CNN
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Dickey Betts, a guitarist and the co-founder of the Allman Brothers Band, has died, in accordance with a household assertion shared with CNN on Thursday by his longtime supervisor.
Betts was 80.
“It’s with profound unhappiness and heavy hearts that the Betts household announce the peaceable passing of Forrest Richard ‘Dickey’ Betts,” the statement reads. “The legendary performer, songwriter, bandleader and household patriarch handed away earlier right this moment at his residence in Osprey, FL., surrounded by his household. Dickey was bigger than life, and his loss might be felt world-wide. At this tough time, the household asks for prayers and respect for his or her privateness within the coming days. Extra data might be forthcoming on the applicable time.”
Betts’ supervisor David Spero advised Rolling Stone the guitarist had most cancers and power obstructive pulmonary illness.
A local of West Palm Seashore, Florida, Betts’ early musical influences included bluegrass, nation music and later rock and roll. Credited with serving to outline the sound and of Southern rock style of the ’60s and ‘70s, Betts, bass guitarist Berry Oakley, drummers Butch Vehicles and Jaimoe joined brothers Gregg and Duane Allman to kind the Allman Brothers Band in 1969.
Betts wrote and sang on the group’s largest hit, “Ramblin’ Man.” Initially, he wrote the track and meant for it to be sung by one other artist fully.
“I used to be going to ship ‘Ramblin’ Man’ to Johnny Money,” Betts said in 2020, later including that he “thought it was an important track for him.”
“However all people appreciated that track. Even my dad appreciated the track, earlier than we recorded it or something. And I’m pondering I’m going to ship this to Johnny Money and see if he wished to do it,” he continued. “The producer (Johnny Sandlin) mentioned we would have liked one other track for the document and requested if I had something. I mentioned, ‘Properly, I obtained one however I used to be going to ship it to Nashville for Money to document.’ He mentioned, ‘Let’s hear it.’ After which, ‘No! we gotta do this.’”
Different massive Allman Brothers songs written by Betts have been “Blue Sky” and “Jessica.”
Tragedy struck the group when Duane Allman died in a bike accident in 1971 and Oakley was killed in a bike crash a yr after. Betts and Gregg Allman grew to become the band’s leaders, however artistic variations and substance abuse within the group prompted them to interrupt up and reform a number of instances.
In 1973, a then-16-year-old Cameron Crowe adopted the Allman Brothers Band whereas they toured for a Rolling Stone cowl story, which might finally present the inspiration for Crowe’s Oscar-winning 2000 film, “Nearly Well-known.” In 2017, Crowe said Billy Crudup’s central rock star character is “a tribute” to Betts.
In an electronic mail despatched to CNN afterward Friday, Crowe known as Betts “a guitarist for the ages, the musical glue that held collectively The Allman Brothers Band for a few years.”
“Dickey’s quiet heat, and his timeless contribution to American music was a giant inspiration for our movie,” the filmmaker added.
Betts left the Allman Brothers Band in a extremely publicized cut up within the yr 2000. Whereas the band continued touring for nearly 15 extra years and launched one extra studio album, Betts toured together with his Nice Southern group, that includes his son Duane, and launched one other studio album of latest materials. Betts retired in 2014.
Additionally on Friday, the Allman Brothers Band launched an official assertion, writing that Betts’ “extraordinary guitar taking part in alongside guitarist Duane Allman created a novel twin guitar signature sound that grew to become the signature sound of the style referred to as Southern Rock.”
“He was passionate in life, be it music, songwriting, fishing, searching, boating, golf, karate or boxing,” the assertion continued. “Dickey was all in on and excelled at something that caught his consideration.”
When requested what he liked most about music, Betts advised the Sarasota Herald Tribune in 2020 that it was primarily the impact it had on his viewers.
“I just like the crowds primarily, and what the music did for them,” he mentioned. “They obtained extra out of the music than I did. … I simply actually get a kick out of the viewers and the way they may simply sort of drift away to a different world in a live performance.”
CNN’s Phil Gast contributed to this story.
This story has been up to date with extra data.