Betts's first solo album, Highway Call, was released in 1974, and featured the late fiddle player Vassar Clements. After the Allmans fell apart in 1976, Betts released more albums, starting with Dickey Betts & Great Southern in 1977, which featured the hit "Bougainvillea," which he co-wrote with actor Don Johnson. In 1978 he released an album entitled "Atlanta's Burning Down".
The Allman Brothers reformed in 1989 behind the release of their career retrospective boxed set "Dreams" and the growing populariry of Classic Rock radio. The reunion brought Betts back together with founding Allman Brothers members Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks and Jai "Jaimoe" Johanny Johanson. The band was augmented by Warren Haynes (slide and lead guitar), Allen Woody (bass) and Johnny Neel (on keyboards, though Neel left after several tours). This lineup of the band went on to release three acclaimed studio albums, with Betts, Allman and Haynes serving as the primary song writers, as well as several popular live albums throughout the early 1990s.
Betts had to be replaced on numerous tourdates throughout the mid 90s for "personal reasons" (often speculated and reported as an on-going problem with alcohol). Among the artists to appear in place of Betts were Jimmy Herring (in 1993 and again in 2000), Zakk Wylde (for one notoriously panned show), Jack Pearson and David Grissom. John Popper of Blues Traveler also sat in with the Allman Brothers in Betts' absence.
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