Dickey Betts has died.

[nolabear]

And I feel his loss to my depths. 😢

?si=wldXunrzkMgDU7l-

[world wide wally]

1. Thank you, Brother

RIP

[RainCaster]

2. bummer. I'll miss him

We all will

[Dulcinea]

3. RIP.

Was he the last original member?

Ain't Wastin' Time No More & Midnight Rider are among my favorite songs.

[Docreed2003]

10. Jaimoe Johnson is the final living founding member

[ancianita]

4. He did Duane proud. Always have loved him and the whole band.

God bless him.

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". "Jessica" was inspired by his daughter ...

[nolabear]

12. Jessica is part of the fabric of my life.

When I left home and moved to New Orleans, we put this on as we entered the bridge over Lake Ponchartrain, and I swear I flew all the way across that lake, into life. I am forever grateful.

[ancianita]

14. Mine, too. God bless him and you for remembering him to us.

[Hekate]

22. Nolabear -- that is poetry

[ismnotwasm]

27. Worthy of a song

[DFW]

5. Same goes for me!

As a guitar-playing Southerner, how could I not?

I listen to some version of „Jessica“ at least once a week, even now. I think that live outdoor version in Florida in 1982 is still my fsvorite.

[lame54]

6. Blue Sky - great driving song

[debm55]

7. RIP Dickey Betts. I will always remember The Allman Brothers. They were part of my life.during a rough period of time.

Last edited Thu Apr 18, 2024, 02:24 PM - Edit history (1)

[bluesbassman]

8. Another great loss for the music community.

The Allman Brothers Band was a major part of the soundtrack of my youth and continues to be in heavy rotation in my playlist. Dickey's playing was among the best, and he has left behind a massive legacy. Thanks for the music Dickey and rest easy Brother.

[2naSalit]

9. Sad news!

[Docreed2003]

11. A legend...

Got to meet him after a show in Chattanooga at Riverbend back in 2002. He was so gracious and fun with fans who had come out to watch him play at one of the side stages.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

13. How sad

[LuckyCharms]

15. RIP, Mr. Betts

[lark]

16. No,no, no, it just can't be!

Not Dickie Betts, no!

The Allman Brothers were the band of my youth, saw them before they ever put out an album and saw them a whole bunch afterwards as well. FL will miss it's native son so much and the music world is a little dimmer today.

[Kid Berwyn]

17. Best concert I EVER experienced was in San Juan Capistrano, California ca. 1986

A teeny-tiny bistro/bar hosted one aptly named "The Great American Guitar Assault Tour" starring:

Dicky Betts

Lonnie Mack

Roy Buchanan

They absolutely destroyed that night. Miss them ALL and thankful for ALL they did to make our lives so much more full of meaning.

[Mr.Bill]

21. Wow, that would be quite a show! n/t

[livetohike]

18. So sad to hear this. Loved the Allman Brothers.

?si=OZUfZ8sXLVHf6HcH

[Ligyron]

31. Duane and Dickie my Homeboy.

That song is just a pure joy to listen to.

[ashredux]

19. Allman Brothers Live at the Fillmore 1971.... The best live album ever recorded in my opinion.

Definitely in the stack I would take to the “Desert Island“

[SergeStorms]

20. Another one bites the dust.

I wonder if he'll be buried in the Allman's plot. There's a couple other band members buried there as well.

All that hard living on the road back in the days.

Another of my favorites gone. No time to dwell on it. I still have some living to do.

[wally baby]

23. First date with my wife

was Sept 5, 1975 at the old Omni in Atlanta. ABB with Elvin Bishop opening. Lots of great guitar. I always thought it was cool that HW 41 ran right through my home town between Atlanta and Macon. Rolled down HW 41 many times.

[SergeStorms]

29. I was born in the back seat....

of a Greyhound bus, rollin' down Highway 41. 😉

I saw ABB at Syracuse University in 72 at the Manley fieldhouse. Rotten place for a concert, but they lit the place up.

