“My father talked the owner of the club into letting his six-year-old son (me) sit in the back and watch Dickey perform… That experience changed my life”: Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to one of his biggest influences, Dickey Betts

Joe Bonamassa and Dickey Betts.

This past April, we received the sad news of the passing of Dickey Betts, founding member of the Allman Brothers Band and one of the greatest and most lyrical and melodic guitarists of all time. Dickey became a primary inspiration for me from a very early age and has remained one of my biggest influences.

In 1983, my father was able to talk the owner of Coleman’s Night Club in Rome NY, into letting his six-year-old son (me) sit in the back and watch Dickey perform with his band BHLT, an acronym for Betts, Jimmy Hall, Chuck Leavell and Butch Trucks.