Bettye Lavette

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Bettye LaVette (born Betty Jo Haskins, 1946) is an American soul singer-songwriter who made her first appearance at sixteen but gained only moderate success with her album I've Got My Own Hell to Raise in 2005.

Her eclectic musical style blends elements of soul, blues, rock and roll, funk, gospel, and country music. In 2020, LaVette will be inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.

Personal life

LaVette is married to Kevin Kiley, a recording artist and antiques dealer who also plays piano and guitar. They live in West Orange, New Jersey.

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Life and career

LaVette was born in Muskegon, Michigan, and raised in Detroit. She did not begin singing in the church, but in her parents' living room, performing R&B and country, as well as western music, unlike many of her peers. She was signed by Johnnie Mae Matthews, a local record producer. Betty LaVett, the singer's companion who had introduced her to Matthews, recorded a single, "My Man — He's a Lovin' Man" in 1962, aged sixteen. LaVette's album, which was picked up by Atlantic Records, became a major R&B hit over the fall and winter of 1963-64, eventually debuting in the R&B Top Ten, which culminated in Lavette touring with such Atlantic Records R&B superstars as Clyde McPhatter, Ben E. King, Barbara Lynn, and rising star Otis Redding.

With "Let Me Down Easy," LaVette's first appearance on Calla Records in 1965 and 1964, the singer's first appearance on R&B is back to the R&B charts, her first appearance on Calla Records, her first appearance after two missed singles: Bettye's name, not 1967 Bubbling Brown Sugar, is the singer's first name. Despite this, only a peripheral success with a R&B chart peak of No. 128. "Let Me Down Easy" was a phrase that originated from "Let Me Down Easy" for LaVette, which attracted enough attention to accompany him for a short time on The James Brown Revue. LaVette, who had performed many singles on local Detroit labels, went to the Silver Fox label in 1969. "He Made A Woman Out Of Me" and "Do Your Duty" were two of Sherry's Top 40 R&B hits, as well as two Top 40 R&B hits: "He Made A Woman Out Of Me" and "Do Your Duty." The Memphis studio musicians on these recordings have since been called The Dixie Flyers. She joined Atlantic/Atco once more in 1972. She was sent to Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama to record what was to be her first album. It was developed by Brad Shapiro and included the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, now known as The Swampers, but Atco did not release it.

Epic's brief stint and two 45s in the mid-1970s, and in 1978, Lavette released "Doin' The Greatest That I Can" on West End Records. She was signed by her hometown company, Motown, and sent to Nashville to record. Steve Buckingham produced Tell Me A Lie, the resulting LP (her first album actually released). The first single, "Right In The Middle" (Of Falling In Love), debuted on R&B Top 40. She stopped recording for a six-year stint in Bubbling Brown Sugar, starring Honi Coles and Cab Calloway.

After LaVette had performed her personal mono recordings of Child of the Seventies for Gilles Petard, a French soul music collector, she sought the master recordings at Atlantic, whose staff had previously believed they had been missing in a fire some years ago. He finally discovered the masters in 1999 and relaunched the album on Atlantic as Souvenirs on his Art and Soul label in 2000. The Dutch Munich label, Let Me Down Easy – Live in Concert, was released at the same time. Both albums piqued new interest in LaVette, and A Woman Like Me (produced by Dennis Walker) was released in 2003. "Comeback Blues Album of the Year" received the 2004 W. C. Handy Award. In an interview, LaVette referred to A Woman Like Me as the first album in her career's second phase, and that her 2012 autobiography was named after the album.

Rosebud president Mike Kappus brought her to the attention of ANTI-cooperation president Andy Kaulkin after she had been signed to The Rosebud Agency for live bookings. Kaulkin signed LaVette to a three-record contract after seeing her perform. He paired her with Joe Henry for the first project and suggested an album of songs entirely by women. Many commentators' "Best of 2005" lists included I've Got My Own Hell to Raise. The name is derived from Fiona Apple's 1996 hit "Sleep to Dream," which is also included on the album. (Aimee Mann, Sinéad O'Connor, Lucinda Williams, Joan Armatrading, and Dolly Parton were among the album's most popular songwriters on the album.) The album was released by ANTI- and Joe Henry.

Child of the Seventies was reissued by Rhino Handmade in 2006, capitalizing on the success of I've Got My Own Hell To Raise and the analysis of her live shows. Critical praise was given to the album. Varèse Sarabande released Take Another Little Piece of My Heart, a CD with all of the songs she cut for Silver Fox and SSS International in 1969 and 1970. Hank Ballard's CD featured three unreleased tracks as well as two duets.

