Current:Home > BackDickey Betts, Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist, dies at 80-InfoLens
Dickey Betts, Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist, dies at 80
View Date:2024-12-23 16:31:30
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man," has died. 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. They didn't think he was in any pain," Spero said by phone.
Betts shared lead guitar duties with Duane Allman in the original Allman Brothers Band to help give the group its distinctive sound and create a new genre — Southern rock. Acts ranging from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Kid Rock were influenced by the Allmans' music, which combined the blues, country, R&B and jazz with '60s rock.
Founded in 1969, the Allmans were a pioneering jam band, trampling the traditional notion of three-minute pop songs by performing lengthy compositions in concert and on record. The band was also notable as a biracial group from the Deep South.
Duane Allman died in a motorcycle accident in 1971, and founding member Berry Oakley was killed in a motorcycle crash a year later. That left Betts and Allman's younger brother Gregg as the band's leaders, but they frequently clashed, and substance abuse caused further dysfunction. The band broke up at least twice before reforming, and has had more than a dozen lineups.
The Allman Brothers Band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and earned a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 2012. Betts left the group for good in 2000, and also played solo and with his own band Great Southern, which included his son, guitarist Duane Betts.
Forrest Richard Betts was born Dec. 12, 1943, and was raised in the Bradenton, Florida, area, near the highway 41 he sang about in "Ramblin' Man." His family had lived in area since the mid-19th century.
Betts grew up listening to country, bluegrass and Western swing, and played the ukulele and banjo before focusing on the electric guitar because it impressed girls. At 16 he left home for his first road trip, joining the circus to play in a band.
He returned home, and with bassist Oakley joined a group that became the Jacksonville, Florida-based band Second Coming. One night in 1969 Betts and Oakley jammed with Duane Allman, already a successful session musician, and his younger brother, and together they formed the Allman Brothers Band.
The group moved to Macon, Georgia, and released a self-titled debut album in 1969. A year later came the album "Idlewild South," highlighted by Betts' instrumental composition "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," which soon became a concert staple.
The 1971 double album "At Fillmore East," now considered among the greatest live albums of the classic rock era, was the Allmans' commercial breakthrough and cemented their performing reputation by showcasing the unique guitar interplay between Allman and Betts. Their styles contrasted, with Allman playing bluesy slide guitar, while Betts' solos and singing tugged the band toward country. When layered in harmony, their playing was especially distinctive.
The group also had two drummers — "Jaimoe" Johanson, who is Black, and Butch Trucks.
Duane Allman died four days after "Fillmore" was certified as a gold record, but the band carried on and crowds continued to grow. The 1973 album "Brothers and Sisters" rose to No. 1 on the charts and featured "Ramblin' Man," with Betts singing the lead and bringing twang to the Top 40. The song reached No. 2 on the singles charts and was kept out of the No. 1 spot by "Half Breed" by Cher, who later married Gregg Allman.
The soaring sound of Betts' guitar on "Ramblin' Man" reverberated in neighborhood bars around the country for decades, and the song underscored his knack for melodic hooks. "Ramblin' Man" was the Allmans' only Top Ten hit, but Betts' catchy 7½-minute instrumental composition "Jessica," recorded in 1972, became an FM radio staple.
Betts also wrote or co-wrote some of the band's other best-loved songs, including "Blue Sky" and "Southbound." In later years the group remained a successful touring act with Betts and Warren Haynes on guitar. Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks died in 2017.
After leaving the Allmans for good, Betts continued to play with his own group and lived in the Bradenton area with his wife, Donna.
- In:
- Music
- Florida
- Obituary
- Entertainment
veryGood! (359)
Related
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom will spend part of week in DC as he tries to Trump-proof state policies
- RHOC's Tamra Judge Reveals Conversation She Had With Shannon Beador Hours After DUI Arrest
- Indiana US Senate candidate files suit challenging law that may keep him off the ballot
- Orlando Bloom Shares Glimpse Into His Magical FaceTime Calls With Daughter Daisy Dove
- My Little Pony finally hits the Toy Hall of Fame, alongside Phase 10 and Transformers
- Why Tyra Banks Is Skipping the Plastic Surgery Stuff Ahead of Her 50th Birthday
- Pepsi and Madonna share never-before-seen commercial that was canceled 34 years go
- ‘ABC World News’ anchor David Muir chosen for Arizona State University’s Cronkite Award
- Mike Tyson concedes the role of villain to young foe in 58-year-old’s fight with Jake Paul
- New features in iOS 17 that can help keep you safe: What to know
Ranking
- Tua Tagovailoa tackle: Dolphins QB laughs off taking knee to head vs. Rams on 'MNF'
- Mortgage rates unlikely to dip this year, experts say
- Which NFL teams can survive 0-2 start to 2023 season? Ranking all nine by playoff viability
- New report recommends limiting police pursuits to violent crimes after rise in fatalities
- Reds honor Pete Rose with a 14-hour visitation at Great American Ball Park
- NYC day care operator tried to cover up fentanyl operation before 1-year-old’s death, feds allege
- Israel’s Netanyahu to meet with Biden in New York. The location is seen as a sign of US displeasure
- The video game industry is in uproar over a software pricing change. Here's why
Recommendation
-
Appeals Court Affirms Conviction of Everglades Scientist Accused of Stealing ‘Trade Secrets’
-
'Dumb Money' review: You won't find a more crowd-pleasing movie about rising stock prices
-
Colombian leader summons intense oratory for a bleak warning: that humanity is making itself extinct
-
6-year-old Texas boy hospitalized after neighbor attacked him with baseball bat, authorities say
-
Jennifer Hudson, Kylie Minogue and Billy Porter to perform at Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
-
Lawsuit filed over department store worker who died in store bathroom, body not found for days
-
'Hello, humans': Meet Aura, the Las Vegas Sphere's humanoid robots designed to help guests
-
Auto suppliers say if UAW strikes expand to more plants, it could mean the end for many