DICKEY BETTS : December 12, 1943 – April 18, 2024

Pony BoyDickey Betts I Saw The Light (Live At The Ultrasonic Studios 1974)

Dickey Betts and the Great American Music Show live at Ultrasonic Studios: 3rd November 1974

Dickey Betts, the singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the Allman Brothers Band whose piercing solos, beloved songs and hell-raising spirit defined the band and Southern rock in general, died Thursday morning at the age of 80.

Alongside brothers Duane and Gregg Allman, bassist Berry Oakley, and drummers Butch Trucks and Jai Johanny “Jaimoe” Johanson, Betts founded the Allman Brothers Band in March 1969. The band created its own sound, one that mixed blues traditions with the grit of rock n’ roll and, when onstage, borrowed from jazz for lengthy improvisations. 

Betts was responsible for writing many of The Allman Brothers Band’s most well-known and commercially successful hits, including “Blue Sky,” “Ramblin’ Man” and the Grammy Award-winning instrumental “Jessica.” Betts composed the aforementioned instrumental jam vehicle “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed” and “Revival,” plus other ABB favorites like “Southbound.” His contributions were crucial to the band’s success, particularly on subsequent albums like Eat a Peach and Brothers And Sisters. 

Prior to The Allman Brothers Band’s hiatus in 1976, Betts ventured into solo endeavors, releasing his debut solo album Highway Call in 1974. Despite reunions and splits within the ABB, Betts maintained his musical journey with projects like the Dickey Betts Band and Dickey Betts & Great Southern, continuing to captivate audiences with his signature guitar stylings and recognizable vocals. 

Credit: Kirk West/Getty Images

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, 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".[ 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 in April 2024, Jaimoe is the last living founder of the Allman Brothers Band.

He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and also won a best rock performance Grammy Award with the band for "Jessica" in 1996. 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. (Wikipedia)

Dickey Betts Great Southern tribute here at URBANASPIRINES

and here

Dickey Betts at BUTTERBOY

Dickey Betts Great Southern live 1977 - Heavy Bootz

Fly high now Dickey

Heavy Bootz