The Rhythm and Blues Foundation awarded LaVette a "Pioneer Award" in 2006.

The Scene of the Crime, a 2007 release by the artist, was mainly shot at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, with alt rockers Drive-By Truckers. The Scene of the Crime was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Contemporary Blues Album" and landed on numerous "Best of 2007" lists. In an interview conducted by Edd Hurt in September 2007, Lavette talked about her experiences at Muscle Shoals Sound and FAME. Patterson Hood, the frontman for Drive-By Truckers, produced the album with LaVette. In addition, LaVette and Patterson Hood's songs on the album were co-written.

"Best Contemporary Female Blues Singer" was a prize won by the BBC Music Award in 2008. Reel Music was re-issued on CD, Tell Me A Lie, also in 2008. The album featured the original cover design, which was not available when the LP was first released.

In December 2008, LaVette performed her interpretation of 1973's "Love, Reign o'er Me" in honor of Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, one of the year's honorees. The performance was widely regarded as one of the event's highlights.

On January 18, 2009 at the Lincoln Memorial, Sam Cooke's 1964 hit "A Change Is Gonna Come" with Jon Bon Jovi. In April 2009, she appeared alongside Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr at Radio City Music Hall for the David Lynch Foundation's "Change Begins Within" benefit concert, promoting teaching Transcendental Meditation to children in inner city schools. The album Do Your Duty, which consisted of her eleven solo tracks cut for Silver Fox and SSS International, was released on CD by Sundazed in 2009. Change Is Gonna Come Sessions, a six-song EP, was first released as a download only in June 2009.

Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook, published in 2010, included unique interpretations and performances of classic songs by artists including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, and Pink Floyd. The complete unedited version of her Kennedy Center Honors' "Love, Reign O'er Me" is included. The album was critically acclaimed and nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. She has appeared on National Public Radio's Mountain Stage, World Cafe, All Things Considered, and Wait Waiting... Don't Tell Me! She has appeared in a Mississippi public radio broadcasting series called Blues Divas and is starring in a film of the same name, both directed by Robert Mugge. Craig Ferguson, The Late Late Show with Jay Leno, Conan, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Today Show with Jay Leno, Austin City Limits, Good Morning America, and Live from the Artists Den. LaVette also served on the 9th and 11th annual Independent Music Awards judging panel to support independent musicians' careers.

LaVette performed a film "Most of the Time" on the album Chimes of Freedom: Bob Dylan's Songs Celebrating 50 Years of Amnesty International. She appeared on BBC Two's Jools Holland Annual Hootenanny on December 31, 2012. LaVette was nominated for a Blues Music Award in 2013 and 2014 in the "Contemporary Blues Female Artist" category.

In 2016, LaVette's album Worthy was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Blues Album.

In 2016, LaVette received the Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year award.

On March 6, 2017, she attended a charity concert at Carnegie Hall honoring Aretha Franklin, who has been a resident of Aretha Franklin, who has lived in Carnegie Hall since 1962. Lavette performed a variation of "Ain't No Way," which she said was written by Carolyn Franklin, her younger sister with whom Bettye was a member of the company.

In 2017, Lavette appeared in the award-winning documentary film The American Epic Sessions. In the film, director Bernard MacMahon and LaVette talked about her "heartfelt memories of being booted away from early blues as 'Uncle Tomish' in the 1960s. Following the interview, LaVette recorded "Nobody's Dirt Business," a song by early blues musician Frank Stokes, on the first electrical sound recording device from the 1920s. "Music from The American Epic Sessions" featured a second song she wrote for the film, "When I Woke Up This Morning," which L. Kent Wolgamott of the Lincoln Journal Star praised as "among the film's highlights."

Bettye Lavette was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in 2018.

Things have Changed, Bob Dylan's album of recordings, was nominated for Best Americana Album, and her album "Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight" was nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.

In May 2020, LaVette received another Blues Music Award in the "Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year" category. In the same year, LaVette was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. Blackbirds, a collection of songs by women from the 1950s who were the "bridge she came across on," she released on August 28, 2020. At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, the Blackbirds were nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

Bettye won the Blues Music Award in 2021 for her work "Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year."

"Let Me Down Easy"'s vocals were sampled on February 8, 2022, as the focal point for ODESZA's new album, "The Last Goodbye."

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