More then likely the band will successfully trudge on, with some of the Betts material left in the repertoire.

Last year it was rumored that Dicky Betts was let go from the Allman Brothers Band due to substance abuse. More then likely it was a political decision brought out over who is or was taking control of the band. A recent performance of the group on Austin City Limits revealed Dicky to be in topnotch performance with strong singing and guitar playing abilities and he appeared to be very much sober. (It was Greg Allman who looked as if he were still numb in the face, and a few of the other members should have politely sucked in their very large beer guts)

Dicky pulled off some amazing guitar solos on the Austin City Limits performance. Maybe the high of finally getting to the show replaced that old competitive edge he had with Duane. Nonetheless, he looked and sounded very good. Hit songs like “Ramblin’ Man” sounded as fresh today as when first recorded.

It can be said that The Allman Brothers Band were often imitated but never duplicated. Simply put, they developed the “Southern Rock” sound and were most likely THE influence for a string of 1970’s southern rock bands that followed. Bands such as Marshall Tucker, Lynard Skinard, Outlaws, Grinderswitch, Molly Hatchet and others who rambled down that southern pike. But where The Allman Brothers leaves the rest of them in the dust was in the strong song writing talents of both Greg Allman and Dicky Betts mixed with the musician skills of other members in the band, including some of the early dual guitar arrangements by the legendary Duane Allman. It was clear from the beginning that this was no ordinary rock band.

Dicky Betts was a pioneer in developing this new sound and was also a major voice in The Allman Brothers Band. Songs like “Ramblin’ Man,” “Blue Skies,” and “ Lousiana Lou and Three Card Monty John” have left their mark on the American music scene. The lyrics reveal Betts' talents as a major story teller of the southern experience. His guitar instrumentals “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed,” “ Jessica” and “High Falls” go on to reveal the best of his performing and songwriting talents... taking rock music to even further heights

Richard Betts has developed his own unique style and sound. Something other musicians strive for… but few ever reach.

That sound can best be heard on his 1974 solo release “Highway Call”, which features John Hughey on the pedal steel guitar, Chuck Leavell on keyboards and Vassar Clements on fiddle. It was this recording that set him apart from The Allman Brothers Band revealing his own unique talents with country music infleunces. Simply put… it’s the direction I often wish Nashville had taken. It's also the direction I wish Richard himself would have put more energies into.

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I never owned any Allman Bros albums other than Eat a Peach.

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I always wondered how much of their music was structured, and how much was spontaneous. If one listens to the "Ludlow Garage" collection, it's possible to see an earlier stage of many of the tunes and solos that show up on "Live At The Fillmore" and "Eat A Peach" in more refined form.

Although the time when Chuck Leavell and Lamar Williams were in the band may not have been as intense and firey as the Duane period, I very much appreciate the many subtle aspects that their musicianship brought to the band, and the direction that Betts' playing took as a result. The piano is a very different instrument than the guitar, and its preferred avenues of expression in many ways exemplifies the difference between the Duane and Chuck periods of the band. I think the structural elements of Dickey Betts' playing were encouraged during this period, as they resonated with similar musical tendencies in Leavell and Williams.

For the most part, I agree that "Win Lose or Draw" wasn't one of the band's best works, but my own musical leanings have found some gems on it, nevertheless. My personal subjective list of their albums would rate the later "Brothers of the Road" at the bottom, but probably we were focusing on the period before their first disbanding.

I do think that for Betts as an individual, the post-Duane pre-first breakup period was A creative peak of sorts. To appreciate this, one would have to judge according to standards that differ from those that describe the strengths of the Duane period. But when I say that this time was "A" creative peak, I don't mean to say that it was "THE" creative peak. I myself would hesitate to put someone in a box like that.

I guess Dickey is now about 57. I hope we will have some good new stuff of his to talk about one day soon.

[This message was edited by Jeff A. Smith on 18 August 2001 at 12:20 PM.]

Saw what was left of the the band in 1999.

Dicky Betts' album "Highway Call" is now available on CD and I highly recommend it (I have both vinyl and CD copies of it). "Highway Call" could be described as "The Allman Bros. go country". Check out the fine jam on the toon called "Hand Picked"...14 minutes of pure bliss.