Dickey Betts — guitarist and vocalist of The Allman Brothers Band — has died. He was 80 years old. Bett’s manager, David Spero, broke the news on Thursday, April 18, the day he was pronounced dead.
“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that the Betts family announce the peaceful passing of Forrest Richard ‘Dickey’ Betts (December 12, 1943 – April 18, 2024) at the age of 80 years old,” the manager said in a statement to Rolling Stone. “The legendary performer, songwriter, bandleader and family patriarch was at his home in Osprey, Florida, surrounded by his family. Dickey was larger-than-life, and his loss will be felt worldwide.”
The statement concluded, “At this difficult time, the family asks for prayers and respect for their privacy in the coming days. More information will be forthcoming at the appropriate time.”
Per the manager, Betts died after a battle with cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the outlet reported. The late “Ramblin Man’ musician’s family also posted the news to his official Instagram account.
Betts is survived by his children, Kimberly, Christy, Jessica and Duane. He was married five times in his life. He married his fifth and current wife, Donna, in 1989.
In 2018, the West Palm Beach, Florida, native suffered a mild stroke, causing him to cancel his tour with the Dickey Betts Band at the time. That year, he slipped and fell, cracking his head in his home, according to multiple outlets. As a result, he suffered from brain bleeding and had to undergo surgery.
At the time, he had returned to performing on stage following a four-year hiatus, which he opened up to Billboard about earlier that year.
“When I turned 70 years old, I just figured I wanted to go fishing and play golf and mess around and stuff, so I decided I would retire,” he told the outlet. “Well, I got bored as hell sitting around here. Then I do this Rolling Stone interview — just to be friendly, I wasn’t really working on a career or nothing — and when it came out the promoters starting calling me, offering me good money to go out and play again. I was bored, and they wanted me back. That’s the way it happened.”
Betts began his music career when he was just 5 years old, playing ukulele. Over time, he formed his own band as a teenager and eventually helped found the Allman Brothers Band.