Thank you Dickey for all the great music
Guessing he’s happy as can be in retirement w/plenty of time on the water/around the house etc
My favorite Dickey Betts story is when he was out on the ocean, he turned off the motor, beat his hands on the side of his boat, and some dolphins arrived
That was told eons ago here on the boards, pretty sure remembering it right

An amazing player...... I hope there is some unreleased music he has in the vault to share to us fans someday.

Wow, this has got to be one of very few live recording of Rambling Man with Berry on bass.

Interesting too that Gregg and Chuck are on the same side of the stage.

After Duane died, Dickey picked up the ball and, like Forrest Gump, just kept on running with it!

He was the main creative force in the band thereafter - writer of some great songs and instrumentals and a phenomenal guitar player. I'm glad I had the chance to see him live five times.

He certainly deserves to enjoy his wealth and fame.

Yes it may be the ONLY one with Berry Oakley. Berry played on Wasted Words and Ramblin' Man on the album and Lamar Williams plays bass on the rest.

Oakley seems to be playing well. Butch Trucks wrote about the year 1972 on his blog and said they were back to 6 guys when they hired Chuck. But Berry was in agony. Drinking way too much and drugs, lost weight and just couldn't come to terms being in a world that didn't have Duane Allman. Butch said Duane's death was affecting Berry off stage and on so much that just before Berry was killed he was thinking about calling a band meeting and suggesting they vote Berry out of the band and replace him. Bet Gregg and probably Dickey too wouldn't do it. Then when Berry was killed, it was like a relief. That the suffering was over. They decided to bury Berry next to Duane so they could be together again.

That they were
Then the famous B&S gatefold photo we all love taken a week or two later in the Georgia autumn w/both the Oakley & Williams families in it - & on to a Dec. 1 gig w/the new band....end of an era 🙁 -
but also the beginning of a new one....it was still the Allman Brothers, the album was (& still is) so good

[Edited on 6/6/2020 by Stephen]

In Memory of Elizabeth Reed was the first song the guy ever wrote - now that’s genius

His lines were bittersweet butterscotch. Count myself fortunate to have seen the ABB with him several times in the early to mid 70s, also with Great Southern soon thereafter, that show was powerful.

i believe it was chuck's first live gig with them.

Great video.. It's too bad Berry didn't live longer as I believe he would of turned in to a great song writer and a key vocalist for the band. Just hard to think 9 days later he was dead. So sad.

I became a major fan and groupie I suppose in 1970. Berry sang Hoochie Coochie Man and I remember another one once I think was Pretty Woman.

Anyway on Fillmore East Duane does all the talking except after Stormy Monday and Berry says " Brother Gregg Allman singing the blues. Duane, Dickey and Ace playing it". But Tom Dowd eliminated Ace's harmonica solo so Berry is faded just before he says Ace. And he talks first at the end of Mountain Jam on Eat A Peach. But in 1970 and 71, Berry talked a lot between the songs and of course Duane did too. Gregg a little and I don't recall Dickey saying anything at shows I was around until they started playing Blue Sky.

But Duane Allman mentioned Dickey by name at every show. Usually when they played Liz Reed. I only saw one show with Blue Sky and Duane introduced Dickey by name to sing his new song.

After Duane died, Gregg did all the talking at the few shows I saw in 1972 and Berry said nothing.

