EXCLUSIVE: Duane Betts Talks Benefit Concert "In Memory of Dickey Betts" (AUDIO)

It's an unprecedented and perfect lineup to honor a true legend.

Wednesday morning (Jan. 8th), news broke that an all-star show honoring the late Dickey Betts would be held next month in his second hometown of Macon, Georgia. In Memory of Dickey Betts will take place February 28th at the Macon City Auditorium and will feature a cast of Betts' family, close friends, and former bandmates that will set the 2025 concert season up for a fantastic start.

Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi of Tedeschi Trucks Band, Warren Haynes of (Gov't Mule, Allman Brothers Band, Dickey Betts Band,) Jaimoe (Allman Brothers Band,) Charlie Starr (Blackberry Smoke,) Chuck Leavell (Allman Brothers Band; Betts, Hall, Leavell, and Trucks,) Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers Band,) and Jimmy Hall (BHLT) are all set to perform during the evening.

"Dickey was the one person I credit for everything amazing that happened in my career." - Warren Haynes

But the night's most special guest performers may just be the sons of the Allman Brothers Band. Duane Betts (Dickey,) Devon Allman (Gregg Allman,) and Lamar Williams, Jr. (Lamar Williams) will also be on hand to commemorate this very special night.

Creekside Mornings caught up with the late Betts' son Duane on Wednesday to hear his thoughts on the "once in a lifetime" benefit show and why this moment is so significant not only for fierce fans of his father's incredible legacy but also for the legacy of southern rock as a whole.

Duane Betts on putting the In Memory of Dickey Betts lineup and show together:

"I'm just really grateful that we've gotten it to this point and it's going to be a really magical. It's going to be a beautiful night of music. There's no doubt. It's going to be a great celebration and the music is the medicine and it's, it's fun. Once we figure out what we're going to play and who's going to play what, then it'll just be easy."

Duane Betts on growing up on the road with his father and the Allman Brothers Band and reuniting the ABB family again:

"My life is music. And that was my school was being on the road and I mean, I went to school, but I was homeschooled from eighth grade through, I started in eighth grade and did all my high school years homeschooled.

I think when my dad saw that I was really passionate about playing music first I was a drummer, and then I switched to guitar around the age of 13. And when he saw how passionate I was about it, he kind of thought that it would be nice for me to be around that level of musicianship and kind of learning the ropes. And so yeah, that was kind of my schooling in a way. And I think it paid off a lot. And yeah, I mean the whole scene is just kind of, it is a traveling family. Anytime you're on tour, it has, when it's a good vibe, it has kind of like you're all a traveling family, but I mean with somebody with an Allman Brothers or it kind of, it's that magnified by a hundred, I would assume, because of the history.

And the music is a connection and the music is powerful and it brings people together. And it's rare that all of those, everybody's busy and not everybody's in the same room at the same time. That's rare. So this is a special occasion."

A portion of the proceeds from the concert will go towards furthering music education in honor of Dickey. Tickets and a limited number of VIP packages will be available starting Monday, January 13th, 2025 at 10 AM EST from Ticketmaster.com.

Listen to the younger Betts' entire conversation with The Creek's Charles Davis and Anthony Ennis below.