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PHIL ASKS DICKEY BETTS TO PLAY

From The Boston Globe:

Allmans in town, but Betts is off for 
alleged bad behavior 

By Steve Morse, Globe Staff, 6/23/2000 

Scratch the ''brothers'' part of the Allman Brothers Band, because 
 things are turning ugly. Guitarist Dickey Betts, a founding member 
 and the backbone of the group along with Gregg Allman, has been 
 kicked off the summer tour. Yesterday Betts said he is planning 
 legal action against the remaining founders, claiming they are 
 ''defrauding the public'' by touring without him. 

 It should be quite interesting tonight at the Tweeter Center in 
 Mansfield, where the Allmans - with replacement guitarist Jimmy 
 Herring (who last toured with Phil Lesh) - perform without Betts, 
 who has sung and written many Allmans tunes during the last three 
 decades, including ''Blue Sky'' and ''Ramblin' Man.'' 

 The band has issued a statement citing ''creative differences'' with 
 Betts, but Gregg Allman conceded this week that Betts has a 
 drinking problem and ''when it starts to affect the music, something 
 has to be done about it.'' 

 ''It's amazing how one person's disease can affect the band so 
 much,'' said Allman. ''And I'm not overlooking the fact that I've had 
 problems with the stuff myself. ... I almost got laid off from the 
 band at one point. It took my wife leaving me, then I sobered up. 
 She's the right one for me, and I got her back. 

 ''I'm proud to say that I've been 31/2 years sober and I don't even 
 smoke anymore,'' said Allman. ''Maybe this is what it will take to 
 get [Betts] back together. ... He'll be back, I think, but it's all up to 
 him.'' 

 Betts, however, adamantly denied that he has a drinking problem (''I 
 have a couple of drinks with the guys, but that's it'') and said he has 
 been playing better than he has in years. He cited reviews of shows 
 this year, including a New York Times review of the Allmans at the 
 Beacon Theater in Manhattan that said, ''Mr. Betts lifted the band 
 with him, as the music shook off its past to shimmer in the present.'' 

 Allman countered by saying ''the hardest scrutinizing of the music 
 has to be done by us'' and ''there's a lot of stuff the public doesn't 
 notice, but that a musician of 40 years does.'' Betts had also been 
 replaced briefly in 1993 (starting with a show at Great Woods, now 
 the Tweeter Center) after he'd been arrested in Syracuse, N.Y., 
 following a domestic quarrel. 

 Betts said the band notified him of this latest summer suspension 
 via an ''impersonal fax.'' Allman said the group called Betts to 
 arrange a meeting, but ''he got arrested.'' Betts said he wasn't 
 arrested, but, at his wife's request, checked into a crisis intervention 
 center June 3 near his home in Sarasota, Fla., for treatment of 
 depression. This occurred two weeks after he was suspended. 

 A police report from the Sarasota County sheriff's office said that 
 ''a husband and wife'' were having problems that night and that the 
 husband broke a television and overturned a couch. He then left and 
 the wife asked for help in finding him. Chuck Lesaltato of the 
 sheriff's office confirmed for rollingstone.com that Betts was the 
 husband, but Lesaltato was not available for comment yesterday. 

 The sheriff's report does not mention an arrest, but does mention 
 that the husband was taken to the crisis intervention center for 
 psychiatric evaluation. 

 ''A lot of people are saying a lot of things that aren't true,'' said 
 Betts, who is most upset that none of the other founding members of 
 the band (Allman, Butch Trucks, and Jaimoe) has called him. He 
 said he phoned Allman twice, but Allman hung up on him each 
 time. 

 ''Tough love'' is how Allman described the situation. 

 Betts said he has been asked by Lesh, the former Grateful Dead 
 bassist, to do some shows together. For now, he is initiating legal 
 proceedings to question the trademark use of the name the Allman 
 Brothers. ''I don't see how they can take the band on the road and 
 call it the Allman Brothers Band. The people ought to know that I'm 
 not in the band when they buy the tickets.'' 