Dickey talked very little in 1973 and 74. After Dickey did his solo tour for Highway Call, he began talking more and more and singing more too. Sometimes Jessica followed by Ramblin' Man followed by Liz Reed and man the spotlight was off Gregg for a half an hour. I wonder if that began to bother Gregg? 35 minutes of music and Gregg sings back up with Chuck on Ramblin' Man and an organ solo on Liz Reed and all that other time Gregg is on organ doing his thing but he only got the spotlight on his organ solo. Dickey spotlight on his Jessica solo, singing and a usually (back then) a very long Ramblin Man solo and a lot of spotlight time on Liz Reed. No wonder Butch said on his blog around 2009 that by 1973 they had become the Dickey Betts Band and Butch didn't like it and didn't like how that shifted the band more to a country or western swing band something the rest of the band didn't like. Butch said on that post ( and I know Butch became very angry with Dickey and never got over it) if they had it to do over, they should have never done Brothers and Sisters, fired Dickey when Duane died, hired two new guitarists and started over. I doubt Butch Trucks didn't feel that way in 1973. Actually he seemed friendly with Dickey and to me, joined Betts, Hall, Leavell and Trucks. Butch was apparently happy until about 1995 when 1969-1979 A Decade of Hits earned double Platinum (over 2 million copies) and Dickey and Gregg made over a million dollars and Butch got nothing. Butch was pissed. And he got angry again as he apparently did in 1970 when he didn't share the writing credit on Liz Reed and a couple others.

What precious footage blackey, thanks so much for posting. There must be very little footage out there with Berry and Chuck Leavell together because that was a short time frame. I looked on Wikipedia; this was shot exactly NINE DAYS before Berry passed away.

Here is Dickey 48 years ago trying to make a living and doing the best he can. Great line for a song don't ya think?

AXS ran the Dickey Betts "Dan Rather Interview" recently and I watched it again. Dickey said that what the guy actually said to him was "How y'all doin'? Playin' yer music and doin' the best you can?" Dickey said he played with that phrase for a couple of years and finally changed "playin' yer music and doin' the best you can" to "tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can" so that everyone could relate to it, not just musicians.

And what a genius piece of songwriting it was. Went to #2 on the charts if I am not mistaken, highest charting ABB tune of all-time.

Always wished they’d played Jelly Jelly instead of SMonday during this period - JJ was Their slow blues number that They did originally & was Their sound, whereas SM was that of the first band......whatever
Dickey is just cutting loose on the fade too, woulda been epic to see where he/they would’ve taken it on stage

Yes is was robslob. Number 2 on the Billboard singles chart which has 100 positions.

And the album was the ONLY album by the Allman Brothers or Gregg Allman and Dickey solo to go to number 1 on Billboard album chart with 200 positions. It was number 1 for 5 weeks. The Allman Brothers suddenly became the number 1 band in America for awhile and Brothers and Sisters sold over 5 million copies world wide, 4 million in America and made Capricorn records a lot of money and Gregg and Dickey (already wealthy from Fillmore East and Eat A Peach, multi millionaires.

Gregg said Duane got one big check from Fillmore East just before he was killed and finally had several thousand dollars rather than just pocket money. And after Duane was killed, the money just started pouring in. Eat A Peach sold over a million copies and reached number 4 out of 200. And Duane wrote Little Martha. He had a song on a million selling album and never made a dime off it.

I wonder who gets the Little Martha royalty? I hope it's his daughter. Eat A Peach still sells a few thousand copies a year last I heard 8 years ago but Little Martha is also on 1969-1979 A Decade of Hits released in 1991 and it surprised everyone because the old stuff didn't sell much in the 1980's and it sold over 2 million copies so a lot of writing money for Little Martha for someone.

The ABB was old school in the 80's. Brothers of the Road sold about 150,000 copies which would be huge for a new band but disappointing for a platinum selling band and they withdrew because of Arista Records and slumming ticket sales. Gregg took the Toler Brothers but couldn't get a record deal. Betts, Hall, Leavell and Trucks couldn't get signed and it wasn't long until they we're playing bars again! In the 80's I actually saw Gregg with the Toler Brothers in a bar with 200 people and Dickey, Jimmy Hall, Chuck and Butch in a little bar in Roanoke Virginia called The Coffee Pot on Brambleton, Ave. They had to walk in the front door and belly up to the bar like the people who came. I took advantage and ask Dickey questions such as who is singing with Gregg on Revival? He said " I know it doesn't sound like it but that is all of us." I said even Butch and Jaimoe? And he said "yeah man that me, Gregg, Duane, Berry, Butch and Jaimoe". I was stunned this musicians were back in bars, back to square one. But there was a real nice tour bus outside and Dickey said that belonged to him. Sound man told me Dickey was a millionaire a few times over and didn't have to do this but he wants to play and try to get this new band off the ground. And he told me that he knew they had lost ground with musicial trends as they were here in the 80's but he never dreamed he couldn't get a record deal and have to go back to square one and start over in bars like it was 1968 again.

