Dickey Betts will headline at annual festival

VERNON — Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dickey Betts, co-founder of the legendary Allman Brothers Band, will headline the third annual Rock, Ribs & Ridges festival at The Hidden Valley Club, on Saturday, June 9. Betts, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 54th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 11, wrote such Southern rock classics as “Jessica,” “Blue Sky” and the Allman’s biggest commercial hit, “Ramblin’ Man.” Presented by Franklin Sussex Auto Mall, the two-day festival will feature live performances from Betts and fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Artimus Pyle of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, The Georgia Satellites, CB Radio and Cabinet, at the scenic Sussex County ski resort June 9 and 10. Dickey Betts & Great Southern will perform Saturday, June 9 at 5 p.m. Barbecue fans will have the opportunity to enjoy barbecue throughout the weekend. There will be a juried rib cook-off, which features award-winning offerings from renowned chefs and local rib cooks who will compete for thousands of dollars in prize money and the titles of “Best Ribs” and “Best Sauce.” Festival-goers can vote for a “People’s Choice” award. “We are honored to present one of the legendary guitarists of all time,” said Festival Executive Producer Howard Freeman of Promo 1, who also booked Betts at the Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in 2003. “Dickey Betts has been rocking audiences for more than 40 years, including at our balloon festival. We know firsthand that he’ll put on a high energy live show that is sure to fire up the mountain.” Recognized as one of the most influential guitar players of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, Dickey Betts and the late Duane Allman formed one of rock’s greatest guitar partnerships with their melodic, twin guitar harmonies. “Ramblin’ Man” was their biggest hit single, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for a later live version of “Jessica” in 1996. The instrumental, first recorded in 1973, was named after Betts’ daughter, Jessica. General admission tickets, which include lawn seating for the concerts, are $30 if purchased in advance by May 4 ($40 at the gate). VIP Tickets, which include free parking in the Franklin Sussex Auto Mall VIP parking lot and day-long access to The Lodge at The Hidden Valley Club with its spacious patios and views overlooking the concert stage, private pay food and beverage service and private restrooms, are $60 in advance if purchased by May 4 ($69 at the gate). Two day weekend passes and Tiki Terrace Table group packages are also available. For additional information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.rockribsandridges.com.