Showing posts with label Dickey Betts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dickey Betts. Show all posts

Monday, November 7, 2011

‘Dangerous Dan’ Toler BENEFIT headlines Dickey Betts-Bonnie Bramlett- Blackhawk














 By Ray Shasho

This coming Saturday and Sunday November 12th and 13th will be “The biggest and best concert this area has seen for a long a time” says Mark Serio guitarist and organizer for the benefit to support ‘Dangerous Dan’ Toler and raise awareness for ALS or better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Guitarist ‘Dangerous Dan’ Toler is best known as a member of The Allman Brothers Band, The Gregg Allman Band and Dickey Betts & Great Southern. Earlier this year Toler announced that he had the disease. Recently his condition has worsened and now has trouble speaking.
His younger brother David “Frankie” Toler drummer and former member of The Allman Brothers Band died earlier this year from a prolonged illness.
Last year I covered an event hosted by “Sarasota’s Littlest Heroes” (who were many of the same organizers) to help raise money for two year old Emalynn Roberts diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Polyneuropathy. The concert was held at the same location and headlined by Dickey Betts & Great Southern. The event was a huge success.

The ‘Dangerous Dan’ Toler benefit is promising to be a monumental event. Mark Serio says “The concert is going to be huge.” Musicians are flying in from everywhere to help their friend and fellow musician ‘Dangerous Dan’ Toler.
The event takes place on Hershberger Ranch at 13010 Fruitville Rd in Sarasota just 7.3 miles east of I-75 on the right. It’s two full days of non-stop music –including free Barbeque, silent and live auctions and raffles. Online auction at http://www.dantolerbenefit.myevent.com/3/auction.htm
BYOB or beer is available to purchase at the event. The festivities begin at 12pm and ends at 11pm each night.
Tickets are $20.00 for a one day pass and only $35.00 for both dates. There are also VIP tickets available. Purchase tickets here or at the door on the day of the concert. http://www.dantolerbenefit.myevent.com/3/online_payment.htm

Call Mark Serio at (941)228-5099 for further information about the event.

Day 1- Saturday’s music schedule kicks off at 12pm with Cowboy Keith.

Later in the evening Bonnie Bramlett and harp virtuoso T.C. Carr take the stage.
Bonnie Bramlett was part of the legendary husband and wife duo Delaney & Bonnie. Delaney & Bonnie & Friends collaborated on stage with legendary “Friends” George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Leon Russell, Dave Mason, Rita Coolidge, Gram Parsons, Duane and Gregg Allman and King Curtis to name just a few.

In 1969 Delaney & Bonnie supported Eric Clapton’s short-lived Blind Faith band on the road. Their certified gold third album On Tour with Eric Clapton was their most commercially successful release. In 1970 Delaney & Bonnie & Friends participated in the Festival Express tour (originally billed as the Transcontinental Pop Festival) by train across various Canadian cities with The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and The Band. Festival Express was a 2003 documentary film about the 1970 train tour including concert footage across Canada. Also in 1970 the band appeared at The Strawberry Fields Festival in front of an estimated 100,000 people in Ontario, Canada.

Delaney & Bonnie divorced in 1973 after releasing their final album D&B Together. The album featured such illustrious artists as Steve Cropper, Eric Clapton, Tina Turner, Duane Allman, Dave Mason, Leon Russell and Billy Preston.
Delaney & Bonnie’s most memorable hits were Dave Mason’s penned “Only You Know and I Know” and “Never Ending Song of Love.” Bonnie Bramlett also co-wrote “Let It Rain” with Eric Clapton.
Bonnie enjoyed continued success as a solo composer and recording artist while sharing her amazing vocals with Elvin Bishop, Stephen Stills, Little Feat and The Allman Brothers Band throughout the 70’s and 80’s.
In 1979 Bonnie Bramlett participated in the acclaimed Havana Jam Festival in Cuba.
Under a new married name Bonnie Sheridan, she became an actress with an ongoing role on the TV sitcom Roseanne from 1991-95.

Delaney Bramlett died in 2008.

Bonnie Bramlett’s latest album is called ‘Beautiful’ and available at Rockin’ Camel Music.

The Dan Toler Band follows Bonnie Bramlett and then headliner’s Dickey Betts & Great Southern take the stage at around 8:30pm.

