Allman Brothers Band founding member and co-lead guitarist Dickey Betts had been coming off a long period where the ABB had essentially broke up. He and Gregg Allman had continually been at odds after Allman was pressured into testifying against one of the band’s roadies in a drug trial in the mid 1970s, and even though they had split and reformed a number of times, by 1981 it was time to chart a new course.
During the ABB’s down times, Betts formed his own group, Dickey Betts & Great Southern, which emulated the…entire summary
Dickey Betts - guitar, vocals,
Topper Price - harmonica
David Goldflies - bass
Donnie Sharbono - drums, vocals
Dan Toler - guitar, vocals
Michael Workman - keyboards, vocals
Allman Brothers Band founding member and co-lead guitarist Dickey Betts had been coming off a long period where the ABB had essentially broke up. He and Gregg Allman had continually been at odds after Allman was pressured into testifying against one of the band’s roadies in a drug trial in the mid 1970s, and even though they had split and reformed a number of times, by 1981 it was time to chart a new course.
During the ABB’s down times, Betts formed his own group, Dickey Betts & Great Southern, which emulated the classic Allman Brothers line-up of dual guitars, keys, drums and bass. Great Southern would eventually morph into The Dickey Betts Band, and in 1982, they played a surprise gig in New York’s Central Park, with his old band-mate, Gregg Allman and his group. The success of that show prompted Allman and Betts to tour together with each of their bands off and on for four years. Each would play their own set, and then both bands would join forces to play a set of ABB classics.
This show, recorded the Hermitage Landing in Nashville, was first aired on The King Biscuit Flower Hour in 1986, and was one of the last shows Betts played with his own band before yet another Allman Brothers Band reunion that began later in 1986. Betts would hold court in both his own group and in the Allmans until June 2000, when the other ABB founding members asked him to take the summer off. In the end, The Allman Brothers Band never invited him back.
Betts continues to tour with Great Southern, including summer 2008 dates in the northeast U.S. and in Europe.
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