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‘Forever Remembered': The Allman Brothers And More Musicians Pay Tribute To Dickey Betts After His Death At 80
The Allman Brothers released an official statement mourning the loss of their notable band member. With his passing, heartfelt notes, eulogies, and cherished memories poured in from fellow musicians.
Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of death
The music sphere incurred a valuable loss on April 18 with the passing of revered musician and founding member of The Allman Brothers, Dickey Betts. He died Thursday morning at his home in Florida following his battle with cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as confirmed by his manager David Spero to Rolling Stone. Dickey Betts was 80.
The Allman Brothers released an official statement mourning the loss of their notable band member. With his passing, heartfelt notes, eulogies, and cherished memories poured in from fellow musicians.
The world of music pays homage to Dickey Betts
The Allman Brothers, which was formed by brothers Duane and Gregg Allman, and Dickey Betts among others, stated their regret on the latter's passing. The elaborate statement began, “With deep sadness THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND learned today that founding member Dickey Betts has passed away peacefully in his home in Sarasota, Florida, following a period of declining health.”
Marking the iconic songs written by the late founding member and his guitar mastery, the Grammy-winning band’s statement added, “Dickey wrote quintessential BROTHERS songs including 'Blue Sky', 'Rambling Man', 'Jessica', 'In Memory of Elizabeth Reed' and many others. His 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.”
The Allman Brothers formed in 1969, based in Jacksonville, Florida. They rose to fame after the release of their solo albums in the 1970s. They found success with the 1973 album, Brothers and Sisters which ranked at No.1; 1979’s Enlightened Rogues, their last Top 10 full-length album and 1972’s Eat a Peach, released after Duane Allman died in 1971.
The statement listed the names of late band members, Duane Allman, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks, and Gregg Allman, and ABB crew members Twiggs Lyndon, Joe Dan Petty, Red Dog, Kim Payne, and Mike Callahan.
“Our condolences to his immediate family Donna, Duane & Lisa, Christy & Frank, Jessica, and Kim. Play on Brother Dickey, you will be forever remembered and deeply missed,” the Allman Brothers’ official statement concluded.
Several other notable musicians penned down tributes for the late songwriter on social media.
Guitarist Joe Bonamassa reminisced about his “first concert” which was Dickey Betts performing at Coleman’s in Rome, New York in 1983. “Blew my mind and made me want a Les Paul,” he wrote on X.
The Marshall Tucker Band lead singer, Doug Gray penned, “The memories hit me hard this morning after learning of his passing. The monuments that he helped to create for Southern Rock will never be replicated.”
Bassist, Berry Duane Oakley credited “Uncle Dickey” for encouraging his and his father, Berry Oakley’s music career. “Betts and Oakley’s have always been close. My father would not join Duane’s band without Dickey!! And in 1989 uncle Dickey stepped up and (showed) me the way, my family history, his deep connection to my father, all about ABB and what my father meant to the band,” the musician wrote on Facebook.
Allman Brothers guitarist Derek Trucks and singer-guitarist Susan Tedeschi marked Betts as “one of the best to ever do it,” on Instagram.
ALSO READ: Who Was Dickey Betts? All About The Allman Brothers Guitarist As He Passes Away At 80
Dickey Betts inspired a film character
The iconic musician’s influence extended beyond the confines of music. In the 2000 movie, Almost Famous, Billy Crudup’s character was reportedly inspired by Dickey Betts. "Crudup's look, and much more, is a tribute to Dickey. 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,” director Cameron Crowe told Rolling Stone in 2017.
After The Allman Brothers Band’s success in the 1980s, the band took a seven-year-long hiatus only to reunite in 1989. Dickey Betts finally left the band in 2000. The band’s reunion materialized into new hit albums and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1995.
ALSO READ: Roberto Cavalli, Legend Who Left Mark On Fashion Industry, Passes Away At 83
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