Jeremy Clarkson has honored the late musician Dickey Betts, who holds a special place in Top Gear history.
The renowned guitarist, who co-established the Allman Brothers and composed their popular song Ramblin’ Man, passed away on Thursday at 80 after battling cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for over a year.
In addition to his contributions to the iconic band, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer also wrote Jessica, which served as the Top Gear theme tune.
Jeremy – who hosted the show from 1998 to 2015 – wrote on X: ‘Dicky Betts has passed away. You probably haven’t heard of him. But he composed a song called Jessica. And you will DEFINITELY have heard that. (sic)’
Bett’s bandmate Butch Trucks previously disclosed he actually composed the song – which is instantly recognized by car enthusiasts all over the world – for his daughter.
‘It’s just a beautiful song. Dickey composed it for his little girl – she was about a year old, crawling around on the floor,’ he explained on Nights With Alice Cooper.
‘That was the inspiration for that real kind of thing. It has a little lullaby on the ending, that kind of thing.
‘It’s energetic, melodic and very rhythmic. It’s a lot of fun to play. That one can get pretty artistic sometimes.’
The song was first used when Top Gear initially aired in 1977, while it was also used from the launch of the revival in 2002 until the BBC decided to take the programme off air earlier this year.
The decision was made to shelved the iconic show for the ‘foreseeable future’ after co-host Freddie Flintoff was involved in a devastating crash in December 2022.
Bett’s family announced his death ‘with heavy hearts’ earlier this week, after he passed away at his Florida home ‘surrounded’ by his loved ones.
A statement on the musician’s Instagram 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.’