Dickey also recorded a country album in Nashville in 1982 or so and it never came out. One song from it called Nancy was finally released in 1989 on the Dreams box set.

That’s just the musical magic of Dickey Betts and I feel blessed that I have been around to hear it and be a witness to it
BRAVO

[Edited on 6/9/2020 by rainy]

Was watching Live From Great Woods last night & I love it when Dickey drops to a knee & digs in deep during "End Of The Line"!

Yes is was robslob. Number 2 on the Billboard singles chart which has 100 positions.

And the album was the ONLY album by the Allman Brothers or Gregg Allman and Dickey solo to go to number 1 on Billboard album chart with 200 positions. It was number 1 for 5 weeks. The Allman Brothers suddenly became the number 1 band in America for awhile and Brothers and Sisters sold over 5 million copies world wide, 4 million in America and made Capricorn records a lot of money and Gregg and Dickey (already wealthy from Fillmore East and Eat A Peach, multi millionaires.

Gregg said Duane got one big check from Fillmore East just before he was killed and finally had several thousand dollars rather than just pocket money. And after Duane was killed, the money just started pouring in. Eat A Peach sold over a million copies and reached number 4 out of 200. And Duane wrote Little Martha. He had a song on a million selling album and never made a dime off it.

I wonder who gets the Little Martha royalty? I hope it's his daughter. Eat A Peach still sells a few thousand copies a year last I heard 8 years ago but Little Martha is also on 1969-1979 A Decade of Hits released in 1991 and it surprised everyone because the old stuff didn't sell much in the 1980's and it sold over 2 million copies so a lot of writing money for Little Martha for someone.

The ABB was old school in the 80's. Brothers of the Road sold about 150,000 copies which would be huge for a new band but disappointing for a platinum selling band and they withdrew because of Arista Records and slumming ticket sales. Gregg took the Toler Brothers but couldn't get a record deal. Betts, Hall, Leavell and Trucks couldn't get signed and it wasn't long until they we're playing bars again! In the 80's I actually saw Gregg with the Toler Brothers in a bar with 200 people and Dickey, Jimmy Hall, Chuck and Butch in a little bar in Roanoke Virginia called The Coffee Pot on Brambleton, Ave. They had to walk in the front door and belly up to the bar like the people who came. I took advantage and ask Dickey questions such as who is singing with Gregg on Revival? He said " I know it doesn't sound like it but that is all of us." I said even Butch and Jaimoe? And he said "yeah man that me, Gregg, Duane, Berry, Butch and Jaimoe". I was stunned this musicians were back in bars, back to square one. But there was a real nice tour bus outside and Dickey said that belonged to him. Sound man told me Dickey was a millionaire a few times over and didn't have to do this but he wants to play and try to get this new band off the ground. And he told me that he knew they had lost ground with musicial trends as they were here in the 80's but he never dreamed he couldn't get a record deal and have to go back to square one and start over in bars like it was 1968 again.

Dickey also recorded a country album in Nashville in 1982 or so and it never came out. One song from it called Nancy was finally released in 1989 on the Dreams box set.

I wonder why the country album was never released.

fender31. Apparently it was rejected by Arista Records. There is an interview with Gregg Allman on YouTube from around 1981 or 82 and Gregg's talks about Dickey's country album and is complementary about it and says when it comes out he will be getting a copy.

Hofstra show is wonderful anyone have more than the 22 minutes that is available on your tube?
Dickey, Berry, Chuck a great lineup on a smoking night.

Dickey's creativity was equal to Duane's . Although the set lists often were similar from year to year during the 1989-2000 era, the improvisation from show to show ( and I saw 70-80 during that time period) was what brought me back time after time.
The opening up of the set lists post 2000 was huge for me . I enjoyed the mystery of what each set list would bring night after night. I probably went to another 100 or so shows from 2000-2014. Now looking back I have to agree with statements Butch made regarding the band moving further away from Duane's vision near the end.

