Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann is the latest artist to pay tribute to Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts, who passed away April 18 at the age of 80.
In a post on Instagram, Kreutzmann writes of the “intertwined past” of the two bands, noting, “[W]e saw ourselves as fellows, part of a movement that was bigger than either band,” calling the Allman Brothers “the southern counterpart to the Grateful Dead.”
“@dickeybettsofficial was a huge part of the Allman sound and his twin guitar leads with Duane were as influential to southern rock as just about any other single element,” he shares.
He then recalled playing with the Allmans in San Francisco one New Year’s Eve.
“Getting to play behind Betts was just one of those things where you know you are in the company of greatness and you’re just trying to live in that moment,” he concludes. “Well, that moment — and many others — will now live forever in my heart.” He signed the post, “So long, old friend.”
Kreutzmann’s Grateful Dead bandmate Mickey Hart also paid tribute to Dickey, sharing a Dead-inspired drawing of the rocker with the caption, “May the four winds blow Dickey safely home.”
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