
Dickey Betts plays one of his many Les Pauls. This model, and the SG, were the Gibsons that were the cornerstone of his distinctive tone.
The composer and co-creator of the Allman Brothers’ guitar legacy dies at 80, leaving behind 55 years of recording, performing, and legendary tales.
Magic happened when Dickey Betts and Duane Allman played together. Their sinuous, twined, harmonized guitar lines—inspired in part by Western swing and Miles Davis—were like nothing else in rock when the Allman Brothers Band’s debut album was released in 1969. And their Les Paul and SG partnership led the way in creating the Band’s reputation as the finest rock ensemble players of their day. Although that partnership was short-lived, due to Duane’s fatal motorcycle accident in 1971, that transcendent dual-guitar sound, best captured in the heroic performances on the live At Fillmore East double-album, continued throughout the band’s career and became a hallmark of Southern rock, largely thanks to Betts. And it will endure as one of the most recognizable dialects of electrified guitar-based music.
Betts soldiered on with the Allman Brothers Band until 2000, living in the shadow of Duane, whose early death cemented his legendary status. But Betts’ playing was equally commanding—the yin to Duane’s fat-toned, slide-driven yang. As a composer, he minted melodies and riffs that endure. “Jessica,” “Blue Sky,” “Ramblin’ Man,” and “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” are Betts’ work. As a player, he was unerringly melodic, with a Gibson and Marshall tone that blended clarity and heft with the tang of distortion. He played loud. Really loud. But that volume fueled his expressive dynamic touch and his supremely articulate 6-string language was always worth hearing.
“The band was so good we thought we’d never make it. It was so amazing I don’t even know how to put it into words—even now.”
Dickey Betts died on April 18, reportedly from cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He’d been sidelined since 2018, when he had a mild stroke which was followed by an accident at his home, which necessitated surgery to relieve swelling of the brain. He was 80 years old.
Like the Allman Brothers over the decades, Betts’ own career had its hills and valleys, but his musical character and abilities remained intact until recent years. When I spoke with him a decade ago at Nashville’s Hutton Hotel, the then-70-year-old observed, “I’m amazed that at my age I’m still effective. I have a formidable band together and I write new songs, although mainly we just do renditions of things like ‘Jessica’ and other hits.
Those are fun to play and people enjoy those songs. I’ve got a full catalog of instrumentals that I could play all night if I wanted to. A rock ’n’ roll career is supposed to last about as long as a professional football player’s—five years and you’re done. But I’m still out there swinging, filling theaters, and playing festivals.”
Passing the torch: Betts onstage with his son, Duane Betts, who leads his own band today. Here, they recreate the dual-guitar sound first cast in bronze by Betts and Duane Allman in 1969.
Photo by Jordi Vidal
Betts was in Music City on that occasion to celebrate the launch of the Gibson Custom Shop’s Southern Rock Tribute 1959 Les Paul, based on an instrument he owned, and was about to embark on one of his annual summer tours with his band Great Southern, which he’d been leading in various configurations since 1977. He also had his Dickey Betts Band, which he started in 1988 and included Warren Haynes, whom Betts drafted into the Allmans when the Brothers reformed in 1990 after a near-decade hiatus. I’d been warned by Betts’ handlers that he could be difficult, and Allman Brothers Band lore contains enough stories of his wicked temper and edge-of-violence outbursts to serve as warning. He was arrested for assaulting a police officer in 1993, and reportedly held a knife behind his back during a band argument shortly before he was dismissed from the Allmans. But, sipping a glass of wine while wearing a sleeveless white tee shirt, a straw cowboy hat, and a necklace of alligator’s teeth, he was cordial, funny, and thoughtful.
He reflected on his role in bringing jazz influences to the early Allman Brothers, which tapered well with Duane and Gregg Allman’s blues sensibilities. “I got that, initially, from Western swing,” he recalled. “My dad did play fiddle, but we didn’t call it bluegrass. It was called string music and he also played Irish reels and things. So, I think I got my sense of melody from Western swing and my dad.
“I also got my sense of tone from my dad. I saw how my dad would pay attention to his fiddle sound. He knew how to tune a fiddle by putting a tone post in, to push the top of the fiddle up. He would move that post around until he had just the right tone. So, I think that search for tone is just in my disposition. I always wanted my guitar to have a little edge on it, but with a clear sound. I experimented with different speaker combinations until I found it. Part of your tone is in your hand, too.”