 Meanwhile, the band intends to stop doing Betts's vocal tunes, but 
 still do some of his instrumentals, such as ''In Memory of Elizabeth 
 Reed.'' As for Herring, Allman said, ''He's not going to play 
 Dickey's stuff note for note. He has his own style and will 
 definitely have full rein.'' 

 Herring knows he has some major shoes to fill. ''Dickey's melodies 
 stuck in my head as a kid and made me want to play music,'' he 
 said. I'm looking at this as a nice summer outing. It may turn into 
 more, but I'm not expecting it. My wish is that Dickey comes back.'' 

  ALSO Ousted ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND guitarist DICKEY BETTS 
told Rolling Stone that he plans to take legal action against the band 
in order to "get some answers" as to why he was kicked off the summer 
tour. "It's been eating me from the inside out, and I'm tired of 
that," he said. Betts also said that reports of his pursuit by Florida 
authorities after threatening his wife were untrue, but admitted to 
spending a day at a mental hospital where a doctor released him with 
orders to distance himself from the band. 

From Wall of Sound (6.6.00):
Mickey Hart has harsh words for Phil

...Hart, currently touring with the Mickey Hart Band, has harsh words for his former bandmate. 

"Nobody's at war with Phil. He's just out of the loop. He just hasn't paid attention for years. He's just in the Phil zone, God save him. Nobody pays much attention to him. He's sort of on the outside. 
He's of no consequence really." 

Over Lesh's objections, the band has transferred the catalog to a digital system. "We're going ahead, Bob and I and [drummer] Billy [Kreutzmann], to preserve the catalog. This is the thing we've been doing all along," 
Hart says. 

"The thing about Phil is if you don't go along with Phil, he gets hysterical. And he spreads these wild rumors, these massively incorrect tales about selling out to Microsoft. That's ridiculous. We never ever were or 
will do that." 

The rest of the band found the reaction of Lesh, who underwent a liver transplant last year, "bewildering," says Hart. "Who wouldn't want the vault [to be] digitized and allow for access to it? Every Deadhead would, including myself." ... "It's going to be to everyone's delight, I assure you." With the possible exception of Lesh. 

"The Grateful Dead has always worked as a democracy. Phil's the odd man out. So he took his marbles and split, like a little boy would. That's his prerogative; God bless him, I wish him well. But believe me, we don't miss him. We're having a great time without him. It couldn't be better," Hart says. "If someone doesn't want to play with you, you don't play with them. We have no fight with him; he's sort of at odds with himself. I think that liver transplant didn't go so well. He might have gotten the liver of a jerk."

From dead.net message boards:(6.7.00)
Hart Retracts Bad Vibes, Offers Apology

A Hart-Felt Apology 6/7/00

I said some things in an interview a few days ago that I really
regret. There is definitely a difference of opinion between Phil
and the rest of us. I myself remember Phil as my first friend in
the Grateful Dead, the guy who would get down on the floor with
me and write out the music in a hundred different ways. He was
my compatriot in the low end of the machine. We lived together
and laughed together for many years. But the business stuff has
overtaken our reason and made things very gray. 

The music between us has stopped and that is not good. The music has
always mediated our differences, which were never
insurmountable. In my frustration with that, I succumbed to
negativity, and in mock jest created this atmosphere of Phil-
bashing. We should never attack each other. My humor perhaps
doesn't look good in print but as the reporter who took my
account agrees, it was a tongue in cheek- ha-ha kind of thing.

It especially bums me that it came across as having anything at
all to do with the young man, God bless him, who was thoughtful
enough to anticipate his death and make the greatest gift anyone
can make -- life. My apologies to his family and his memory.
And, for that matter, to Phil and our greater Dead family. I've
always known that the negative is no way to go -- I forgot
myself and my tongue took me over the line. It is not over yet.
The music that will see us through. I have to believe that.

Mickey Hart

Dickey Betts Ousted From Allman Brothers For Summer Tour:
Jimmy Herring Named To Fill Spot

From Lana (Peach Corps Mailing List):

"Sadly, there are creative differences and Dickey Betts will not be with the Allman Brothers Band this summer. There will be no changes in the band's "Campaign 2000" tour which begins June 16th in Virginia Beach.

