Duane Betts Explains How His Dad, Derek Trucks Inspired 'Stare At The Sun'
By Andrew Magnotta @AndrewMagnotta
June 27, 2023
It's not just the Allman Brothers Band's musical legacy that has carried on since the band's final gigs but also its enduring spirit of family and the ties that bind people and music together.
As such, Duane Betts will unveil his first-ever solo album this summer while on the road not as a solo artist but as co-leader of the Allman Betts Band, alongside his counterpart Devon Allman.
Most of Duane's playing this summer will be with his solo band, but Allman Betts Band gigs are never too far off — just like the impact of his father Dickey Betts or his namesake Duane Allman.
Although Wild & Precious Life is Duane's solo debut, he's far from a neophyte. Duane has fronted numerous bands over the years, in addition to an impressive resumé of sideman gigs and studio work.
Wild & Precious Life does represent a more pensive turn in Duane's writing, however, with more personal subject matter, like his newfound sobriety and, of course, his family.
Duane noted to Q104.3 New York's Out of the Box with Jonathan Clarke that his song "Stare at the Sun" is a reference to his father, Dickey. But the tune manifested out of an earnest conversation Duane had with Allman Brothers Band alumnus Derek Trucks.
"We were having a talk about guitar playing and kind of some deeper stuff," Duane recalls. "I mean, he has a lot of respect for ... the Allman Brothers Band and Duane and my father's playing and what they created. He just said something about my dad's approach — how he's a player who's not afraid to stare directly into the sun, right? It was really king of a poetic line that stuck with me. A few days later we had a song, so I kind of had that in mind, I had my dad in mind and, yeah, I knew I wanted Derek on the song."
Listen to "Stare at the Sun" via the player at the bottom of this page. Watch Duane and guitarist Johnny Stachela perform "Saints to Sinners" via the player at the top of this page.
For more on Duane Betts' summer tour, go here.
Listen to "Stare at the Sun":