Guitarist, singer and songwriter Dickey Betts was a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band. He's pictured on May 19, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn. Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Webster PR hide caption
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Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Webster PR
Guitarist, singer and songwriter Dickey Betts was a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band. He's pictured on May 19, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn.
Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Webster PR
Dickey Betts, a founding member of the renowned rock group the Allman Brothers Band, died at at his home in Osprey, Fla. on Thursday. The influential guitarist, songwriter and vocalist had been battling two kinds of cancer as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He was 80 years old.
The news was shared on Betts' official website in a statement by his family.
"Dickey was larger than life, and his loss will be felt world-wide," the statement said.
Betts' blues, rock and country-influenced guitar style helped define Southern rock in the 1960s and '70s.
"Dickey was one of the most unique guitar stylists in the word, and you knew it was him when you heard him on record or live," said longtime Allman Brothers member Chuck Leavell, who currently serves as the Rolling Stones' music director/keyboard player, in a statement shared with NPR. "He leaves an enduring and enviable legacy that we will all be celebrating for eternity."
Betts was best known for the song "Ramblin' Man." The Allman Brothers Band was initially reluctant to record the song, which Betts wrote and sang, because they thought it sounded too much like a country song.
Released in 1973, "Ramblin' Man" went on to become the band's first and only top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The lean, mustachioed guitarist cut such an iconic figure that director Cameron Crowe based the rock star hero of his 2000 movie Almost Famous on him. The character in the film was played by Billy Crudup.
"Crudup's look, and much more, is a tribute to Dickey," Crowe said in a 2017 interview for Rolling Stone magazine. "Dickey seemed like a quiet guy with a huge amount of soul, possible danger and playful recklessness behind his eyes. He was a huge presence."
Forrest Richard "Dickey" Betts was born in 1943 in West Palm Beach, Fla. He came from a musical family and started out playing ukulele at 5 years old, before picking up the mandolin, banjo and guitar. He began performing in rock bands around Florida — which remained his lifelong home state — and joined the Allman Brothers Band at its inception in 1969.
The Allman Brothers band perform in 1972 in front of a television audience. Chuck Leavell, keys, left; Jamoie Johanson, drums; Dickey Betts, lead and slide guitar; Berry Oakley, bass; Butch Trucks, drums and percussion. AP hide caption
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AP
The Allman Brothers band perform in 1972 in front of a television audience. Chuck Leavell, keys, left; Jamoie Johanson, drums; Dickey Betts, lead and slide guitar; Berry Oakley, bass; Butch Trucks, drums and percussion.
AP
Betts started out playing co-lead guitar with Duane Allman (one of the two brothers after which the band took its name). He pushed rock guitar improvisation into new territory — the guitarist's spiraling sound is perfectly captured in the track "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" on the Allman Brothers' 1971 At Fillmore East album. Betts also made his name as a songwriter with songs like "Jessica" and "Blue Sky."
After Duane Allman's death in a motorcycle accident in 1971, Betts became The Allman Brothers Band's sole guitarist and lead singer. He had a checkered relationship with the group over the years, taking breaks to perform with other ensembles and work on solo projects. But Betts wasn't able to replicate the success he had with The Allman Brothers Band when he struck out on his own.
Known for his hard living ways, Betts earned a reputation for trashing hotel rooms and taking swings at police officers.
Yet according to his longtime manager, David Spero, Betts was also a great mensch.
"He was such a giving man," Spero said in an interview with NPR. "He took time with his fans. He'd sign anything. He posed for every picture."
The musician's generosity was also highlighted in a 2005 interview for WHYY's Fresh Air, when country music star Billy Joe Shaver described how Betts helped kickstart the music career of Shaver's son Eddy Shaver by noticing his talent and even passing along prize guitars.
"Dickey Betts gave [Eddy Shaver] his 335 that belonged to Duane Allman and a '55 Strat when he was 13 years old," Shaver said. "And Dickey had recognized quicker than I did how much talent he had."
Story edited by Jennifer Vanasco.
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He was 80. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer died at his home in Osprey, Florida, David Spero, Betts' manager of 20 years, confirmed. Betts had been battling cancer for more than a year and had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Spero said. "He was surrounded by his whole family and he passed peacefully.