[calimary]

24. Another one gone, dammit.

Heaven’s building quite an amazing band. For the ages. He’ll be jamming with EVERYBODY.

[JohnnyRingo]

26. What Dave Mason calls his "Endangered Species Tour".

[SergeStorms]

30. I guess so.

There's more dead now than alive. 😢

[JohnnyRingo]

25. Sad but knew it was coming.

He cancelled a tour I was going to and gave blessings for the band to go without him.
I've managed to see him twice.
Sad loss.

[DinahMoeHum]

28. Here's the story by Variety. . .

https://variety.com/2024/music/news/dickey-betts-dead-allman-brothers-guitarist-1235975041/

Rest In Peace, friend. The music lives on.

[Botany]

32. Damn

Brothers and Sisters is one of the best
albums ever.

[surfered]

33. His instrumental "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed"

…was a favorite of mine.

[Martin Eden]

38. Favorite of mine, as well

Fillmore East is one of the most impeccably performed live albums ever. I still listen to that and the studio recording.

[WestMichRad]

34. Rest in peace, brother.

Thanks for making our lives richer.

[GuppyGal]

35. Oh Lawd I feel like I'm dyin

[crickets]

36. On a road trip today I heard Jessica

driving through the backwoods on the way to Athens. I remember thinking it had been a while. I so enjoyed it. The memory will be bittersweet, but more sweet than anything else.

Such a wonderful song.

[GoodRaisin]

37. Oh no. One of rock and roll giants is gone.

I loved Dickie Betts’ music. What a great musician and great impact he made on music in the 70s. His long instrumentals were pure genius. ABB is probably my all time favorite band and Dickie my favorite of the group. RIP to one of the greatest.

[Martin Eden]

39. Blue Sky is my favorite feel good song

His guitar work will always strike a chord with me.

[SYFROYH]

40. Chuck Leavell on death of Allman Brothers bandmate Dickey Betts: 'He left an enduring legacy'

Chuck Levell is another really great guy dedicated to making Georgia a better place. After an incredible career with the Allman Brothers, he became the pianist for the Rolling Stones since Undercover in 1983 and their defacto musical director for all their tours. He's also a world-class conservationist and tree farmer.

https://www.gpb.org/news/2024/04/18/chuck-leavell-on-death-of-allman-brothers-bandmate-dickey-betts-he-left-enduring

Orlando Montoya: Talk a little bit about, about his legacy. What do you think—we will talk about his musical legacy, first of all, and his personal legacy. But musically, what do you think his legacy is?

Chuck Leavell: Well, he had such a very unique style, a style of his own. You know, Dickey Betts, when you heard him play, it was very recognizable, very powerful. But also as a songwriter, you know, you take a song like “Ramblin’ Man,” which was, you know, a big hit for the Allman Brothers Band when I was in the band. It's a song that everyone can relate to. You know, it’s just a straight-ahead little story that is so fun. And it's a joyful song. You know, his guitar work, especially at the end of that song where there's multiple guitars playing, is something that's very special and unique. But … some of his instrumentals, especially the song “Jessica,” that was a great vehicle for a 20-year-old piano player at the time that we recorded that song. And, you know, I still hear that song on the radio, along with “Ramblin’ Man” and some of the other songs that Dickey wrote. So, his legacy is here to stay.

Orlando Montoya: And personally, you knew him as a friend. Tell me a little bit about him as a person and what you'll remember him personally.

Chuck Leavell: Well, I can tell you that, when I first joined the band—and this would have been, when we were touring in 1973—we played Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Dickey had been married to a Native American woman named Sandy Blue Sky, who he wrote the song “Blue Sky “for. And Dickey called me up and he said, “Chuck, we got a couple of days off. Would you and Rose Lane (my wife Rose Lane), like to go to a reservation and meet some of these Native Americans, meet some of the chiefs, and attend some ceremonies? And that was one of the greatest experiences I've ever had. It was so sweet of him to reach out to myself and to Rose Lane and to include us in that little trip that we made. And it's something that I will never, ever forget and be grateful for.