Devon Allman/Duane Betts
Sons of southern rock royalty Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts head to the UK.
Devon Allman and Duane Betts, 46 and 41 years old respectively, are the sons of southern rock royalty – the late Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts, both co-founders of the Allman Brothers Band. The pair spoke to Classic Rock about their six upcoming UK dates.
Do you recall the first time you met?
Devon: It was in 1989 and we were on tour with our dads. Duane had a Walkman on [laughs] and he was listening to Testament. I was into thrash metal too, so I knew this guy was cool. It was neat to bond over something that wasn’t associated with our parents.
What were your first impressions of each other when you met?
Duane: It was pretty obvious that Devon was one of Gregg’s kids. He was older than me and back then that mattered much more than it does now.
Devon: Once our professional lives began we met much more often. I opened for the Dickey Betts Band, which Duane was a member of.
Devon, you took a year off after the loss of your dad in 2017, returning with an all-star tribute at Peachfest. How did it feel to be back?
Devon: It was a double-edged sword. I needed that time away, but I wasn’t getting my medicine which is making people happy. Getting back on stage was the start of the real healing. When can we expect to hear your next record, Full Speed Ahead?
Devon: There’s been a change of plan. Duane and I have been on tour [in the US] and we’ve decided to make a record together. My own next record won’t come out till the year after that.
Duane, a new EP called Sketches Of American Music marks your debut as a solo artist. Are your plans for a full album now on the shelf? Duane: I have a lot of songs that I could do right away, but yeah. I’m putting that off until after Devon and I are finished. We need to make sure this is as good as it can possibly be.
Do the family connections sometimes weigh a little heavy? Is the baggage unfair?
Devon: You don’t think about it, you don’t listen to it and you don’t fuck with it. You do your job. You let everyone else talk about it.
Duane: I tend to get a bit more wrapped up in it all than Devon does. I’d be lying if I said I’d never felt that pressure. My responsibility is simply to be the best me possible; there’s no need to be better than my dad or anyone else.
Devon: I’ve overheard people in elevators saying: “He’ll never be as good as his dad.” I’ve also heard them say that my voice is better and stronger than my dad’s. If you listen to any of that then you’ll just go crazy. I put those walls up a long time ago. Your fathers fell out many years ago. Did that complicate your relationship in any way? Duane: It was more of a disagreement between the band and my dad [Dickey was sacked in 2000]. It was never a personal fight between Gregg and my dad, although it was billed that way. Devon: I know that my dad harboured no grudge towards Dickey.
On these dates, Duane will open the show, the Devon Allman Project then play as headliners, and finally you return together with a mini-set of Allman Brothers classics.
Duane: Yeah, that’s about right. We play some Allman Brothers stuff and other things too. It’s a good show; it has a real nice arc.
For you both, it’s obviously very important that the music of the Allman Brothers lives on, but also that your interpretation must be handled respectfully?
Devon: That’s it exactly. It’s all about balance.
From the feedback that the fans have given us so far, I think we’re getting it right. I hope so, anyway. DL
The tour begins in Bristol on September 2.