NEWS
BILLBOARD PREMIERES VIDEO FOR “DOWNTOWN RUNAROUND”
Duane Betts wanted to show a different side of Florida than the sunshine and palm trees in the new video for “Downtown Runaround,” premiering exclusively from his debut EP Sketches of American Music. Full story on Billboard.com
THE DEVON ALLMAN PROJECT WITH DUANE BETTS ANNOUNCES 40+ DATE WORLD TOUR
The club/theater shows will feature a 30-minute opening set with Duane Betts using his go-to guitar player, Johnny Stachela, and Devon Allman’s rhythm section. After a 15-minute break, the Devon Allman Project will play a one-hour set which will include songs from Honeytribe, Royal Southern Brotherhood, The Devon Allman Band, and a few covers. The night will culminate with 30-minute plus an encore featuring all eight musicians playing Allman Brothers Band tunes and other classics. Festival dates will be a straight 90-minute set.
DEVON ALLMAN, DUANE BETTS, AND BERRY OAKLEY JR HOST MASSIVE SHOW FOR GREGG ALLMAN’S 70TH BIRTHDAY
Devon Allman, singer/songwriter/guitarist and son of Gregg Allman, debuted his new band, The Devon Allman Project, at The Fillmore in San Francisco, CA on Friday night. The evening was a double celebration as it was also the birthday of the late Gregg Allman. Following the opening performance from Duane Betts, son of original ABB guitarist/singer/songwriter Dickey Betts, the Devon Allman Project took the stage for the headlining set.
From there, the show continued for the “special guests” portion of the evening, with bassist Berry Oakley Jr., son of original ABB bassist Berry Oakley, Cody Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), and keyboardist Peter Levin (Gregg Allman Band) holding it down with the core band. Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), Robert Randolph, Jimmy Hall (Wet Willie, Jeff Beck, Hank Williams Jr.), Brooklyn Allman, G. Love, Ben Sparaco, Alex Orbison, and Johnny Stachela all traded places throughout the evening, playing through several Allman Brothers Band classics.
Full story on Liveforlivemusic.com
SHOWS
ABOUT
In 2018, Johnny Stachela and Duane Betts partnered with the Devon Allman Project as guests, supporting and sitting-in on a nine-month Allman/Betts World Tour, with stops at such iconic venues as NYC’s Beacon Theater and Colorado’s Red Rocks amphitheater. The European leg took Stachela to Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, UK and Germany. Additionally, he performed on the second single, “Downtown Runaround,” and subsequent video from Betts’ debut EP, Sketches of American Music.
Stachela joined The Allman Betts Band as a charter member- recording at the famed Muscle Shoals Sound studio- for their 2019 debut LP, Down to the River, and their 2020 follow-up, Bless Your Heart, touring internationally with the group, including dates in Europe and multiple summer festival stops. Subsequent tours with the ABB and the Allman Betts Family Revival have included appearances at New Orleans’ famed Jazz Festival, as well as overseas dates in Australia and Japan- at Byron Bay and Fuji Rock, respectively.
Among the myriad guest spots Stachela has made include jams with Little Feat, Gov’t Mule, and North Mississippi Allstars. With Betts, he’s also welcomed Derek Trucks and Mike Campbell (Tom Petty) for notable onstage collaborations. As a solo artist, Stachela joined the legendary Wet Willie on the band’s 2020 Rock Legends cruise. As well, in the spring of 2023, Stachela released the single, “County Farm Blues”, a cover of the 1930s Son House folk blues, across all digital platforms. He is slated to record further solo material estimated for release in 2025.
Additionally, Stachela contributed writing, performing, and production work for Betts’ second solo project. Recording sessions for the new effort commenced in Spring 2022 at Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi’s Swamp Raga Studio in Jacksonville, Florida. The resulting album, “Wild & Precious Life,” issued by Royal Potato Family records, arrived in the summer of 2023 to much critical acclaim, making several year-end “Best of” lists.
Stachela joined Betts as a founding member of his new band, Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel, embarking on an extensive U.S. tour including festival dates and headlining appearances, and a noteworthy night at the Grand Ole Opry. Touring in support of the LP continued throughout 2024. A follow-up LP is slated for 2025.
With his well-crafted style of bottleneck slide evoking favorable comparisons to his heroes- influenced and inspired, never imitating- Johnny Stachela has become one of the more highly respected guitarists in modern blues and rock.
MEDIA
County Farm Blues
by Johnny Stachela
Digital Album Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high quality download in MP3, FLAC, & more. Buy Now $5 USD
1. County Farm Blues
2. Firefly
3. Hard Rain
4. Handle It
released March 21, 2023