Allman Brothers Band Founding Member Dickey Betts Passes Away

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Dickey Betts. Photo: Kirk West Photography

Forrest Richard “Dickey” Betts of the Allman Brothers Band passed away peacefully in his Sarasota, Florida home today (April 18) at the age of 80.

Betts penned quintessential hits including “Blue Sky,” “Ramblin’ Man,” “Jessica” and “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” With their guitar skills, he and bandmate Duane Allman developed a signature sound in the southern rock genre. The Allman Brothers Band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, and honored with the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

In addition to Allman Brothers Band, Betts founded the Dickey Betts Band and Dickey Betts & Great Southern, which featured his son and fellow guitarist Duane Betts. Alongside music, he was known to love fishing, hunting, boating, golf, karate and boxing, and is remembered by loved ones as excelling at anything that caught his attention.

He survived by his fifth wife Donna and his four children. Betts is preceded in death by Allman and bandmates Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks and Gregg Allman as well as Allman Brothers Band crew members Twiggs Lyndon, Joe Dan Petty, Red Dog, Kim Payne and Mike Callahan.

According to a post shared from Betts’ Instagram account, the family asks for prayers and respect for their privacy during this time. More information will be announced at a later date.

Liza Anderson
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