RIP Dickey Betts dead at 80
- Thread starter Quad Linda
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I was just getting ready to post about this. Another one of our rockers checking out. Sad but inevitable. RIP Mr. Betts.
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/dickey-betts-dead/
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/dickey-betts-dead/
RIP
When my daughter was in utero, i played her "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed"; i used to put the headphones over my wife's belly and pump the song into the womb. When my daughter was born, and i played the song on the stereo, it was clear she recognized it! Return In Power, Dickey!
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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 said in 2020, 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.’”
Back in March 1989 I saw Dickey in Reno NV at a small theater. After the show my buddy and I were hanging out deciding which Casino to head to when we saw him and his Lady walking down the street, just the two of them. We crossed the street and met them and ending up talking to him for about 20 minutes. One of the nicest people I have ever met. He will be missed...
One of my favourite bands, I think I have all the albums. They played the Knebworth Festival in 1974 and as I was 16 my parents wouldn't let me go so I never saw them. At least we've some great music, RIP Dickey Betts
RIP. As my brother-in-law stated in a text to me today, "Those were 80 hard years".
RIP Dickey Betts – not sure what to say.
Such a huge loss.
Not only for our musical family, but for the world of music in general.
Aside from being a huge, major influence on my music from before I picked up a guitar, Dickey was the one person I credit for everything amazing that happened in my career.
As I have stated many times, I was a huge Allman Brothers fan from the very beginning.
My oldest brother had the first album in 1969 and it got a ton of play around our house.
By the time the Live at Fillmore East record came out in 1971, I was just starting to play guitar and that was with without question the album that influenced me and all my young guitar playing friends the most.
We would all listen to it for hours on end, day in and day out. It was a moment and time. What a beautiful gift to up and coming guitar players who might want to travel down that road of improvisation and melding influences.
The way he and Duane Allman played together was a thing of beauty and glory.
Dickey’s style was a combination of all his diverse influences filtered through his personality and what came out was a joyous sound that would directly or indirectly influence all related music to come.
Listening as a kid I had no idea that one day our paths would cross and that he would become a mentor to me.
In addition to being the huge influence and inspiration that he had been for years, he was also a presence that loomed larger than life.
I started playing with the Dickey Betts Band around 1986 and when he recruited me to be the other guitar player and the slide guitar player in his band, it was the ultimate compliment.
I’ll never forget speaking to him on the phone when he called to offer me the job.
It was one of those “pinch me” moments in my life, but I had no way of knowing what a heavy moment it would prove to be.
After playing in Dickey’s band for 2 1/2 years, I got the call to join my favorite band of all time, The Allman Brothers Band.
No one knew at that time that they were considering reforming, so it came as a shock to me.
We all signed on to do what we thought was only gonna be a reunion tour for the band’s 20th anniversary to support the Dreams box set.
Not myself or anyone else ever imagined that it would turn into what it did and I wound up spending 25 years of my life life as a member of my favorite band.
As I’ve also said many times, when I think of the Allman Brothers Band, I automatically think of the original band with Duane Allman and Berry Oakley, who unfortunately passed way too soon, and although I’m extremely proud of my work with the band, that will always be the case.
Dickey Betts and I created a lot of great music together and what I took from him was a major contribution in my life.
It did not take long once I joined his band to realize, standing next to him with that beautiful tone, that I had a lot to work to do on both with my tone and with my style.
It was amazingly intimidating to stand there night after night realizing how far I had to go.
He threw me in the lake and I had to learn to swim.
I am forever grateful for that “once in a lifetime” opportunity.
Thanks Dickey.-WH
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Bob Dylan ~ Murder Most Foul, 2020:
That makes Jaimoe the last surviving original member.
Ranasakawa
1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
I'm absolutely gutted.
Dickey Betts is one of my musical heroes
I'll be playing Brothers and sisters loud
RIP mate
Dickey Betts is one of my musical heroes
I'll be playing Brothers and sisters loud
RIP mate
Met Dickey back stage in the green room prior to to an AB concert in Tinley Park, IL in the 90s. It was just my wife and I with Dickey at that moment and he spoke to me first. What a great guy! Got to see Whipping Post, the encore that night from the band’s perspective on stage! Will never forget that experience! RIP to one of the all time greats!
Sadly, we're going to lose so many more late 60's early 70's performers before the end of this decade
Did you play with them at the Spirit of the Suwannee music park, in Live Oak, FL? I want to say in 2010? If so then I was there. Should still have the 3 CD's from the concert somewhere still. I had met Gregg in Daytona a few decades earlier, never met any other of the band members I know of but always a fan. Think I have a solo album by Betts still.
Thank you for your contribution!
To a brother-RIP Dickey, and to you Jaimoe my living brother, thanks for everything.
I am not Warren Haynes, I merely pasted the entire text of his X Tweet in a more readable format for folks.
You must have been at the Wanee Festival.
I was on the ABB site yesterday searching all live shows I was at.
Easy to search by city, state, venue.
Have a look at this, they played two nights in April 2010.
https://allmanbrothersband.com/show...&wpv-wpcf-e-country=&wpv_filter_submit=Search
Ah ok I did not realize Warren posted that. Sorry. But yeah I think they played all 3 days of the festival.
I don't know/remember if Derek Trucks played the Wanee festival. He might have been a little young but just don't remember now.
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