After playing in a series of bands from his native Florida into the Midwest, including an outfit called the Jokers that Rick Derringer name-checked in his hit “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo,” Betts was recruited for the Allmans by Duane in 1969. “We didn’t do it consciously,” Betts said of their conflagrant dual-guitar sound. “We knew that when we started improvising, things fit, and we didn’t analyze it. Duane was more real militaristic into urban blues. And then I had a Western swing lilt to my rock playing, and it fit together beautifully. A lot of older folks said they thought we sounded like Benny Goodman, and it made sense to me later on when I listened to Goodman. He was pretty hip for his day, and would interweave his instruments together, too. We also listened to Miles Davis, who we thought was one of the greatest composers and bandleaders.
“Right from the beginning, we knew what we had,” Betts continued. “The band was so good we thought we’d never make it. It was so amazing I don’t even know how to put it into words—even now. With Duane, Berry Oakley, Greg and me as the songwriters, with everybody’s musicianship … it developed like a Polaroid picture. Nobody knew what it was going to be. They tried it at first as a trio, with Duane, Berry [Oakley, bass] and Jaimoe [Johnson, drums], and they cut some demos that were okay but they knew it wasn’t the Cream or Jimi Hendrix. And Berry told Duane the magic was happening when Betts was around, jamming, and from there we just grew into a six-piece naturally.
“We were elated with our sound, but every record company in the country turned us down. ‘All the songs sound the same.’ ‘They don’t have a frontman’… all this corny junk. So, we just started to travel around the country playing for free. In Boston, I remember we moved into a condemned building and ran an extension cord from the next building. We played in the park there. We’d get some hippies together and build a stage.”
While ’69’s The Allman Brothers Band sold poorly at first, it received critical acclaim, and the band’s grassroots mentality and love for playing—often relayed live via extended versions of their songs with plenty of improvisation—took hold in the potent American youth culture. The follow-up, Idlewild South, fared a bit better commercially, but At Fillmore East became their breakthrough. Sadly, Duane died just three months after its release.
“When we started getting killed off, well, there was nothing we could do about that,” Betts reflected. “It was tough times after we lost Duane and then we lost Berry. But then we had our biggest record [Eat a Peach, from 1972]. We figured. ‘Why quit when you’re losing?,’ and it worked out.
“And then, of course, the whole thing came apart,” Betts said of his 2000 ouster from the band. He was removed by the other charter members for the transgressions he was notorious for: drug and alcohol abuse, aggressive behavior. “But the Allman Brothers weren’t like the Rolling Stones, where we toured every five years. We were a working band. Thirty years is a long haul—especially when you’re doing something where your emotions are on your shirtsleeve all the time. The social dynamics just blew apart.”
Regarding the Southern rock mantle, Betts said, “We didn’t like it at first. It was kind of a reckless business label put on us by record companies. We thought of ourselves as progressive rock. We wanted to be more sophisticated than Southern rock sounds. We also didn’t think Southern bands sound that much alike, so why categorize them that way? As I get older I understand it was about record company marketing, but the difference between Marshall Tucker and the Allman Brothers Band is vast. They were more Western and we had a lot more jazz and blues, and improvising. My favorite was Molly Hatchet.”
Until his stroke and other illnesses waylaid him, Betts settled into his own music, seemingly content to be out of the heavy cycle of touring and recording required by a major band, settled into his life on Florida’s Gulf Coast. “I like fishing,” he said. “We live on the water and I’ve got a boat. I’m an archer. I can shoot stuff out of the air. We hunt wild hogs on the islands. It’s good to have something to do when you go home besides take dope [laughs]. I’d always get in trouble. On the road you’re busy; you go home and you don’t know what to do. Now I have some other good ways to apply myself.” Betts is survived by his wife, Donna, and four children: Kimberly, Christy, Jessica, and Duane, a skillful guitarist and bandleader in his own right.
The pedals keep coming! Enter Stompboxtober Day 28 for your chance to win today’s featured pedal from Line 6!
