Dickey Betts dies at 80

Westerly Wood

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I had no idea Mr Betts wrote Jessica, which is my fave Allman Bros song. It is one of the best instrumentals I ever heard...

www.rollingstone.com

Dickey Betts, Allman Brothers Band Singer-Guitarist, Dead at 80

Dickey Betts, the singer, songwriter and guitarist who played a crucial role in the Allman Brothers Band, has died at age 80.
www.rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com
 
Guildedagain

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I play Jessica a lot, in open D, dropped D, it's timeless, like he will be.

I saw them live at an outdoor ampitheater in the 90's, what a band.

Fave songs, In memory of ER, Whipping Post, all of them really.

Greg Allman wrote an amazing book, 10 years ago maybe?

Stories like their manager got in a fight over the band getting ripped after a show and apparently dispatched someone, did a little jailtime, and came back on as manager, and they never got ripped off again.

And the very sad story of what happened the last time Greg saw Duane.

Eat a Peach.
 
Westerly Wood

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Guildedagain said:
I play Jessica a lot, in open D, dropped D, it's timeless, like he will be.

I saw them live at an outdoor ampitheater in the 90's, what a band.

Fave songs, In memory of ER, Whipping Post, al of them really.

Greg Allman wrote an amazing book, 10 years ago maybe?

Stories like their manager got in a fight over the band getting ripped after a show and apparently dispatched someone, did a little jailtime, and came back on as manager, and they never got ripped off again.

And the very sad story of what happened the last time Greg saw Duane.

Eat a Peach.
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Jessica has my favorite piano solo of all time. Betts named song after his daughter. I assume the pic of the boy on Brothers and Sisters album cover is Duane...
 
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RIP Dickey Betts. Every time I play a solo I hear a little Dickey in me.

I was fortunate to see him in cincert several times with ABB and once years later with his band Great Southern.

He was a great. Super melodic and super fluid player who was at the forefront of southern rock. Ans he wrote some wonderful songs as well. Next time I jam there will be much ABB being played.
 
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Noooooo! Not Dickey too. ABB are perhaps my all time favorite band from the 70’s. Fillmore East is one of the greatest live performances ever recorded. Blue Sky is my #1 desert island song with its impeccable phrasing and IMHO two of the most perfect Les Paul tones my ears have ever heard. RIP Dickey.
 
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Westerly Wood

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HeyMikey said:
Noooooo! Not Dickey too. ABB are perhaps my all time favorite band from the 70’s. Filmore East is one of the greatest live performances ever recorded. Blue Sky is my #1 desert island song with its impeccable phrasing and IMHO two of the most perfect Les Paul tones my ears have ever heard. RIP Dickey.
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He wrote Blue Sky too.

I had no idea Dickey wrote the following till that RS article:

Blue Sky
Ramblin Man
Jessica

It's like their best 3 tunes.
 
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Westerly Wood said:
I had no idea Mr Betts wrote Jessica, which is my fave Allman Bros song. It is one of the best instrumentals I ever heard...

www.rollingstone.com

Dickey Betts, Allman Brothers Band Singer-Guitarist, Dead at 80

Dickey Betts, the singer, songwriter and guitarist who played a crucial role in the Allman Brothers Band, has died at age 80.
www.rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com
Click to expand...
Dickey was a big fan of Django and Jessica was his homage to him, in that the main riff can be played w/ just 2 fingers. 😉

Sad day for sure. I’ve seen the Allmans well over a dozen times since the 80’s and as good as they became instrumentally in the end w/ Derek/Warren/Oteil, there was just something uniquely authentic that went missing after Dickey got the boot. He was a notorious angry drunk and it just got to the point the rest of the band would be happier without him. Of course then you don’t get your big crowd pleasers w/ Blue Sky, Ramblin Man, etc. Betts also wrote Elizabeth Reed, Les Brers, and a bunch of great Allmans classics. The band I used to work for and toured w/ opened for the Allmans a few times. I heard a bunch of stories like them starting a tour w/ 3 buses w/ 3 guys to a bus. After about 10 days in…it was 4 guys in 2 buses, and Dickey in his own bus because he was too abrasive w/ a bottle. 😣 Nevertheless, he was a major part of my life’s soundtrack. RIP!
 
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My last Golden Retriever's AKC name was Allman Brothers Eat a Peach "Blue Sky", call name Sunny. The breeder wanted a rock and roll theme for the litter.

I could just listen to Live at the Fillmore, Eat a Peach and Brothers and Sisters from here on out and be all good!
 
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Guildedagain said:
That music takes me back to another era. One of my favorite old albums from back then is the double live Allman Bros, Idlewild South?

They had two drummers, a big part of their sound.
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They wrote the blueprint for that southern rock sound! Other bands w/ 2 drummers. 38 Special, Marshall Tucker, Charlie Daniels, etc. 😉
 
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