Atlanta-based guitarist Jimmy Herring (who I'm sure you all know from Jazz Is Dead, Frogwings, Phil Lesh, ARU, Bruce Hampton, etc) will be performing with the band this summer. However, the ABB hopes their good friend and brother will be back on the road with them this fall."

Dickey Betts wrote at: 20-May-00 at 2:13:09 PM
Dear friends: Last Thursday I received a fax notifying me that I would not be performing this summer with ABB. It said "You have not been performing well and our shows have been repeatly disappointing to both us and our fans as a result." The implication was that I was suffering from some sort of health or drug problem. THIS IS TOTALLY, ABSOLUTELY, UNFOUNDED!..This I swear to you! As soon as I recieved this fax, I called Gregg to find out what was going on. His reponse was "if you don't know, I can't tell you- listen to the f#cking tapes." After nine days, I have still not received as much as a phone call from Butch, Gregg or Jaimoe. I have been in a state of shock and bewilderment and have been trying to make some sense out of all of this. I sat down and listened to the tapes from the Beacon and the last tour and was impressed with the quality of the music. I thought the band sounded great and I was particularly proud of my guitar work. There was never any discusssion or indication that there was any problem in the band. Therefore, I am as hurt and shocked as all of you! I certainly don't have any answers, but I feel an obligation to share with all of you what I know about this. It is a very painful and confusing time and I can only pray for some healing and understanding. 
Peace and Love, Dickey Betts 

Vince Did Not Dis' Merl in NYC With Mickey Band:
From Mickey to David Gans
Hey David, voices tell me that there is a rumor going round about the Merl Saunders incident in NYC... Please let me clear the air. Vinnie had nothing to do with Merl not playing when I saw him up there and knew he wanted to play I kindly asked him not to. Bobi had sung Ripple only once before and I didn't want to adda a new element into the stew for fear> of freaking her. She was very nervous about the song vecause it is a Dead classic. This is her first time singing in English and Merl understood this perfectly. There is no weirdness on any level.
I chatted after the show with Merl and he loved it. He was just so happy to be there and loved the band. The source of this rumor is not to be trusted!
FROM THE HORSES MOUTH, THE TRUTHŠ IN RHYTHM, MICKEY

From GDTSToo (5/16): 
Saturday, August 5
The MARIN MUSIC FESTIVAL
Lagoon Park - Marin County Civic Center - San Rafael, CA
Doors will be open by 10 AM. Music will start at 11 AM. until 6 PM. There will be the usual large variety of crafts and food vending, beergarden and all. The line-up: The Mickey Hart Band, The Steve Kimock Band, The Gasoline Cowboys. Plus other acts to be announced. Both MHB and SKB have been assigned a set of an hour and a half in the schedule. Mail order tickets are available at $28.00 per ticket. First day to mail in for this show will be Thursday, May 18. Kids 12 and under are welcome for free. 

Phil Joins Robben Ford Band
at Yoshis Sushi Bar
In Oakland, CA for the Early Show, Saturday, May 13th

One lucky spectator who was at the show says that "Phil came out towards the end of Robben's set at which point they ripped into Viola Lee Blues. The jamming was ferocious and had many twists and turns. Somewhere along the way Viola morphed into I Know You Rider and back into Viola. Nearly 30 minutes of killer stuff. Phil and Robben's drummer, David Raymond really locked into it. Robben's other guitarist, Carl Burnett was also sensational and really showed an affinity with the music too. The audience was kinda stunned and dug it even though there were really no deadheads that I could see. They knew who Lesh was for sure, but as Robben said afterwards, 'I bet you didn't expect to be seeing Phil Lesh tonight.' And he was right. The standing O was really well deserved and Phil was obviously pleased as his wide grin revealed."
Robben has one more night left - today, Sunday, May 14th
We'll all get to see Phil with Robben Ford, Paul Barrere, Billy Payne, and John Molo for the Phil & Friends Summer Tour

Saturday, May 13th 8:00 PM
The Grateful Celebration
A Tribute to Dick Latvala
The Palladium - Worcester, MA

Featuring David Gans, Tom Constanten, Slipknot, 
The Derek Trucks Band and Warren Haynes 
with the Speed of Light psychadelic Light show, 
the Pagentry of the Art Police and more
(508) 797-9696 - Doors open at 8:00 (All Ages) 

Mickey Hart Band Tours with Vince Welnick

also see Sonic.net article

Geoff Gould's GDForum contains some pix (incl Mick on bass!) 
of the new band here.

