Remembering the legendary Dickey Betts.
If there is one thing about Billy Strings, he will always pay homage to the greats who shaped the genre today. Dickey Betts passed away last week at the age of 80, and the music community has been honoring his legacy as a guitar player, and co-founder of the Allman Brothers, since the news broke.
Billy Strings tipped his hat to the icon firing up their 1973 hit “Ramblin’ Man” to close out this St. Augustine, Florida, show.
With an image of Betts on the large screen behind Strings, this song is a perfect choice to honor the late guitarist. Strings slows down his traditional speedy flat-picking style, laying down a killer cover of the track.
I love this song choice for Strings out of the Allman Brothers catalog because it allows fans to see how adaptive he is to fit other’s sounds. This track also showcases Strings’ vocal talent which sometimes is overshadowed during his life shows because he is letting it rip on the guitar. It’s nice to be reminded that Strings is more than a killer bluegrass player, but also a phenomenal vocalist. A deadly duo if you ask me.
I know he heard this cover and was smiling from above.
On the same night, Strings also paid homage to another legend that the community lost this month: the incredible banjo player Ben Eldridge. Eldridge was a founding member of the bluegrass group The Seldom Scene and is very influential for younger players like Strings.
Both Betts and Eldridge’s legacy is alive and well at Billy Strings shows.