Line 6 Hx One Stereo Multi-Effects Pedal
The Line 6 HX One is a powerful stereo effect pedal with intuitive controls that fits onto any pedalboard. Select one of 250+ effects taken from the acclaimed HX family processors and easily adjust the parameters displayed on the OLED screen using the three corresponding knobs. You can also automate parameter changes via the unique Flux controller and trigger them with the Tap/Flux footswitch. Connect an optional expression pedal or two external footswitches for additional control (all sold separately). . HX One also provides adjustable input impedance with a choice of True Bypass or buffered DSP Bypass, MIDI In and Out/Thru connectors, 128 Presets or a USB-C port for firmware updates and use with the HX One Preset Librarian application. HX One may be powered using the included 9V power supply or most third-party power supplies, making it easy to add to your pedalboard.250+ effects taken from the HX family processors. Intuitive controls make selecting and editing effects easy. Flux Controller for automating parameter changes . Adjustable input impedance to match your instrument . Connect an optional expression pedal or two external footswitches (sold separately). MIDI In, Out/Thru connectors (receives PC and CC messages). Stereo I/O with choice of True Bypass or buffered DSP Bypass. 128 preset slots. USB-C port for firmware updates and use with HX One Preset Librarian . 9V power supply included.Blackberry Smoke will embark on their Rattle, Ramble and Roll Tour in 2025, featuring stops at Worcester’s Palladium, Burlington’s The Flynn, New Orleans’ The Fillmore, Austin’s ACL Live at the Moody Theater, among many others.
Tickets for the newly added dates will be available for pre-sale starting tomorrow, Tuesday, October 29 at 10am local time, with the general on-sale following this Friday, November 1 at 10:00am local time. Full details and ticket information can be found at blackberrysmoke.com.
Throughout their career, Blackberry Smoke has released eight studio albums including their latest, Be Right Here. Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell), the record was released to widespread critical acclaim earlier this year and debuted at #1 on the Current Country Albums chart, Americana/Folk Albums chart and Current Rock Albums chart.
Since forming in 2001, Blackberry Smoke has continued to tour relentlessly, building a strong and loyal community of fans. In addition to their work as musicians, the band is deeply committed to charitable work and formed the Brit Turner Family Fund, a non-profit supporting several national foundations committed to curing children’s cancer. With these efforts, the band has raised over $1,000,000 to date benefitting children’s cancer research. Most recently, Blackberry Smoke raised over $26,000 with their hometown show at Atlanta’s Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park earlier this summer, which celebrated the life and legacy of the band’s late drummer, Brit Turner.
BLACKBERRY SMOKE CONFIRMED TOUR DATES
October 30—Bakersfield, CA—Fox Theater~
October 31—San Diego, CA—Humphreys Concerts by the Bay~
November 1—Las Vegas, NV—The Pearl Concert Theater~
November 2—Riverside, CA—Fox Performing Arts Center~
November 7—St. Augustine, FL—St. Augustine Amphitheatre^
November 8—Clearwater, FL—Ruth Eckerd Hall^
November 9—Fort Myers, FL—Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall^
November 10—Pompano Beach, FL—Pompano Beach Amphitheater^
November 14—Royal Oak, MI—Royal Oak Music Theatre%
November 15—Marietta, OH—Peoples Bank Theatre%
November 16—Shipshewana, IN—Blue Gate Performing Arts Center%
November 21—Carterville, IL—Event Center at Walker’s Bluff Casino Resort
November 22—Tulsa, OK—Cain’s Ballroom**
November 23—Shawnee, OK—FireLake Arena**
December 5—Mobile, AL—Saenger Theatre††
December 6—Augusta, GA—Bell Auditorium##
December 7— Fayetteville, NC—Crown Theatre##
December 8—Savannah, GA—Johnny Mercer Theatre##
December 31—Macon, GA—Macon City Auditorium^^
January 30—Morristown, NJ—Mayo Performing Arts Center
January 31—Bensalem, PA—XCite Center at Parx Casino
February 1—Worcester, MA—The Palladium
February 2—Patchogue, NY—Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts
February 5—Portland, ME—State Theatre
February 6—Burlington, VT—The Flynn
February 7—Providence, RI—The Strand Ballroom & Theatre
February 8—Williamsport, PA—Penn College Community Arts Center
February 13-17—Rock Legends Cruise XII
March 6—Rockford, IL—Coronado Theatre
March 7—Peoria, IL—Peoria Civic Center Theater
March 8—Evansville, IN—Aiken Theatre
March 27—New Orleans, LA—The Fillmore
March 28—Houston, TX—713 Music Hall
March 29—Helotes, TX—John T. Floore’s Country Store
April 25—Miramar Beach, FL—Moon Crush “Pink Moon”
May 8—Austin, TX—ACL Live at the Moody Theater
May 9—Dallas, TX—Majestic Theatre
May 15—Maryville, TN—The Shed
May 16—Maryville, TN—The Shed
May 17—Maryville, TN—The Shed
~with special guest Kelsey Waldon
^with special guest Southall
%with special guest Sam Morrow
**with special guest Taylor Hunnicutt
††with special guest Georgia Thunderbolts
##with special guest Tishamingo
^^with special guest Robert Jon and the Wreck
Nearly 50 years ago, Rob Turner developed his first guitar pickup in Long Beach, CA. He's still creating new designs with EMG's current catalog approaching 100 pickups. He invited PG's John Bohlinger to Santa Rosa, CA, to see how a company that can produce 3,000 products a day still has an eager ear for new gear. See how they wind, wax, mold, wrap, and electrify your favorite instrument.