What Dickey and Duane did together is totally mind blowing, to this day

I was lucky enough to see Dickey several times in the 70s and once somewhere around 90 - will not forget it.

[Edited on 6/9/2020 by stormyrider]

What Dickey and Duane did together is totally mind blowing, to this day

[Edited on 6/9/2020 by stormyrider]

Those 2 & Oakley - 3 musicians connected to one brain
Butch/Jaimoe, same
All rounded out by Gregory, who was everything his brother envisioned & knew he’d be when Duane told him “round it up & send it someplace” when the band was forming

[Edited on 6/9/2020 by Stephen]

Mr. Soultrain takes a listen to Gregg, Duane, Dickey, Berry, Butch, Jaimoe and Ace........and does he like it?

My 2 favorite songs are In Memory of Elizabeth Reed and Blue Sky......

Duanes a burnin' and Dickeys smokin', oh yeah !

That’s a Most enjoyable clip posted recently of the Marty & the Superlatives tribute show to the Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo album, of course w/McGuinn & Hillman there -

Highway Call was just as big a groundbreaker in country/bluegrass, & is every bit as deserving to be the star of such a show - songs like Moonlight Magic & others from the unreleased album could be played, also BHLT material....

Yes I know....won’t happen - but Highway Call & SOTRodeo are two keystone cross-genre albums

Just as the NGDirt Band’s 1971 WTCBUnbroken got Many into bluegrass

Thanks Dickey, what tunes

I love Dickey, but guitar playing isn't a competition. The best ever in this band is a bit too subjective in this band.

Hi WarEagleRK. My thread here is Dickey Betts is the best guitarist/songwriter ever in the Allman Brothers.

I would say Warren Haynes is second for Soulshine and co writing True Gravity and several others.

Jessica, Ramblin' Man, Southbound, Pony Boy, Blue Sky, Les Brer in A minor, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, High Falls, Crazy Love, Pegasus, Seven Turns, Back Where It All Begins etc, etc puts Dickey miles ahead of Warren. Duane had Little Martha. Danny Toler co wrote a couple things.

No I don't care to have a competition between the guitarists part. Dickey has his own great melodic style. Duane Allman was hot. Warren, Jack and Derek are real fine players too. Danny Toler could light up a solo but seemed to lean to much on Dickey's style somehow. I like it better when the other player such as Duane Allman or Warren Haynes or Derek Trucks don't sound like Dickey at all. Just as Butch had a completely different style than Jaimoe. Butch himself said after they fired (voted out) Jaimoe in 1980 and hired David Toler, it just didn't work. Butch said often when he would start to play something David Toler was already doing it. Jaimoe never played like me (Butch).

Dickey's creativity was equal to Duane's . Although the set lists often were similar from year to year during the 1989-2000 era, the improvisation from show to show ( and I saw 70-80 during that time period) was what brought me back time after time.
The opening up of the set lists post 2000 was huge for me . I enjoyed the mystery of what each set list would bring night after night. I probably went to another 100 or so shows from 2000-2014. Now looking back I have to agree with statements Butch made regarding the band moving further away from Duane's vision near the end.

Creativity equal to Duane's? I think Duane's was more because of a wider range of musical experiences with more kinds of music. I am not saying Dickey is limited by any means but Duane played with more people from more types of music, Dickey's got country, Texas Swing, bluegrass, blues, jazz, Celtic etc. But Duane? I think he was open to anything because he just had this love of hearing as much different types of music as possible that's what turned him on, hearing possibilities, getting inspired and having that in your face no holds barred type of playing and commitment to the music. I think he scared the hell out of Dickey initially then Dickey learned to say "oh yeah?" And give it right back to him, till it left you speechless and then he'd be like so what'dja think of the show?
Poker face guitar master. Still has humbleness.

[Edited on 6/10/2020 by gina]