Dickey Betts, the guitarist of The Allman Brothers Band, has died at the age of 80.
His family confirmed on Instagram that the Ramblin’ Man singer died at his home in Osprey, Florida, on Thursday.
“Dickey was larger than life and his loss will be felt around the world,” the Betts family said.
Betts is known for writing some of The Allman Brothers’ most famous songs, such as ‘Revival’ and ‘In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.’
In 1969, Betts and bassist Berry Oakley formed the band The Allman Brothers with Duane and Gregg Allman, according to The Big House Museum.
The band members began their solo careers in 1973, and when the group officially broke up in 1976.
Betts went on to form Dickey Betts and Great Southern, then The Allman Brothers Band reunited briefly in 1978.
For their 20th anniversary in 1989, The Allman Brothers Band regrouped and had continued success throughout the ’90s. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and won their first Grammy.
Betts left the group in 2000 and released a solo album in July 2001 called ‘Let’s Get Together’.
In September 2018, Betts underwent brain surgery following a fall “while playing with the family dog” as he “slipped and broke his head, causing a brain hemorrhage.”
In August of that year he suffered a mild stroke at home, and was progressively recovering and responding “very well to treatment” at the time of his fall.
Jai Johanny Johanson is now the only living member of The Allman Brothers Band, as Gregg Allman died in May 2017 after a battle with liver cancer, while drummer Butch Trucks died in January of that year.
The band has a tragic history plagued by premature deaths, as Duane Allman was only 24 years old when he died in a motorcycle accident in October 1971 in Georgia, while bassist Berry Oakley was also 24 years old when he died after a motorcycle accident. motorcycle near the place. of Allman’s accident in November 1972.