He is one of the most imitated guitarists in history.  His band the Allman Brothers rewrote the book on Southern blues and rock.  His songs still rock the airwaves even after 30 years of being written.  Anyone seeking to learn blues guitar BETTER listen to Dickey Betts.

Simply put, Dickey Betts is a living legend.  Even after all this, Dickey got kicked out of his band the, Allman Brothers for reasons not totally known to the general public.

It seems that Dickey and Greg Allman had their differences about many things.  Both have struggled with dependency issues their entire life.  It is no secret that the Allman Brothers were involved in many things psychedelic during their career.  Just check out the  mushroom that the original members got tattooed on them in the beginning of the band’s incarnation.

Although most of the members have now cleaned up, (the ones that are still alive) when everyone is not on the same page, then it is hard to function as a unit.    The current Allman Brothers lineup is smoking for sure, and there is not doubt that that band has chemistry.  I saw them in concert a few years ago, and let me tell you they were amazing!  I also saw the Brothers about 16 years ago with Warren and Dickey, and it was just as rocking.

I don’t really know what to think about the whole situation, and I kinda feel bad for Dickey because he is one of my favorite guitarists ever, alongside Warren, Duane, and Derek.  I can remember sitting in my bedroom as a kid with the Allman Brothers Live at Fillmore East and Decade of Hits, just trying to learn Dickey’s classic licks.  Let’s face it, Jessica, Elizabeth Reed, Blue Sky, Rambling Man, and countless others and just awesome songs.  You can’t say Allman Brothers without thinking about Dickey.

Even though it probably won’t happen,  I’d love to say Dickey jam with the Brothers again.  I wish they would put it all behind them and just move on, but I know it can’t be easy.  To see all 3 of my favorite guitarists jam at once would be a sight to behold!  You can always dream it will happen.  Until then we’re still left with the great music Dickey gave us with the Allman Bros and what he is doing now with Great Southern.

I recently put up a video about how to learn blues guitar in the style of Dickey Betts.  Check it out.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Dickey Betts guitar style check out some more of my guitar lesson downloads.

Please visit Learning Guitar Now for more information on slide guitar and blues guitar.