Having a famous surname often brings with it high expectations. In the case of guitarist, songwriter and singer Duane Betts, it\u2019s doubly so: the 47-year-old musician is the son of the late Dickey Betts, guitarist in the Allman Brothers Band. And the elder Betts named his son after Duane Allman, one of the most revered guitarists in music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faced with the prospect of living under the shadow of not one but two acclaimed guitarists, many would opt for a different instrument. But Duane Betts has never shied away from the legacy of his forebears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Growing up in Sarasota, Florida, Duane Betts initially took up drums at age six. \u201cMy dad got me a makeshift drum kit from spare parts that his drummer wasn\u2019t using,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI really dedicated myself to playing the drums.\u201d He would pop a cassette into his Walkman, put on headphones and play along with music that he liked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But by age 12, Betts had turned to a different instrument. \u201cI found that guitar was more expressive,\u201d he says. Still, Betts believes that his foundation in drumming helped him a good bit when he switched to guitar. \u201cThere are a number of guitar players who started out on drums,\u201d he points out. \u201cI think it informed their insight into rhythm, into keeping good time.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Betts developed his guitar skills, a reality became evident. \u201cLet\u2019s be real,\u201d he says. \u201cI do play a lot like my dad. He\u2019s one of my biggest influences; I don\u2019t try to hide that.\u201d That stylistic similarity served him well when he was invited onstage with the Allman Brothers Band in 1994. But at that point\u2014he was all of 16 at the time\u2014Betts was determined to chart his own path. He soon started and\/or joined a succession of bands, and scored some high-profile gigs including a spot on the bill at the 2004 Coachella Festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2005, Betts\u2019 father asked him to join Great Southern, the band he had started after leaving the Allman Brothers Band. Duane accepted the offer, going on to tour and record with that group. But he continued to play with other bands, including Dawes, Jamtown and his own band, Brethren of the Coast. By 2018 he launched the Allman Betts Band with two fellow Southern rock scions: guitarist Devon Allman (the son of Gregg Allman) and Berry Duane Oakley, the son of bassist Berry Oakley. That group earned critical praise and has released two albums to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Duane Betts\u2019 creative impulses have led him to continue with multiple concurrent projects. Just as the Allman Betts Band got underway, he released his solo debut EP, Sketches of American Music<\/em>. In 2023, Betts returned with his first full-length solo album, Wild & Precious Life<\/em>. That record is characterized by its deft mix of styles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A highlight of the Dave Cobb-produced Wild & Precious Life<\/em> is the instrumental \u201cUnder the Bali Moon.\u201d It has a hypnotic and cinematic character that recalls George Harrison\u2019s solo work as much as the Allman Brothers Band. Elsewhere, the album features tracks with guest players Nicki Bluhm (the honkytonk-ish \u201cColors Fade\u201d), Marcus King (the deep-groove \u201cCold Dark World\u201d) and Derek Trucks (the soaring guitar-fest \u201cStare at the Sun\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Betts is currently touring in support of Wild & Precious Life<\/em>, which will bring him to the Guild Theatre in Menlo Park on July 24. <\/em>\u201cI\u2019m really proud of that body of work,\u201d he says. \u201cI think it\u2019s something really great to build on.\u201d That assertion suggests that he\u2019s already looking toward the next record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And as it happens, the followup to Wild & Precious Life<\/em> is already complete. There\u2019s no title nor release date set, but Betts allows that the new record (again produced by Cobb) is \u201ca bit different.\u201d It will feature shorter songs and \u201cnot quite as many guitar harmonies\u201d as its predecessor. Concertgoers shouldn\u2019t expect to hear any of that unreleased material on Betts\u2019 current tour dates, though. \u201cYou want someone to fall in love with [a new song], so you don\u2019t want the first time they hear it to be some crappy YouTube version,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looming over his songwriting process and general approach to music is the positive and ever-present influence of his father, who died in 2024. \u201cWhen I was switching from drums to guitar, my dad taught me about the importance of nature,\u201d Betts says. \u201cHe said, \u2018Go out and play to nature, and try not to offend it.\u2019 And that\u2019s what I try to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel plays at 8pm on July 24 at the Guild Theatre, 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Tickets: $42.88+. tixr.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Duane Betts is touring in support of his new album, \u2018Wild & Precious Life,\u2019 which will bring him to the Guild Theatre on July 24.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14789,"featured_media":20183151,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_expiration-date-status":"","_expiration-date":0,"_expiration-date-type":"","_expiration-date-categories":[],"_expiration-date-options":[]},"categories":[34],"tags":[20193,20199,20201,20200,20198,20192,20196,20194,20197,20195],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n