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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
Dickey Betts, co-founder of the Allman Brothers Band, dead at 80
By Dan Heching, CNN
Updated:
11:36 PM EDT, Thu April 18, 2024
Source: CNN
Dickey Betts, a guitarist and the co-founder of the Allman Brothers
Band, has died, according to a family statement shared with CNN on
Thursday by his longtime manager.
Betts was 80.
“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that the Betts family
announce the peaceful passing of Forrest Richard ‘Dickey’ Betts,”
the reads. “The legendary performer, songwriter, bandleader and
family patriarch passed away earlier today at his home in Osprey, FL.,
surrounded by his family. Dickey was larger than life, and his loss
will be felt world-wide. 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.”
Betts’ manager David Spero told the guitarist had cancer and chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease.
A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Betts’ early musical influences
included bluegrass, country music and later rock and roll. Credited
with helping define the sound and of Southern rock genre of the ’60s
and ‘70s, Betts, bass guitarist Berry Oakley, drummers Butch Trucks
and Jaimoe joined brothers and Duane Allman to form the Allman Brothers
Band in 1969.
Betts wrote and sang on the group’s biggest hit, “Ramblin’
Man.” Initially, he wrote the song and intended for it to be sung by
another artist entirely.
“I was going to send ‘Ramblin’ Man’ to Johnny Cash,” Betts
, later adding that he “thought it was a great song for him.”
“But everybody liked that song. Even my dad liked the song, before
we recorded it or anything. And I’m thinking I’m going to send this
to Johnny Cash and see if he wanted to do it,” he continued.
“The producer (Johnny Sandlin) said we needed another song for the
record and asked if I had anything. I said, ‘Well, I got one but I
was going to send it to Nashville for Cash to record.’ He said,
‘Let’s hear it.’ And then, ‘No! we gotta do that.’”
Other big Allman Brothers songs written by Betts were “Blue Sky”
and “Jessica.”
Tragedy struck the group when Duane Allman died in a motorcycle
accident in 1971 and Oakley was killed in a motorcycle crash a year
after. Betts and Gregg Allman became the band’s leaders, but creative
differences and substance abuse in the group caused them to break up
and reform multiple times.
In 1973, a then-16-year-old Cameron Crowe followed the Allman Brothers
Band while they toured for a Rolling Stone cover story, which would
eventually provide the inspiration for Crowe’s Oscar-winning 2000
movie, “Almost Famous.” In 2017, Billy Crudup’s central rock star
character is “a tribute” to Betts.
In an email sent to CNN later on Friday, Crowe called Betts “a
guitarist for the ages, the musical glue that held together The Allman
Brothers Band for many years.”
“Dickey’s quiet warmth, and his timeless contribution to American
music was a big inspiration for our film,” the filmmaker added.
Betts left the Allman Brothers Band in a highly publicized split in the
year 2000. While the band continued touring for almost 15 more years
and released one additional studio album, Betts toured with his Great
Southern group, featuring his son Duane, and released another studio
album of new material. Betts retired in 2014.
Also on Friday, the Allman Brothers Band released an official
statement, writing that Betts’ “extraordinary guitar playing
alongside guitarist Duane Allman created a unique dual guitar signature
sound that became the signature sound of the genre known as Southern
Rock.”
“He was passionate in life, be it music, songwriting, fishing,
hunting, boating, golf, karate or boxing,” the statement continued.
“Dickey was all in on and excelled at anything that caught his
attention.”
When asked what he loved most about music, Betts told the in 2020 that
it was primarily the effect it had on his audience.
“I like the crowds mainly, and what the music did for them,” he
said. “They got more out of the music than I did. … I just really
get a kick out of the audience and how they could just kind of drift
away to another world in a concert.”
CNN’s Phil Gast contributed to this story.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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