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| Miss Bettye LaVette |
| A perennial cult favorite in soul & blues circles, singer Bettye LaVette was born (Betty Haskin) in Muskegon, Michigan on January 29, 1946; she was raised primarily in Detroit, at 16 she cut her first sides for the local Lupine label, (the label that would also first record The Supremes), with a test pressing of the disc making its way to Atlantic Records.
After signing with Atlantic, she scored an R&B Top Ten hit out of the box with her debut single "My Man, He's A Loving Man," only to fail to reach the same commercial heights again. After one more Atlantic release, 1963's "You'll Never Change," Lavette moved back to Lupine for her third record, "Witchcraft In The Air." After a stint as a featured vocalist with The Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford Revue, she recorded the long-unreleased "One Thin Dime" for Scepter before resufacing on Calla with the 1965 lost classic "Let Me Down Easy," her only other record to crack the R&B Top 20. Two more Calla efforts — the fine "Only Your Love Can Save Me" and "I'm Just A Fool For You" preceded a shift to Big Wheel, where after just one single, "I'm Holding On," Lavette again moved along, this time to the Karen imprint for "Hey Love". Following stays at Silver Fox -"He Made A Woman Out Of Me," (later a hit for Bobbie Gentry), "Do Your Duty," SSS International -"Take Another Piece Of My Heart" and her own TCA imprint-"Never My Love," Lavette returned to Atlantic, signing to their Atco division for 1972's Neil Young cover "Heart Of Gold." An album, "Child Of The 70's," was also recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, but Atco opted against its release after the failure of the single "Your Turn To Cry". The mid-to late 1970's saw singles on Epic, most notably the 1975 release "Thank You For Loving Me." |
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| By 1978 disco was in full swing and LaVette, having changed her moniker to Bettye by adding the E, briefly signed to West End for "Doin' The Best That I Can." The original 12" single was a dreamy R&B mix aimed at highlighting her strong rich vocals. The initial reaction was favorable and the song appeared to be on the verge of success. The powers that be decided that a d.j.-friendly mix was needed to give the song the push that it deserved. Walter Gibbons (of Salsoul fame) was brought in to craft an 11:03 version from the previous 7:43 mix. The feel of the song is now funkier and more danceable and Bettye's rich vocals still stand out and mark it as a classic. The song introduced her to a new generation and is, without a doubt, her most popular recording. Ironically no album or 12" single followed. |
| After joining the touring company of the Broadway musical "Bubbling Brown Sugar," she did not record again until 1982. In the early 1980's, renewed interest in her earlier recordings led to her being offered a contract with Motown. There she recorded the acclaimed "Tell Me A Lie" album, one of the label's few ventures into southern soul. Besides the R&B hit "Right In The Middle Of Falling In Love," the album included impressive remakes of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" and "If I Were Your Woman."
LaVette remains a cult figure among soul fans in the U.S. & UK, and many of her 1960's recordings have been reissued in recent years. In 1992 she recorded two singles and the album "Not Gonna Happen Twice" on Ian Levine's Motor City label. With 33 singles released, and oddly only a few albums, Bettye's position within the real-soul world is much higher than her chart history would suggest, and she remains a revered figure among soul fans. In 2000 Bettye released a live CD, "Let Me Down Easy-In Concert." In July 2003 she married Kevin Kiley whom she says "makes me feel I'm more than just a Soul Singer. He loves me, he inspires me, and gives me the energy I need to become this "overnight sensation" I seem to be on the verge of becoming, in this, my FORTY THIRD year in this business." And recently in January 2004 she released her latest CD "A Woman Like Me." The CD has received rave reviews and has been nominated for 4 "Handy Blues Awards." Congrates to Bettye! As active and wonderful as ever, Bettye continues to tour and perform to delighted audiences around the world. So look for her at a show near you. |
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