Duane Betts—son of Dickey Betts, famed guitarist and co-founder of The Allman Brothers Band—penned an emotional tribute to his late father, who passed away recently at the age of 80. Duane took to social media to honor his father with photos and a heart-wrenching message.
“Oh dad, I miss you so much,” Duane began. “You are the brightest light. I have looked up to you for the 46+ years we have shared on this planet together. I am filled with gratitude to the deepest depths of my soul for what you taught me and the values you instilled in me.”
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He continued, “I know you will always be right here with me. After all, your blood is running through my veins… Right now, I am imagining you fishing off the sea wall by our old house with a beer sitting next to you, wrapped up in one of those beautiful Florida sunsets. That was your heaven.”
Duane Betts Writes Emotional Tribute To Late Father Dickey Betts, Who Passed Away on April 18
Duane then took a moment to seemingly address readers, writing, “My father was a force to be reckoned with in many ways. Anyone who has met him or watched him play can attest to that. At his core he was just an extremely sweet and sensitive soul. He left us an amazing body of work to enjoy, laugh, cry, and dance to that will never die. I am so proud of what he accomplished in his lifetime.”
He concluded his post by once again addressing his late father. “You did damn good, dad. Your light will continue to shine at the highest frequency forever. We’ll meet again on down the road. Love you.”
Dickey Betts was a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band, sharing lead guitar duties with Duane Allman and providing backing vocals. He was also responsible for some of the band’s greatest hits, such as “Blue Sky,” “Ramblin’ Man,” “Jessica,” “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” “Revival,” and “Crazy Love.”
After a year-long battle with cancer and struggles with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Dickey Betts passed peacefully at his home in Osprey, Florida, surrounded by his family. The Allman Brothers Band shared their condolences on their official website, and Betts’ family announced the news of his death in a statement.
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