Dickey Betts, the singer, songwriter and guitarist of the Allman Brothers Band and famous for Southern rock, has passed away at 80.
His family confirmed that the Ramblin’ Man artist passed away at his Florida home on Thursday, surrounded by loved ones.
They described Betts – real name Richard Betts – as being ‘larger than life’ and the family’s ‘patriarch’.
A statement came via Betts’ Instagram, which read: ‘It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that the Betts family announce the peaceful passing of Forrest Richard ‘Dickey’ Betts (December 12, 1943 – April 18, 2024) at the age of 80 years old.
‘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 confirmed to Rolling Stone he died of cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Betts’ musical career began when he picked up a ukulele at the age of four, and he went on to form a band as a teenager, earning a living as a painter and post carrier.
His character was immortalised in Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous, as Stillwater guitarist Russell Hammond – played by Billy Crudup. The director later said this character was a ‘tribute’ to Betts.
In the mid-1960s, Betts was recruited by a member of a band called Jokers, who were impressed on hearing him play, and he went on to tour with them before he formed the band Second Coming with bassist Berry Oakley.
Duane Allman met the duo and asked them to join Allman Brothers Band in 1969, alongside his brother Gregg, Butch Trucks, and Jaimoe Johanson.
Originally, Betts was drafted in as a guitarist, but two years after they formed lead singer Duane died in a motorbike accident aged 24, and Betts became defacto lead guitarist and frontman.
Though he was said to be uncomfortable with this role, Betts proved himself a skilled songwriter and vocalist, as he wrote and sang the band’s greatest hit, Ramblin’ Man.
He also wrote Revival and the memorable instrumental in In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.
Together, Duane and Betts were credited for taking instrumental improvisations to new heights in electrifying live performances.
In 1976 the group split, and Betts formed Dicky Betts and Great Southern, but it didn’t reach the heights of Allman Brothers Band, who reformed two years later, only to split again.
The first argument is said to be because Gregg testified against one of the band’s workers in a drug case.
After some time apart, Allman Brothers Band came back together for their 20th anniversary, and continued their success into the 1990s – getting into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and winning a Grammy.
But, tension between Gregg and Betts increased, and in 1993 Betts was briefly removed from the band because of a fight with the police.
It’s said Gregg informed Betts by fax that he was being replaced in 2000. Betts then released a solo album called Let’s Get Together.
He is survived by four children – Kimberly, Christy, Jessica and Duane.
Johanson is the only surviving member of the band, after Gregg died of cancer in 2017 within a few months of Truck.
Oakley also died at 24 in a motorcycle accident not far from where Duane also crashed 13 months earlier. They are buried next to each other in Rosehill Cemetery in Macon.
Fans have posted tributes to Betts on social media, like user @batmaaaannnn who wrote: ‘RIP Dicky Betts. Thank you for all the music.’
‘Rest in peace Ramblin’ Man. Your music amazed me and inspired me,’ wrote @Grampy_Rick, while @BlackwolfOates said: ‘RIP Dicky Betts. I will never tire of listening to Dicky and Duane push each other to greater and greater heights of improvisational genius.’
Fan Paul Kelly said: ‘RIP to a true rock legend. His playing defined a genre. Plus, I think Dicky was very underrated as a player. A god.’
