”
While with the band, Betts would go on to pen some of the most successful and celebrated tracks of Allman Brothers’ repertoire.
Across his time, Betts composed the likes of Jessica, Crazy Love, and – their most commercially successful song – Ramblin’ Man in 1973. With the help of Betts’ songwriting nous and distinct guitar style, Allman Brothers would remain at the forefront of the US rock scene throughout the ‘70s.
Betts was also an influential solo artist, penning his first album, Highway Call, in 1974. More albums would follow after the demise of the Allman Brothers in ‘76, and would continue to showcase Bett’s keen ability to seamlessly blend bluegrass, folk, rock, blues and other genres into a holistic sound.
An Allman Brothers reunion occurred in the late ‘70s, and then again in the late ‘80s, with Betts joining – and missing out – on a number of tour dates throughout the following decade. Some further internal turmoil arose, and in 2000, Betts left the group for good.
The 2000s saw Betts fall back on his solo projects. It led to the formation of the Dickey Betts Band, and the resurrection of the Dickey Betts & Great Southern – a project that Betts first began with his second solo album in 1977.
Throughout his entire career, Betts’ material was defined by his wholly unique guitar style, identifiable through its keen touch, progressive leanings and jubilant melodic sensibilities. It’s a style that is celebrated as one of the most distinct and influential rock guitar approaches, and that helped pave the way for “jam band” music.
It’s also a style that has attracted countless fans. Speaking to Guitar World, Dickey’s son, Duane, recalled a conversation he had with Derek Trucks, in which the slide player praised Betts’ fearless approach.
“He was talking about my father’s guitar playing and he told me, ‘Your dad is one of those players who’s not afraid to stare directly into the sun,’ and I loved that line,” Duane Betts recalled. “I was already working on a new song, and Derek’s sentiment gave the song a center.”
Last year, Betts attended a concert hosted in his honor by the Allman Betts Family Revival Band.
“I’ve had a great life and I don’t have any complaints,” he told Rolling Stone in 2017. “If I could do it again, I don’t know what I could do to make it different. There are lawsuits I probably could have dealt with better. But so what? You have to get in there and fight and do the best with your amount of time.”
Despite the way it ended, Betts always looked back fondly on his Allman Brothers experience. “I’m very proud though that the Allman Brothers music still stands on its own,” he told Guitar Player, “and there’s a new generation with my son, Duane, Gregg’s son Devon and Berry Oakley’s son keeping it alive.”
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Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
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