Brad Labelle
Nap Eyes’ Brad Labelle joins reader Galen Brownson and PG staff in sharing about what makes them—and thereby, their tunes—so unique.
Question: What are some personal qualities of yours that set you apart from others in your writing or playing?
Brad Labelle - Nap Eyes
A: I love dance music and have an unrelenting thirst for new and fresh sounds. I don’t feel my guitar playing is particularly groundbreaking, but those influences must seep through somehow. I do believe I’m a fairly expressive player and my short attention span keeps me endlessly improvising.
Nap Eyes’ latest release, The Neon Gate.
Obsession: I can’t stop listening to the recent Jane Remover track “Magic I Want U.” The production is deeply detailed but doesn’t feel cluttered, and her melodic sensibilities are intoxicating. She gives you crunchy guitars paired with breakbeats, West Coast synth lines, a Janet Jackson-esque electro outro, scratching, a fun little guitar solo.... I could go on.
As of late, Two Star & the Dream Police by Mk.gee has been in Brad's regular listening rotation.
Galen Brownson - Reader of the Month
Metallica’s two-guitar format inspired Galen when he was learning guitar.
A: When I was learning how to play, I was listening to a lot of two-guitar bands, like Metallica and Megadeth and Iron Maiden. I tried to find ways to play both guitar parts at once, which is not always possible, but I write two parts for one guitar now.
Metallica’s second album is a fan favorite of their early, pioneering years.
Obsession: My latest obsession is finding ways to combine metal music with electronic music, particularly dubstep. My younger brother once chastised me for ignoring electronic music by saying “metal and dubstep have a lot in common,” and he was absolutely right. I’ve since made it a goal to weave them together.
Galen names Polis by Uppermost, a French electronic music producer, as one of his favorite records.
Ted Drozdowski - Editorial Director
Ted takes a slide solo on his well-traveled and beloved Dollycaster.
A: My interests toggle between history and mystery, so my technique is based in archaic/anarchic blues playing styles and an expansive sonic palette that relies on blending fingerpicking, slide, and an array of pedals to create tones and sheets of sound. I think of it as cosmic roots music, and don’t hear a lot of other people doing what I do the way I do it.
The marquee image for Ted and Coyote Motel’s new movie, The River: A Songwriter’s Stories of the South.
Obsession: For a few years now, much of my creative energy has been invested in a feature film I created with my band Coyote Motel—scripting, recording narration, performing as part of the band, editing, and learning many painfully new and hard lessons about movie-making. And then getting the film to festivals, where we’ve won laurels, and onto a few select screens. Now, I’m working on distribution, in a field where there ain’t no Bandcamp or DistroKid. It ain’t easy, but I’m obsessed with getting The River: A Songwriter’s Stories of the South into the world.
The current state of Ted’s pedalboard. (He’s aware he could do a better job with the wiring.)
Kate Koenig - Managing Editor
Kate’s newest album, which contains some of their rawest and most vulnerable lyrics to date.
A: I wear my heart on my sleeve—to the point where I’ve always struggled to have a verbal filter—so I tend to write very raw, vulnerable lyrics. A taste for cerebral art during my formative years has also informed my approach to coming up with challenging and intricate fingerpicking guitar parts.
When PG’s worldly gear editor Charles recommended Black Flag’s record Damaged, Kate got on that posthaste.
Obsession: I’ve been revisiting, digging into, and expanding my knowledge of classic ’80s and ’90s punk in preparation for my next artist interview for Premier Guitar(some foreshadowing, eh?). I have always been intrigued by punk culture’s outspoken rebelliousness and commitment to anarchic ideals, which strike me as free and authentic.
Kate has a distinct memory of a classmate playing “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” on loop in their senior-year studio-art class. (They still wonder why their teacher didn’t intervene.)