Dickey Betts, a Bradenton native, had formed a band in Florida with bassist Berry Oakley.One night they jammed with another local group featuring Duane and Gregg Allman, and The Allman Brothers Band formed in 1969. After the death of Duane Allman in 1971, Betts became the bands sole guitarist. 
Dickey Betts was inducted along with the rest of The Allman Brothers Band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.

Day 2 –Sunday’s music itinerary will feature The Boogiemen opening at 12pm.

The afternoon lineup includes a rendition of 50’s rock and roll icon’s The Platters recreated by Wilson Williams and his Platters.

The Artimus Pyle Band will take the stage late afternoon. Artimus Pyle was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 as a member for the Southern Rock /Classic Rock radio mainstay Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Blackhawk (The Outlaws) are the headliners for Sunday evening and will be performing at 8:30pm.
There may even be surprise guests performing during the two-day event.

For a complete listing of performers appearing at the ‘Dangerous Dan’ Toler two-day benefit concert go to http://www.dantolerbenefit.myevent.com/3/miscellaneous2.htm

The event is this coming Saturday and Sunday November 12th and 13th on Hershberger Ranch at 13010 Fruitville Rd in Sarasota just 7.3 miles east of I-75 on the right. 12pm to 11pm each day.
Come out and enjoy good food and great music by legendary performers and help support the fight against ALS.

Concert benefit for ‘Dangerous Dan’ Toler official website http://www.dantolerbenefit.myevent.com/
Dickey Betts & Great Southern official website http://www.dickeybetts.com/
Bonnie Bramlett official website http://www.bonniebramlett.com/index.htm
Blackhawk /The Outlaws official website http://www.blackhawklive.com/news/

Order columnist/author Ray Shasho’s new book called Check the Gs – The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business at amazon.com, iuniverse.com, barnesandnoble.com or borders.com. Order now for the holidays!
 
“Original, Entertaining and Hilarious-- This book has all the elements of a classic in the making. The novel is centralized around Raymond, a boy growing up around the family business in Washington, DC...but that is just the tip of the plot. The dynamic characters really make this memoir.”  - Reviewed by a local high school English Teacher.

Contact Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com


Sunday, April 24, 2011

Allman Brothers Band guitar legend Dickey Betts plays benefit in Sarasota



By Ray Shasho

Classic rock guitarist Dickey Betts and his band Great Southern played for two year old Emalynn Roberts Saturday night at Hershberger Property on Fruitville Road in Sarasota. The fundraiser was organized by “Sarasota’s Littlest Heroes”, a non-profit charity founded in 2008 by three Sarasota Sheriff’s deputies dedicated to helping the sick children of Law Enforcement Officers in the Southwest Florida Region. http://sarasotaslittlestheroes.org/

Two-year old Emalynn Roberts was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy last summer, and is on a ventilator. http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/chronic-inflammatory-polyneuropathy Her parents Deputy Sheriff James Roberts and Katie Roberts began to worry about a year ago when she was having trouble with her balance. Now the disease has moved into Emalynn's arms, and she has little use of them. It also settled in her upper respiratory system. Her parents desperately need help to pay for medical costs that their insurance won’t cover. She’s already had two treatments and the hope is for much better results on a third.

You can donate and help Emalynn Roberts by clicking on the Pay Pal button on the link below (it’s fast and safe) http://sarasotaslittlestheroes.org/?p=1
Or you can mail your donation to Sarasota’s Littlest Heroes Foundation (For Emalynn Roberts) 7515 Proctor Road Sarasota, Fl  34241. Please call Dave Clark at (941)375-1230 for further information.

The event itself seemed like a thousand neighbors coming together and having fun for a good cause. And Dickey Betts just happened to be one of their neighbors. It was an extremely cold night. Earlier in the day there was great barbecue. But when the sun disappeared everyone scrambled to the hot coffee tables.
At 9:35 pm, Betts walked out from a large motor coach and journeyed through an open field with his posse to a tent covered stage.

I reminisced with them earlier outside the vehicle about those infamous stories at the Oar House in Bradenton Beach in the late 70’s. There was lots of partying going on and the Allman Brothers Band playing into the wee hours. When the Oar House burned down, Gregg Allman still had an outstanding bar tab, but all was forgiven. http://www.allmanbrothersband.com/

Dickey Betts had some pretty stiff competition on stage with him on Saturday night. He was a young guitar slinger that mimicked many of Dickey’s famous licks and facial expressions. His name is Duane Betts, Dickey’s son, and a member of Great Southern. If you close your eyes, you’d have a hard time deciding who Papa Betts was. Duane is a truly amazing guitarist. And it’s good to know that the Betts southern rock legacy will continue to rock on. http://www.dickeybetts.com/

Betts played many of the crowd pleasers like Jessica, Blue Sky, One way out, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, and Ramblin’ Man. Betts can combine country, jazz, blues, and rock into one amazing sound.

