Warren Haynes Shares Touching Tribute To Mentor Dickey Betts

After 24 hours it’s still hard to fathom Dickey Betts has died despite his years of declining health. The Allman Brothers Band co-founding singer and guitar made a huge impact on music and the artists that followed him. One such artist is Warren Haynes who wrote and posted a moving remembrance of Betts on social media.

Dickey Betts not only was a huge influence on Haynes, he also gave the North Carolina-native his big break. Betts initially tapped Warren Haynes to join his fledgling eponymous band in 1986 and contribute to his 1988 album Pattern Disruptive. Little did Warren know plans were in motion for an Allman Brothers reunion in 1989.

After Warren passed the initial tests, he was called upon to serve as Betts’ foil in the newly reunited ABB. Warren Haynes would hold the role through 1997 when he left to focus on Gov’t Mule. Haynes returned to the fold late in 2000 one tour after Betts’ parted ways with the legendary band he helped form. Warren remained a key member of The Allman Brothers Band through their final concerts in 2014.

“Listening as a kid I had no idea that one day our paths would cross and that he would become a mentor to me,” Haynes wrote of Dickey Betts. “In addition to being the huge influence and inspiration that he had been for years, he was also a presence that loomed larger than life.”

Warren is humble and noted nothing compares to the original ABB lineup. “As I’ve also said many times, when I think of the Allman Brothers Band, I automatically think of the original band with Duane Allman and Berry Oakley, who unfortunately passed way too soon, and although I’m extremely proud of my work with the band, that will always be the case,” Haynes added. “Dickey Betts and I created a lot of great music together and what I took from him was a major contribution in my life. It did not take long once I joined his band to realize, standing next to him with that beautiful tone, that I had a lot to work to do on both with my tone and with my style.”

Read Warren Haynes’ full tribute to Dickey Betts below:

Bassist Oteil Burbridge joined The Allman Brothers Band following Haynes and bassist Allen Woody’s departure in 1997. Burbridge also shared memories of Dickey Betts stating:

I can tell what a musician is like at his core by the music he writes more than how he plays. It’s a lot easier to lie when you’re playing. We know how to cover things up with years of practice. But the songs one writes tell the inner most story. All you have to do is listen to Blue Sky (among others) to know his soul. That’s why I still play his music in my band. It’s healing, and timeless. I’m blessed that I got to pay tribute to him with his son @duanebetts so many times. What a great living legacy he left us in Duane. May we have many more opportunities to make magic together. Thank you Dickey. And my sincere condolences to his whole family.

View additional Dickey Betts remembrances shared by musicians in the wake of his death below: