RIP Dickey Betts!

Craig Stock · From: Westfield, NJ USA

Sadly Dickey Betts has passed today at eighty.

One of the best, especially with John Hughey on the 'Highway Call' album.

From Savingcountrymusic.com

https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/dickey-betts-keeper-and-godfather-of-southern-harmony-has-died/
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I cried because I had no shoes, then I met a man who had no feet.

Today is tomorrow's Good ol' days

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Highway Call is a classic. As are The Allman Brothers Band, Idlewild South, Live At The Fillmore East, Eat A Peach, Brothers And Sisters...

RIP, Mister Betts.

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

Marc Muller · From: Neptune,NJ USA

What an inspiration to a young musician when this came out 50 years ago. Nashville's finest on Highway Call.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL22yevoIBQSFyDs6tDxY3MNfgfTWH6dTS

Jim Pitman · From: Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA

So sad. I think of his tune Blue Sky and how Iconic the guitar jams are in the middle. I think I can hum both guitar leads start to finish. It's like a symphony....and Hughey's break on Highway Call is right up there with Emmons jazz playing, IMO. The rear neck - something you rarely heard him play nor what he was known for.

Bill McCloskey · Posted 18 Apr 2024 10:00 am

It was the summer of 73. I had temporarily dropped out of college and was working with my cousin in Erie at a record store he had opened. Record companies wouldn't ship to us so every week or so, my cousin would drive to them to buy our stock.

I'll never forget when he got back and we cracked open and played Ramblin Man for the first time. And our lives were changed.

RIP Dickie Betts. You have been a part of my life since high school.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

I loved Dickey's playing and will forever miss that searing guitar sound. Enlightened Rogues is a really great record in addition to all the classic Allman Brothers records. The band had broken up a few years earlier and Dickey instigated the amazing reunion.

I did post a few months ago a link to a live performance of Dickey's band with John Hughey. I'll have to find it again.
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Larry Dering · From: Missouri, USA

Dicky was a favorite for me. Rip.

John Larson · From: Pennsyltucky, USA

Jim Pitman · From: Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA

I realized the tune I was referring to that Hughey aces is titled "Hand Picked" off the Highway Call album.

Doug Beaumier · From: Northampton, MA

Sad news, indeed. I saw Dickey and band play way back in 1972 at the Paramount Theater in Springfield, Mass. It was a weeknight and the band was little-known at that time, so the theater was mostly empty. What an incredible show. Great memories.

In 1981 I took a full day lesson with John Hughey in Nashville. I asked him about his C6 track on Dickey’s album... and he played it for me! Or something very close to it. I was blown away by that. As others have said, John was well-known for his E9 playing, but not for his C6 playing. He started on non-pedal steel, as most players of his generation did, so he probably played one of the 6th tunings (A6, C6) early on.
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Dale Thompson · From: Tennessee, USA

R.I.P. Dickey Betts. Thanks for the music!

Craig Stock · From: Westfield, NJ USA

Jim, Hand Picked is my fave too, brought the CD to Norwalk one year and had John sign it. He said he didn’t have one, I found one on the net somewhere and mailed it to him. I also loved the Grest Southern albums Dickey did!
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Regards, Craig

I cried because I had no shoes, then I met a man who had no feet.

Today is tomorrow's Good ol' days

Brooks Montgomery · From: Idaho, USA

Aaah man. R.I.P. Dickey.
Another one gone that laid down a lot of the soundtrack of my life. Incredible guitarist.
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Chris Templeton · From: The Green Mountain State

Awwwww. Into the blue sky.
Dickey brought lots of Country to R&R.
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Steve Mueller · From: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Spent a memorable night with him in the band room till dawn after he sat in with us for the last set at Zachariah’s in Columbus circa 1977. We did some blues, country and swing including Lionel Hampton’s tune “Red Top.” He was an incredible and humble guy. The music and rhythm just oozed out of him. He was an inspiration.
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Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Craig Stock · From: Westfield, NJ USA

Jack , you love it, I think it's from '71
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Regards, Craig

I cried because I had no shoes, then I met a man who had no feet.

Today is tomorrow's Good ol' days

Frank Freniere · From: The First Coast

RIP Dickey! Condolences and sympathies to the family and friends. This one hits hard.

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=399717

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Will never forget seeing the relatively unknown Allman Brothers Blues Band (that's how they were billed) supporting John Hammond, Jr. at the long-gone Labor Temple in NE Mpls. circa '69 - '70(?). I remember there was lotsa snow on the ground in the city.

Mr. Hammond opened with a short acoustic set. After the intermission, he came back out with his harps, harp mic, and the Allman Bros. After a few tunes of Hammond's best shot at aping electric urban blues, the ABB closed it out playing virtually their entire -- and yet to be released -- first album, interspersed with their interpretations of classic urban electric blues tunes.

The melting pot of blues freaks, university students, longhairs, and various other assorted weirdos who frequented the Labor Temple shows were dazed, with their collective jaws hanging on the ground. Two superlative guitarists, two superlative drummers, a powerhouse bassist, and some dude with long white hair hiding behind a Hammond who did not sing like a white guy.

Most people had no idea who, or how many of 'em, were brothers. I figgered it must have been the two guitarists out front.

Betts was not featured as a vocalist as yet, but he was smokin' that Gold-top, lemme tell ya'.

Ever since then, I would see 'em every chance I got. Even got stranded in a blizzard on Monument Hill, and had to turn back per CHP trying to get from the Springs to Denver to see 'em over the winter of '72 - '73. Always got my money's worth at Allman Bros shows. Especially this one (for six bucks!):

Pete Finney · From: Nashville Tn.

I saw the Allman Brothers during the brief period where they toured as a 5 piece, after Duane had died but with Berry Oakley still there and before Chuck Leavell, maybe 1972? B.B. King opened the show and then about halfway through the Allman Brothers set he came back out and played the rest of the night with them - Dickey and B.B.King, pretty epic.

Then in the early-to-mid 80s Russ Pahl and I landed in Nashville at about the same time and were hanging out some; he'd been out working with Dickey Betts which I thought was very cool. Sorry I never got to see that band.

John Larson · From: Pennsyltucky, USA

I recently picked up a copy of Grateful Dead's RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 6/10/73 it's a long show even by Dead standards and it's a masterful set. The Allman Brothers were openers at this concert. The third set is an hour plus encore features Dickey Betts and Butch Trucks. Dickey and Jerry trading licks is something you have to hear!

"It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"
"That's All Right"
"Promised Land"
"Not Fade Away">
"Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad">
"Drums">
"Not Fade Away"
"Johnny B. Goode"
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Chris Templeton · From: The Green Mountain State

One of the main features for me, with the Allman Brothers, and still is, is people playing together and listening/feeling closely with/to others, like most good musicians do.
The YouTube, 4 window, one-man-band thing doesn't do it like Dickey and the folks did.
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Soundcloud Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/bluespruce8:

Doug Beaumier · From: Northampton, MA

The Allmans played in my neighborhood (just two miles away) in 1969 and 1970 at The Woodrose Ballroom. I saw many bands there, but for some reason I missed their two shows. I did see the Allmans in 1972 though.

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Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

He could play any style of music on his guitar. RIP Dickey.
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