Johnny Stachela

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 the Beacon Theater in New York City and Colorado’s Red Rocks amphitheater. The European leg saw Stachela in Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, UK and Germany.  Additionally, he performed on the second single, “Downtown Runaround,” and subsequent video from Bett’s debut EP, Sketches of American Music.

Stachela then accepted the invitation to join The Allman Betts Band as a charter member in 2018, 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, and touring internationally with the group, including dates in Europe and multiple summer festival stops.

He guested with North Mississippi Allstars in Los Angeles and during a 2019 holiday run sat-in with Gov’t Mule in Philadelphia. With the Allman Betts Band, he supported Lynyrd Skynyrd on New Year’s Eve at the group’s American Airlines Arena appearance in Dallas. As a solo artist, Stachela was invited to perform with Wet Willie on the band’s 2020 Rock Legends cruise. 

In 2021, Stachela completed several tours with both The Allman Betts Band and the Allman Family Revival. After The Allman Betts Band announced its hiatus in early 2022, Stachela turned to writing, performing, and production work with Duane Betts for Betts’ second solo album. Recording sessions for the new project commenced in Spring 2022 at Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi’s Swamp Raga Studio in Jacksonville, Florida.

The forthcoming Betts album “Wild & Precious Life” issued by the Royal Potato Family label, is set for release in the summer of 2023. In support of the new record, Stachela joins Betts as a member of his new band, Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel, embarking on an extensive U.S. tour including festival dates and headlining appearances. 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.

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.