The Official
Carrying on the musical legacy of Dickey Betts & The Allman Brothers Band
Hey Y'all
We wanted to let you know Lee Roy Parnell took some time in August to undergo a much-needed corrective sinus surgery that has been causing him problems for a couple of years. The surgery was successful and the issues were alleviated, however, the healing process has proved to be slower than he would have liked. His prognosis is great—a full recovery is expected—but he is going to need some additional time. As a result, he's going miss some shows over the next few weeks including the fall run with Great Southern.
Filling some big boots for Lee Roy Parnell is guitarist Mike Durham. Mike has been a first call guitarist in the Nashville scene for more than a decade. His recording credits include two Grammy nominated singles from Tim McGraw′s A Place In the Sun and a full discography would include hundreds of sessions with stars like Kenny Rogers, Tim McGraw, Jewel, Kacey Musgraves & Chris Stapleton among others. Mike grew up on Dickey and Duane's music and is one of the all-time favorite guest artists with the Dave Matthews Band, notably for his smokin′ electric guitar licks on Jimi Thing as well as having played off and on with Lee Roy for nearly 20 years! If ever there was a perfect fit for those boots, it's Mike. We're really excited for you to hear him with us.
We all wish Lee Roy a speedy recovery and look forward to him being back in the saddle with Great Southern real soon! We look forward to seeing you out on the road in a few days!
- Great Southern
Formed by Dickey Betts, an original founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, Great Southern was created while the ABB was on hiatus in the late 1970’s. During that time Dickey pursued a solo career with Great Southern and The Dickey Betts Band. Having written some of the most iconic Southern Rock songs which include Ramblin’ Man, Blue Sky, Jessica, In Memory of & Elizabeth Reed, Dickey Betts is considered not only the #58 most influential guitarists by Rolling Stone Magazine, he’s also, one of Southern Rock’s most important songwriters, having been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and won a Grammy Award for “Jessica” in 1996.
The band as it is today was originally formed back in 2000. The band has rehearsed, recorded and toured together for nearly 17 years. In 2018 & 2019 the band got back together to do some special reunion shows and the response was overwhelming, selling out venues in and around New York City almost immediately. The band’s magical chemistry was undeniable. In 2023 Great Southern officially reunited with Dickey’s blessing to carry on the iconic musical legacy of Dickey Betts & his music with The Allman Brothers Band. This band is the real deal, it’s not a tribute band, each musician was hand picked by Dickey. The band has an immense catalog of music which includes both the iconic Allman Brother Band as well as DBB & Great Southern libraries.
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Lee Roy Parnell • Willie Williams • David Stoltz • Mark Greenberg • Matt Zeiner • Kris Jensen • Santiago “Sachy” Moyano
Lee Roy Parnell is a legendary Texas Music artist who has a long running relationship with the Allman Brothers Band having played numerous times with The Allman Brothers Band, Gregg Allman Band, The Dickey Betts Band & Great Southern as well as Warren Haynes. A chart-topping singer/songwriter, who is known for lending his slide guitar to countless records by fellow artist such as Delbert McClinton, Tricia Yearwood, Blackberry Smoke to name a few as well as ferocious guitarist whose music was greatly influenced by Gregg Dickey and Duane, Lee Roy’s guitar style, slide work on a Les Paul and vocals are a perfect fit for the band.
Willie Williams -A fixture of the Mid-Atlantic music scene, guitarist/songwriter/vocalist Willie Williams has been obsessed with the music of the Allman Brothers Band since the age of 14. As a tenured member of Virginia based ABB tribute band SKYDOG, Willie paid his dues performing the Allman catalog night after night for devoted audiences. He also reaches millions of international viewers through his Youtube channel where he teaches and preaches the guitar stylings of the Allman Brothers. As a songwriter Willie has collaborated with Nashville hit songsmiths Brian Bunn and Josh Reedy, and in 2018 he earned a publishing deal with Songcastle Music in LA. As a performer Willie has shared the stage with the likes of Hammond B3 master Steve Bassett, Grammy nominated country star Lee Roy Parnell, bluegrass icon Wayne Henderson, and many others. Widely known for his searing Duane Allman-inspired slide guitar, Willie is also a faithful disciple of the legendary Dickey Betts and he is thrilled to be a part of the Great Southern Reunion.
David Stoltz who had been playing bass with Jaimoe for years was musically introduced to Dickey Betts via a recording while in a limo on his way to an ABB Beacon Theater show. This led to Dickey personally requesting that Dave audition for the ABB when Allen Woody left and was the first runner up for the gig. Several years later, Dickey called on Dave to play with a new band he was forming, The Dickey Betts Band which later became Great Southern.
Mark Greenberg was touring with Roomful of Blues at the time when he received a phone call from Dickey asking him to audition for a new band he was putting together, The Dickey Betts Band. Drawing on his wide vocabulary of music, from jazz to rock, blues to funk, Mark was a natural fit and was asked to be the original drummer for the Dickey Betts Band. Mark has an almost 30 year-long relationship with Jaimoe, having filled in for him on drums several times.
Endorsements:
Evans Drumheads & Zildjian & Vic Firth
Matt Zeiner is a legendary keyboard player and vocalist who has played with nearly every marquis band in the CT area including The Shaboo Allstars, Matt “Guitar” Murphy from the Blues Brothers, Street Temperature, and the Weight Band founded by members of The Band. Matt’s deep and diverse musical background made him the obvious choice for Dickey on organ and vocals as he was forming The Dickey Betts Band.
Kris Jensen on Tenor Sax was a member of both the Dickey Betts Band and DB & Great Southern. Bringing the experience of a myriad of musical styles, from jazz, rock, soul, to Afro-Latin-Cuban, Kris added warm third voice to the signature, searing twin-guitar harmonies of the Dickey Betts/Allman Brothers Bands. He later joined Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band and performed with Gregg Allman and Friends.
Santiago “Sachy” Moyano – Colombian singer, composer, and musical director Santiago “Sachy” Moyano is a third generation musician – his grandfather Luis Moyano, Sr., was an internationally recognized “Great Tenor,” and his father, Luis Moyano, Jr., was a pianist and vocalist who worked with some of the great Latin music orchestras, including touring with La Fania All-Stars in 1996. Sachy Moyano’s versatility and originality has created a substantial demand for his music, and he has evolved into one of the most creative salsa singers in Colombia or across the Americas. Sachy Moyano is still working to produce new songs with a vision of reaching the souls of the Colombian and American communities. In 2022, he began his salsa band Santiago y la Orquesta, which is quickly becoming one of the most exciting Colombian salsa groups in New York City.
Management: David Spero
Booking: Steve Schenck
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