What happened to Dickey Betts? ›
We are so appreciative." Betts died from cancer and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease at his home in Osprey, Florida, on April 18, 2024, at the age of 80. After his death, drummer Jaimoe (Jai Johanny Johanson), became the last surviving original member of the Allman Brothers Band.
Who were the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band? ›
The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brother Duane Allman (slide guitar and lead guitar) with Gregg Allman (vocals, organ, songwriting), Dickey Betts (lead guitar, vocals, songwriting), Berry Oakley (bass guitar), Butch Trucks (drums), and Jaimoe (drums).
How old is Dickey Betts today? ›
“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 announced in a statement to Rolling Stone.
Who is still alive from the original Allman Brothers band? ›
Jaimoe is the only surviving original ABB member.
Who was the best guitarist in the Allman Brothers Band? ›
Dickey Betts, who formed a legendary lead guitar duo with Duane Allman in the Allman Brothers Band and was widely considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time, died Thursday morning. He was 80. A 1995 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Betts lived in and around the Sarasota, Fla., area for most of his life.
Did Gregg Allman pass away? ›
He denied reports that he had entered hospice care, but was resting at home on doctor's orders. Allman died at his home in Richmond Hill, Georgia, on May 27, 2017, due to complications from liver cancer at the age of 69.
Who replaced Duane Allman in The Allman Brothers? ›
Who was the original bass player for The Allman Brothers Band? ›
Raymond Berry Oakley III (April 4, 1948 – November 11, 1972) was an American bassist and one of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band. Known for his long, melodic bass runs, he was ranked number 46 on Bass Player magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Bass Players of All Time".
Who was the bass player for the Allman Betts? ›
Surrounded by a familial community of noteworthy talent, bassist Berry Duane Oakley developed his deeply ingrained love for music.
He was inducted with The Allman Brothers 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.
What Allman Brothers songs did Dickey Betts write? ›
Here are some of Betts' best songs.
- “Revival” (1970) Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images. ...
- “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” (1970) Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images. ...
- “Whipping Post” (1971) Richard E. ...
- “Hot 'Lanta” (1971) ...
- “Les Brers in A Minor” (1972) ...
- “Melissa” (1972) ...
- “Blue Sky” (1972) ...
- “Mountain Jam” (1972)
In January 2017, founding member Butch Trucks died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. That May, founding member Gregg Allman died from complications arising from liver cancer at the age of 69, putting an end to any possibilities of a reunion.
Who was the black guy in The Allman Brothers Band? ›
Jaimoe
| Jai Johanny Johanson |
|---|
| Jaimoe performing with The Allman Brothers Band in 2009 |
| Background information |
| Birth name | John Lee Johnson |
| Also known as | Jaimoe Johnny Lee Johnson |
8 more rowsThe band was also notable as a biracial group from the Deep South. Duane Allman died in a motorcycle accident in 1971, and Berry Oakley was killed in a motorcycle crash the following year.
Which Allman brother went to jail? ›
Duane, Gregg, Jaimoe, Dickey, Butch, Berry [and roadies] Willie Perkins, Joe Dan Petty and David "Tuffy" Philips were all arrested and charged with possession." Even worse, Freeman contended, "Gregg had paranoid fear of jail cells and went crazy, climbing the bars and screaming before Duane made him shut up."
What was the tragedy of the Allman Brothers? ›
On October 29, 1971, Duane Allman, then 24, was killed in a motorcycle accident one day after returning to Macon. Allman was riding his motorcycle at a high speed at the intersection of Hillcrest Avenue and Bartlett Street as a flatbed truck carrying a lumber crane approached.
Where will Dickey Betts be buried? ›
“And when it's time for leavin', I hope you'll understand..." All buried together in Macon's Rose Hill Cemetery, room had been previously made for Dickey Betts and the last surviving member of The Allman Brothers Band, drummer Jaimoe Johnson.
Is Jaimoe still alive? ›
He is best known as one of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band and, with the death of Dickey Betts on April 18, 2024, he is the last surviving original member of the band. Ocean Springs, Mississippi, U.S.
