It's hard to stand out as a guitarist in a band with Duane Allman, and yet, that's Dickey Betts did. He was a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band in 1969, and remained a crucial cog in the iconic Southern rock machine for three decades.
Betts may not bear the name Allman, but he played just as a crucial a role in the band's success as Gregg Allman or the aforementioned Duane. He was the lead guitarist and occasional vocalist for the band during their critical and commercial heyday in the 1970s. That said, he wasn't always part of the band's lineup.
Dickey Betts left the Allman Brothers Band in 2000
The Allman Brothers Band broke up and reunited various times over the years, but Dickey Betts stopped coming back after a point. He was present for the entirety of their golden age, from 1969 to 1976, and he even came back to spearhead the band from 1978 to 1982. It was during the third and final iteration of the band, though, that the guitarist decided to call it a day.
The Allman Brothers Band reunited for the last time, in 1989. Original members Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe returned, as did Dickey Betts. They released a number of successful albums in the 1990s, and were a regular on the touring circuit, but Betts grew tired of the rock lifestyle at the turn of the century.
The writing was on the wall when the aforementioned members, Allman, Trucks and Jaimoe, ordered Betts to quit using drugs and alcohol. Betts was absent from several tour dates in the late 1990s as a result of his hard living, and was briefly suspended from the band in 2000.
Betts' substance abuse was cited as the cause
An irate Betts filed a lawsuit against the other three members, which resulted in a permanent separation. He was ultimately replaced by guitarist Jimmy Herring. Betts decided to reform his own band, the Dickey Betts Band, the same year, and continued to tour with them for the next five years.
Despite their acrimonious split, Betts and Gregg Allman reconciled in 2017. Rolling Stone reported that the two men met up and squashed their differences shortly before Gregg's death in May of that year. Dickey Betts, meanwhile, struggled with health issues for the last several years of his life.
He ultimately succumbed to cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on April 18, 2024. He was 80 years old. Betts remains a beloved member of the Allman Brothers Band, however, and is part of the band's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame lineup.