Duane Betts isn’t quite sure how this year’s Allman Betts Family Revival tour will feel.
The eighth annual celebration — meant to honor the music of Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts and The Allman Brothers — will be the first since the death of his father, Dickey Betts, in April.
“Last year was heavy because I thought it might be the last one that he was around for, and he came to one of them,” Duane Betts said. “So I’ll have to wait and see when I get there. It was pretty emotional last year. It’s always emotional … I know it’s gonna be fun, and I know I’m looking forward to it and that it’s gonna be a great time.”
The revival tour features Duane Betts and Devon Allman, Gregg’s son, on guitar — with both also founders of The Allman Betts band. This year’s tour includes a collection of all-star musicians including Alex Orbison (Roy Orbison’s son), Luther and Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi All-Stars, Robert Randolph and more, with a stop on Dec. 3 at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg.
This year’s show will also feature two sets, one from the 1970s era — with hits like “Ramblin’ Man,” “Whipping Post” and “Midnight Rider” — and another with music from The Allman Brothers’ 1990s comeback. Duane Betts said the later material may be overlooked a little bit by casual listeners.
“(But) not by the hardcore fans. The people that love the band know the history of it and some of those songs are classic songs now. Some of those songs are 30 years old whereas some of the other ones are 55 years old, so there’s different levels of classic,” he said with a laugh. “But I think that there’s enough material to where we could throw some of those in there without kind of subjugating ourselves into a position where we can’t play enough of the old old stuff, the really old stuff.”
In a call Thursday from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Betts discussed his father’s talents, following in his footsteps and what 2025 holds for his other musical endeavors:
What is it about the Allman Brothers music that you think makes it so timeless and loved all these years later?
Oh, man, I don’t know. I mean, great music is great music. It just makes people feel something and they were immensely talented and came together at the right time and the right place. And it was just kind of, everybody was extremely talented and it was kind of a one-in-a-million chance that everybody was there at the right time and linked up at the right time, at the right age. And it just happened. The songs are amazing, and the playing is amazing. Great music is hard to explain why it’s great. It just makes people feel something.
Do you have a favorite song of your dad’s to play?
It really depends on the night, it really does. I mean sometimes I’m really happy to play “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” Other times I’m really happy to play “Jessica.” I’m always happy to play them, but sometimes you can get to where you’re really inspired to take a new approach to a song and you’re not asking yourself, ‘Well, what do I do now? I’ve done this so many times.’ It just depends on the night really. They’re all a lot of fun to play. … With this music even if you play the same song every night, I mean they’re gonna be completely different in the improvisation sections. The approach and the way the band plays them can vary quite a bit, even though the structure is the same and the words and the melody might be the same. Once you get into where you’re jamming, that’s always gonna be fresh and you kind of have the freedom to take different approaches to it.
What do you think made your father’s guitar playing so special?
He was a very melodic player. He had a great sense of melody. He had a voice. One of the things that I love about my favorite guitar players is they have a distinct voice with their vibrato and their tone, their attack, the way they touch the string with their right hand, their left hand. And he had all of those things in spades and in the feel, the soul that he played with, the feeling, the emotion that he played with. He was a type of player that could almost make you cry. You could be in the back row and when he was on, he’d make sure that you were reached. Some guys don’t really make it a point to reach out to the back row, and when he played, he would reach out and make sure that you were paying attention. There’s a lot of beautiful players and guys that are technically skilled beyond belief that can play whatever, but my father was definitely one of the greats, one of the true stylists of the instrument.
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Was it difficult for you to pick up a guitar knowing that there’d always be comparisons or was that something that you knew would be coming with the territory?
I started out a drummer, so it wasn’t really difficult. I just was having fun as a kid. If it ever got difficult and I ever got in my head about it, it probably happened later where you kind of realize, well, your dad’s kind of this giant and you’re doing the same thing. But no, I never really let it bother me. When I picked up the guitar, I was just having fun. And I really was a sponge. And I love listening to records and learning and teaching myself. I just looked at it like it was so much fun. There was no pressure to do anything. I could just kind of decide what I wanted to do. And I was really supported in it from all of my family.
What does 2025 hold for the Allman Betts Band or will you be doing more solo stuff next year?
I just finished a Duane Betts record with Dave Cobb producing. So I literally got that mixed and mastered last month. So that’s kind of the next on the agenda for me. I don’t want to give away too much, but I think Allman Betts Band will do select dates next year, a very limited amount of dates. And then I’m going to tour my solo band, Duane Betts and Palmetto Motel, quite a bit and then hopefully that record will come out. Well, it will come out next year at some point. I don’t know what month it will come out, as these things take a little time. But I’m really excited to put that record out and that’s pretty much the priority for me right now is that record. But next on the touring, the priority is the Allman Betts Family Revival, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it with everybody. This is our eighth year, so I’m just really stoked about it. I can’t wait to see everybody out there.