Bettye LaVette was hailed by the New York Times as “one of the great soul interpreters of her generation”. She is a song stylist. Her gift is to be able to take a song from any genre and make it completely her own. To quote the late, great George Jones, "Bettye is truly a 'singer's singer'." These intimate shows feature Bettye performing songs and telling stories from throughout her 64 year career. Hearing Bettye in this setting, stripped down to just her voice and keyboards, is a very captivating experience.
Her career began in 1962, at 16 years old, in Detroit, Michigan. Her first Single, ”My Man-He's A Lovin' Man”, was on Atlantic Records. Throughout the 60s and 70s, she recorded for several major labels, but was never able to "break through". She also appeared in the Broadway Musical Bubbling Brown Sugar alongside Honi Coles and Cab Calloway.
Since her resurgence in 2000, she has received the R&B Foundation's Pioneer Award, won several Blues Music Awards, was inducted into both The Blues Hall Of Fame and The R&B Hall Of Fame, received the Legacy Award from the Americana Music Association, and has received 7 Grammy Nominations. According to Steve Jordan, who produced her last three albums: “When Bettye gets a hold of a song, it becomes her song. It’s like she wrote it. Bettye LaVette is like a combination of Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday and Miles Davis."
Now, at 80 years old and in her 64th year in show business, she is one of very few of her peers who were recording during the birth of soul music in the 1960s and is still performing and creating vital recordings today. She is a shining example of what perseverance and determination can bring.