Florida rock legend Dickey Betts dies at 80
Guitarist Forrest Richard “Dickey” Betts, a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, died Thursday at his home in Sarasota County. He was 80.
Betts’ languid, lyrical lead work complemented the pulsating slide guitar of co-lead player Duane Allman. The “twin guitar” sound was a hallmark of the Allman Brothers Band, which survived Duane Allman’s death in a motorcycle accident in 1971 and carried on for years, with brother Gregg Allman’s vocals and Hammond B3 organ near the forefront.
Betts, born in South Florida and raised in Manatee County, wrote and sang the group’s only hit single, 1973’s “Ramblin’ Man.” The Allman Brothers Band was primarily known as an incendiary concert act – the Live at Fillmore East album (1971) is considered a benchmark in rock ‘n’ roll history.
His other popular Allman Brothers songs included “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” “Southbound” and “Blue Sky.” He released a series of albums as a solo performer and with Great Southern.
The Allman band members often feuded, broke up and fought again, and things between Betts and Gregg Allman finally reached an unhappy crescendo in 2000. Allman and the other surviving members of the Allman Brothers continued, with a rotating crew of players, until Allman’s death in 2017.
Betts’ manager, David Spero, issued a statement Thursday: “The legendary performer, songwriter, bandleader and family patriarch was at his home in Osprey 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.”
