Allman Brothers Founding Member Dickey Betts in Critical Condition Following Accident
Dickey Betts, the guitarist who is a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, sustained a serious fall on Monday evening (Sept. 17) and is now in critical but stable condition. The accident will require him to undergo brain surgery.
Betts, 74, suffered the fall when he slipped while playing with his family's dog at home in Osprey, Fla., according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The fall caused him to hit his head, leading to bleeding in his brain. Surgery is scheduled for Friday (Sept. 21) to relieve swelling.
For the time being, the guitarist is being kept under sedation at an undisclosed hospital in his home area, with his family on close watch.
“The family appreciates all of your thoughts and prayers during this very trying time,” Betts' wife Donna said to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. “Dickey is a notorious fighter and he is displaying that now.”
Betts, who's known for writing Allman classics including “Ramblin’ Man” and “Blue Sky,” suffered a stroke last month that caused him to cancel tour dates. He planned to return to the road in November, but his plans are now apparently up in the air until his health becomes more stable.
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