Manager: Dickey Betts Was Not Asked To Play At Beacon

Yesterday, Gregg Allman discussed the final Allman Brothers shows in a new interview and not only did he reveal that the group won’t be joined by any guests at NYC’s Beacon Theatre, he also talked about the Dickey Betts situation. When Relix asked Gregg about whether his old band mate, who left the group’s employ in 2000, would perform during the run, Allman responded “Dickey is in the middle of a hunting trip. Of course we reached out.” Dickey Betts manager, David Spero, would beg to differ.

Spero first took to his own Facebook page to respond, “This is a load of crap! Dickey was never asked to be a part of the final shows. A complete lie! Shame on jambands.com for not calling me for confirmation on this. They know where to find me!” Then, the manager went into a little more detail on the Dickey Betts Fans Facebook group, “To all reading Gregg Allman’s quote about Dickey being invited to the Beacon…it is a total lie. As Dickey’s manager I know all the ‘behind the scenes maneuvering’ that take place when these things happen, and guess what…none have gone on. They are trying to save face…..he was never invited!” Spero also added, “he isn’t on a hunt” regarding Gregg’s mention that Betts was in the middle of a hunting trip.

Additionally, a commenter claiming to be Spero responded to the article on Jambands.com with, “Alright, enough of this. I am David Spero, and while I admire that someone might pretend to be me, there is only one of me. Me. At any rate, there has been no, I repeat, no communication between anyone in the ABB camp and Dickey or anyone here. Feel free to reach out, my number is 216-381-5544. Dickey has been misrepresented and disrespected by Gregg, Butch and various members of the ABB family for many a moon. For the record, Dickey is not on a hunting trip and would be tickled pink to receive an invite or any positive communication from Gregg or the family.”

We were really hoping the principals in this situation would be able to squash their beef for one night to send off the legendary band in the best way possible, but apparently it’s not just the road that goes on forever. The Allman Brothers Band begin a six-show residency billed as their “final shows” tonight at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.