After years in the band, Duane Betts is finding his own way

Few guitarists can boast a resume like Duane Betts'.

Two decades into his pickin' career, Betts may be recognized for his time on stage with Southern rock outfit the Allman Brothers Band (which his dad, Dickey Betts, co-founded five-plus decades ago) or touring with indie-rock staple Dawes. He played with his father in Dickey Betts & the Great Southern and once joined a lineup of second-generation players to form the Allman Betts Band, a nod to the celebrated "Ramblin' Man" group.

And after years of rock 'n' roll hopscotch, Betts can now add a new line to his resume — solo artist.

In July, the 45-year-old Florida native released "Wild & Precious Life," a debut solo album that travels between subtle, self-aware storytelling and speaker-splitting Southern rock. Cut live to tape at Swamp Raga — the Jacksonville studio run by husband-wife blues duo Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi. The release features guest appearances from California singer-songwriter Nicki Bluhm, Nashville guitar ace Marcus King and Trucks, a tenured touring bluesman who also logged time in the Allman Brothers.

Some may wonder: Why did Betts decide to make a solo album now? Because he never considered himself much of a singer. After releasing an EP in 2017, he knew he wanted to dive into a proper album, but it wasn't until a pandemic-size hole opened in his schedule a few years ago that he began crafting the songs that would become "Wild & Precious Life."

"There was nothing to do, you had a lot of time on your hands," Betts said during a stop in Nashville in June. Sitting in the artist lounge at Gibson Garage, surrounded by walls covered floor-to-ceiling in Les Paul, SG and Hummingbird model guitars, Betts added: "It was the perfect time to start writing."

Inspired in-part by his time in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where Betts met his now-wife, songs on "Wild & Precious Life" capture four-plus decades of life experience, he said. He writes an autobiographical coming-of-age story about "a guy trying to do the right thing" on album single "Saints to Sinners" and leans into his father's influence on "Forrest Lane," a slow-grooving number outlining a slice of Southern life.

But no songs stand out like the final two on the album: the rip-roaring rocker "Cold Dark World," featuring King, and the crooning country ballad "Circles in the Stars" — songs that wouldn't be out of place at a rowdy jam show or on the Grand Ole Opry stage. Betts played the latter during his Opry debut in June.

"I was trying to write about what was coming to me," he said, "which was my experiences and my stories."

And Betts said he wants to embrace his musical lineage without it being over-saturating.

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"I think it's a delicate balance to not overdo it," Betts said. "I love playing that music, the Allman Brothers catalog, and I'm pretty proud that I'm part of it in a small way. But it makes me happy that I have my own record."

As for his resume? It'll keep growing. After a run of headlining shows, he hits the road this fall with Dead & Company bassist Oteil Burbridge, the latest stop on a long road of music making.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Duane Betts makes his solo debut with 'Wild & Precious Life'