The House of Blues website has some streaming audio and video archived including rehearsal footage of the Mickey Hart Band and an interview with Mickey. Go to: http://www.hob.com/ or http://www.dead.net

Also, the MHB show at the House of Blues in Chicago on May20th will be filmed and webcast on June 8th at 6 p.m. PT in a 24 hour loop. (Free at 28K and 56K. with a high quality broadstream stream available on a pay-per-view basis). 

The Mickey Hart Band won't be Planet Drum -- lots of drums, of course, but also Vince Welnick, guitarist Barney Doyle, and plenty of Dead tunes. After you catch the sample, make sure to see the band in the flesh."

From Dead-Heads 4/5/00:

Sunday, April 2, 2000 - Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee 
With Honored Guest President William Jefferson Clinton 
Private home Stanford, CA 
House band included Mickey Hart & Bob Weir 
The Music Never Stopped
Truckin' 
Minglewood Blues 
Playing in the Band> 
Uncle John's Band> 
Playing in the Band> 
Going Down the Road Feeling Bad 
E:Sugar Magnolia

"TONS" OF PHIL SHOWS
See TourZone for confirmed dates

See the latest rumours for likely Friends and more potential news.

FURTHUR 2000 Taking Shape
See the latest RUMOURS

Bobby's Busy:
Ratdog Spring Tour Dates

Steve Kimock Band
All Details & Tix Info @ GDTS

Phil in Bay Area Local News - See Here

Benefit for California Propositions 12 & 13
(Bond measures for park land and clean water)

Mark Hydes' Private Party, Palo Alto, CA
Saturday, February 12, 2000
Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Sammy Hagar & Vic Johnson

Rock Me Baby
All Along The Watchtower ->
?("Roll Baby Roll")?
Little Red Rooster
Come Together
Take Me To the River
Iko Iko ->
Not Fade Away

California Gov. Gray Davis also spoke. 
The event was held in the backyard of 
a private residence in Palo Alto. 
Tickets were $25,000/pair. Roughly 60 people attended. 

Big Bang Dead!
On January 20th there was a retirement party for long time Bill Graham employees Bob & Peter Barsotti at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. Says long-time Grateful Dead & Phil photographer, Ed Perlstein, "The house band was a local party band called Big Bang Beat. About a half hour into their set, the "guests" took the stage. They included: Pete Sears, Vince Welnick, Mickey Hart, Bob Weir, Bobby Vega & Steve Kimock. The people who put the party on created a mini mardi gras & new year's eve celebration. The band jamed on Aiko Aiko and the mardi gras parade snaked through the Warfield with puppets throwing necklaces & coins & stuff. Then the band went into NFA and balloons & confetti fell from the balcony. After the bands set, a screen came down on stage and a video of the NYE 2000 fireworks that happened in SF was shown to complete the evening. All in all, it was a great party."

Thanks Matt Lawsky: Big Bang Beat played first; then Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Vince Welnick, Pete Sears, Steve Kimock, and Bobby Vega join for: Gimme Some Lovin', Heard it Thru the Grapevine, Shotgun, Low Rider, Take Me To the River, Gloria, Iko Iko -> Not Fade Away; may be incomplete and slightly out of order; in the middle Vince stopped playing somewhere around Gloria; parade and balloon drop during Iko 

NEWS ARCHIVES:

From Phil Lesh (10/31/99): 
"He's Got A Lot Of Nerve..."
I would like to share my vision of this tour and what I am trying to do with Phil & Friends. I believe with all my heart and soul that Grateful Dead music and lyrics speak to some deep place inside us, and that Dylan's music and lyrics do the same; they share the magic that speaks to the soul of humanity. I think of the brothers Grimm, or fairy tales, or the great myths that were told over and over for generations that even today work on the subconscious level to tell the story of humanity and our struggle to grow spiritually.