Betts, a Bradenton native, had formed a band in Florida with bassist Berry Oakley. One night they jammed with another local group featuring Duane and Gregg Allman, and The Allman Brothers Band formed in 1969. After the death of Duane Allman in 1971, Betts became the bands sole guitarist.

Dickey Betts was inducted along with the rest of The Allman Brothers Band into the rock and roll hall of fame in 1995.  The 1995 Induction Ceremony

I spoke with Dave Clark one of the founders for “Sarasota’s Littlest Heroes” and he estimated that the event raised about thirty thousand dollars. But your donations are still needed.
Please help Emalynn Roberts. http://sarasotaslittlestheroes.org/?p=1












You can contact me at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

Saturday, April 23, 2011

'Classic Rockers' in my backyard



By Ray Shasho

It seemed like yesterday when the only thing that mattered was buying tickets for the next rock concert. In my sophomore year, I’d sneak out of class and call for a taxi cab on the high school payphone to pick me up and drive me over to the nearest ticketron outlet so I could be first in line to purchase concert tickets. I even earned the nickname, “Rock Raymond” for my rock concert addiction.
But tickets were extremely affordable then, even for a fifteen year old kid. Believe it or not, standard ticket prices for a show in the mid 1970’s were $6.50, $5.50 and $4.50. Man, have times changed!

During high school, I landed a job at the Capital Centre in Largo, Maryland about twenty minutes from my home. Me and five other guys mopped the floors underneath each seat for the entire 18,756 capacity arena. I did it to be part of the concert experience. I even got to hang out with Lynyrd Skynyrd while they played their debut song, “Saturday Night Special” during a sound check.

Now I live in Bradenton, Florida and it’s the home of many of those same rock and roll legends that I desperately needed to see in concert back in high school.

Not far from my home lives “Classic Rocker” Rick Derringer. This legendary rocker is now 63 years old. The Ohio native was just 17 years old when he had his first hit with the McCoy’s called, “Hang on Sloopy.”That song actually knocked The Beatles “Yesterday” out of the top spot. But my high school memories were better served by his 1974 top 40 hit, “Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo” and his amazing guitar solo on the single version of Edgar Winter’s, “Free Ride.”

Rick established relationships with rock and roll greats like Jimi Hendrix and Alice Cooper. He’s a musician, songwriter, and record producer who have collaborated with Johnny and Edgar Winter, Steely Dan, Joe Walsh, Todd Rundgren, and Kiss, to name just a few.

Derringer finished up a tour with Ringo Starr’s 11th All-Starr band over the summer.

For the past ten years, Rick expanded his horizons by recording a Christian CD with his family called, “Aiming for Heaven” and also released his first solo venture into the world of smooth Jazz called, “Free Ride.” Rick’s wife Brenda Jean (Jenda Derringer Hall) is featured as a co-writer, arranger, and singer on the CD.

Rick’s latest CD “Knighted by the Blues” just proves Derringer is getting better with age. Jenda sang the title song and penned the top twenty hit, “Hot and Cool”.

Derringer is currently in production on a retrospective film about his life called, “Rick Derringer (All American Boy) Still Alive and Well.” For more information on Rick Derringer visit his website at http://www.rickderringer.com/

Other “Classic Rockers” in my backyard, well let’s see… there’s Dickey Betts the founding member of the Allman Brothers Band and Dickey Betts & Great Southern, Graeme Edge drummer and songwriter for The Moody Blues and The Graeme Edge Band, and just across the way in Sarasota is Brian Johnson, the lead singer for AC/ DC.

These are the rockers I can confirm. The ones I can’t are Steven Tyler and Joe Perry from Aerosmith. And there was that time when Mick Ralphs, the guitarist from Mott the Hoople, and Bad Company had his vintage guitar collection on display and for sale at the Sarasota Classic Car Museum. More to come!

What “classic rockers” are in your backyard? I’d love to hear about all your classic rock stories, contact me at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com