Photo: artisteer / iStock / Getty Images
Sarasota, FL - Florida officials are reviewing a proposal to name a portion of U.S. Highway 41 after Dickey Betts, the Allman Brothers Band co-founder and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist.
Sarasota County commissioners plan to submit a formal request to the Florida Department of Transportation.
Betts, who died in April 2024 at age 80, lived for decades near the highway he referenced in his song “Ramblin’ Man,” which includes the lyric, “I was born in the back seat of a Greyhound bus rollin’ down Highway 41.”
While he was not actually born on the highway, he maintained strong personal and professional ties to Sarasota County.
The exact segment of U.S. 41 to be named has not been finalized, though officials indicated the stretch passing through Osprey, near Betts’ longtime residence, is a likely candidate.
His widow, Donna Betts, continues to live in the home, and his son Duane Betts, also a musician, has frequently visited over the years.
Earlier in 2025, Duane organized a sold-out charity concert in Macon, Georgia, honoring his father.
The event featured performances by Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, and other jam band musicians, along with video tributes from Willie Nelson, Slash, Bob Weir, Steve Earle, and Billy Bob Thornton.
Funds raised from the concert established the Dickey Betts Memorial Endowed Scholarship at Berklee College of Music.
Betts wrote and performed hits including “Blue Sky,” “Seven Turns,” “Back Where It All Begins,” “Jessica,” and “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.”
He earned multiple Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and was ranked No. 61 on Rolling Stone’s original list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.