Dickey Betts, Allman Brothers Band singer and guitarist, dies at 80 WSOC TV [Video]

Dickey Betts, the singer, songwriter and guitarist who co-founded the influential Allman Brothers Band, has died, family members announced on Thursday. He was 80.

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The Betts family confirmed his death in a statement shared on social media.

“The legendary performer, songwriter, bandleader and family patriarch passed away earlier today at his home in Osprey, (Florida), surrounded by his family,” the statement read. “Dickey was larger than life, and his loss will be felt world-wide. At this difficult time, the family asks for prayers and respect for their privacy in the coming days.”

Betts’ manager, David Spero, told Rolling Stone that the musician died of cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

As part of the Allman Brothers Band, Betts shared lead guitar duties with Duane Allman and helped to create a new genre in the 1960s and 1970s — Southern rock, according to The Associated Press.

“Their Southern rock was an exciting fusion of rock, jazz, country …