Having a famous surname often brings with it high expectations. In the case of guitarist, songwriter and singer Duane Betts, it’s 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.
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.
Growing up in Sarasota, Florida, Duane Betts initially took up drums at age six. “My dad got me a makeshift drum kit from spare parts that his drummer wasn’t using,” he recalls. “I really dedicated myself to playing the drums.” He would pop a cassette into his Walkman, put on headphones and play along with music that he liked.
But by age 12, Betts had turned to a different instrument. “I found that guitar was more expressive,” he says. Still, Betts believes that his foundation in drumming helped him a good bit when he switched to guitar. “There are a number of guitar players who started out on drums,” he points out. “I think it informed their insight into rhythm, into keeping good time.”
As Betts developed his guitar skills, a reality became evident. “Let’s be real,” he says. “I do play a lot like my dad. He’s one of my biggest influences; I don’t try to hide that.” That stylistic similarity served him well when he was invited onstage with the Allman Brothers Band in 1994. But at that point—he was all of 16 at the time—Betts 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.
In 2005, Betts’ 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.
But Duane Betts’ 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. In 2023, Betts returned with his first full-length solo album, Wild & Precious Life. That record is characterized by its deft mix of styles.
A highlight of the Dave Cobb-produced Wild & Precious Life is the instrumental “Under the Bali Moon.” It has a hypnotic and cinematic character that recalls George Harrison’s solo work as much as the Allman Brothers Band. Elsewhere, the album features tracks with guest players Nicki Bluhm (the honkytonk-ish “Colors Fade”), Marcus King (the deep-groove “Cold Dark World”) and Derek Trucks (the soaring guitar-fest “Stare at the Sun”).
Betts is currently touring in support of Wild & Precious Life, which will bring him to the Guild Theatre in Menlo Park on July 24. “I’m really proud of that body of work,” he says. “I think it’s something really great to build on.” That assertion suggests that he’s already looking toward the next record.
And as it happens, the followup to Wild & Precious Life is already complete. There’s no title nor release date set, but Betts allows that the new record (again produced by Cobb) is “a bit different.” It will feature shorter songs and “not quite as many guitar harmonies” as its predecessor. Concertgoers shouldn’t expect to hear any of that unreleased material on Betts’ current tour dates, though. “You want someone to fall in love with [a new song], so you don’t want the first time they hear it to be some crappy YouTube version,” he explains.
Looming over his songwriting process and general approach to music is the positive and ever-present influence of his father, who died in 2024. “When I was switching from drums to guitar, my dad taught me about the importance of nature,” Betts says. “He said, ‘Go out and play to nature, and try not to offend it.’ And that’s what I try to do.”
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