I am immensely honored to be sharing the stage with Bob Dylan. He and his team have been warm, caring and very respectful to my team and myself. From the first phone call Bob and his management have said that this was an equal partnership, although I would have been thrilled to work with him as an opener. Rather than cut into performance time and complicate the production process by alternating sound checks and performances, Bob and I flipped a coin to decide who went first. I won the toss, and because I have my young sons with me I chose to go first.

I am deeply touched that a bass player who has only been playing theaters in his home town for the last two years is being treated so honorably by someone who I respect as much as any of my artistic heroes past or present. I will not allow old politics and ego to poison what I am striving to do: a tour where the only mission is to do our best to honor the music, the musicians, and the community."

Reddy Kilowatt - 10:21pm Oct 15, 1999 PDT (#297 of 343) Posted: What a Difference a Year Makes First, let me respond to "The Post". It’s true that in the late 70’s and early 80’s I drank and partied to excess; I’m sure that my higher self was buried deep back then. I met Jill in ‘82 (no, not on the road) and am proud to say that I have been a loving and faithful husband and a fully participating father. My wife and sons have always been top priority and have always traveled with me. My marriage and family are my greatest achievements. 

I am sorry to disappoint those of you who were counting on New Years with the surviving members, but I will not be performing. I am blessed to be able to look forward to my 60th birthday soon after very nearly dying a couple of times last year. I toured for 30 years; I toured even when sometimes I would have rather been home. The band usually toured because we loved it, but there were times when we toured because of the demand; fan demand, promoter demand, overhead demand. I promised myself then that when the Grateful Dead ceased to be that I would only perform for musical adventure and personal joy; I am keeping that promise made to myself so long ago. 

My love for the GD community persists even in the presence of the puerile driveling that’s been posted here recently. God bless you all, Phil There is speculation that Phil has posted this message explaining the lack of announced NYE plans - could this be true? Reddy Kilowatt was allegedly the name that Phil used to use to book Hotel Rooms with during the Dead's touring days. We'll See...

click here to see surrounding conversation

Phil, Bobby & Donna Jean sang the National Anthem at the last game ever at Candlestick Park on 9/30 (Giants vs. Dodgers). According to The San Francisco Chronicle's Ron Kroichick, these former members of "the Grateful Dead performed the anthem with dispatch, taking 1 minute and 27 seconds. Jerry Garcia would have been proud." Bobby & Donna walked off arm-in-arm as Shakedown Street was played over the PA system. 
Also see The San Francisco Examiner Article here.

Please lemme know if you have 
photos or a video tape of this. Thanks!

From the San Francisco Chronicle 9/18: 
"[Al] Gore later attended a $1,000-per- plate fund-raiser 
at the sprawling Los Gatos estate of real estate 
businessman George Marcus. About 200 people 
dined on grilled shrimp, chicken and stuffed 
mushrooms and were entertained by former 
Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart." 

Tipper Gore joined the two along with Giles McNamee (guitar) for this 1st reunion since April's fundraiser. The so-called Flying Other Brothers Band provided the music, with Tipper drumming with Mickey for Women Are Smarter. 
The full setlist & some nice pictures are here.

Phil jammed with Phish on 9/17/99!
(Phil appears jumping on trampoline 
along side Mike and Trey!)
You Enjoy Myself>
Wolfman's Brother >
Dual Phil & Mike Bass Jam>
Cold Rain & Snow (Phil on vocals) 
E: VIOLA LEE BLUES(Phil on vocals, with Warren!) 

Real Audio is here!

ZONE OUT to the the Rolling Rider's review.

See Sonicnet.com Article
See San Franciso Chronicle Article
See SF Gate Article 

jambands.com interviews:
"Phil Lesh: Wonderful & Beautiful"
"...Steve Kimock Finally Returns with KVHW"
"...Jeff Mattson Becomes A Friend of Phil "
 

RollingStone.com Phil Article - RealAudio Too
See This Awesome Phil Article
Denver Post 8/11 Phil Article HERE
see other PHIL article links HERE

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