Bettye LaVette
Encyclopedia
Bettye LaVette is an American
soul
singer-songwriter
who made her first record at sixteen, but achieved only intermittent fame until 2005, with her album, I've Got My Own Hell to Raise
. Her eclectic musical style combines elements of soul
, blues, rock and roll
, funk, gospel
, and country music
.
, Michigan
, and raised in Detroit
. Unlike many of her contemporaries, she did not begin singing in the church, but in her parents' living room, singing R&B and country and western
music. She was signed by Johnnie Mae Matthews
, a local record producer. In 1962, aged sixteen, she recorded a single, "My Man - He's a Lovin' Man", with Matthews, which became a Top Ten R&B hit after Atlantic Records
bought distribution rights. This led to a tour with rhythm and blues
musicians Clyde McPhatter
, Ben E. King
, Barbara Lynn
, and then-newcomer Otis Redding
.
She next hit the charts with “Let Me Down Easy” on Calla in 1965. It is considered by many to be one of the greatest soul recordings of all time. This led to a brief stint with The James Brown Revue
.
After recording several 45 rpm singles for local Detroit labels, in 1969 Bettye signed to the Silver Fox label. She cut a handful of tracks, including 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 become known as The Dixie Flyers.
In 1972, she signed once again with Atlantic
/Atco
. She was sent to Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
in Alabama to record what was to be her first full length album. Titled Child of the Seventies, it was produced by Brad Shapiro and featured the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
, now known as The Swampers.
The mid 1970s saw a brief stint and two 45s with Epic, and in 1978 she released the disco smash on West End Records
"Doin’ The Best That I Can". In 1982, she was signed by her hometown label, Motown, and sent to Nashville to record. The resulting LP, titled Tell Me A Lie, was produced by Steve Buckingham. The first single, “Right In The Middle (Of Falling In Love)” hit the R&B Top 40.
She briefly gave up recording for a six year run in the Broadway
smash Bubbling Brown Sugar
, appearing alongside both Honi Coles and Cab Calloway
.
After LaVette had played her own personal mono recordings of Child of the Seventies for Gilles Petard, a French soul music collector, he requested to look for the master recordings at Atlantic, whose personnel had previously thought they had been lost in a fire some years back. In 1999, he finally discovered the masters and then licensed the album from Atlantic and released it in 2000 as Souvenirs on his Art and Soul label.
At the same time, Let Me Down Easy-Live In Concert, was issued by the Dutch Munich label. Both albums sparked a renewed interest in LaVette and in 2003, A Woman Like Me (produced by Grammy Award winner Dennis Walker) was released. The CD won the 2004 W. C. Handy Award for "Comeback Blues Album of the Year".
After being signed to The Rosebud Agency for live bookings, Rosebud president Mike Kappus brought her to the attention of Anti- Records president, Andy Kaulkin. Upon seeing Bettye perform, Kaulkin signed her to a three record deal. For the first project, he paired her with Grammy Award winning producer Joe Henry, and suggested an album of songs written entirely by women. The resulting CD, "I've Got My Own Hell to Raise
", was on many critics’ “Best of 2005” lists. The title is taken from the lyrics of Fiona Apple
's 1996 hit "Sleep to Dream", which is covered on the album. (Other notable songwriters on the album were Aimee Mann
, Sinéad O'Connor
, Lucinda Williams
, Joan Armatrading
, and Dolly Parton
.) The album was released by ANTI- Records
and produced by Joe Henry
.
In 2006, capitalizing on the success of I've Got My Own Hell To Raise and the reviews of her live shows, Child of the Seventies was reissued by Rhino Handmade with some previously unreleased tracks, which was met with critical acclaim. Varese Sarabande then issued Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart, a CD containing all of the songs that she cut for Silver Fox and SSS International in 1969 and 1970. The CD included 3 unreleased tracks as well as two duets with Hank Ballard.
In 2006, she received a well-deserved “Pioneer Award” from The Rhythm and Blues Foundation.
Her 2007 album, The Scene of the Crime
, was mostly recorded 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. LaVette talked about her experiences at Muscle Shoals Sound and FAME in an interview conducted by Edd Hurt in September 2007. Rock
/alt-country
outfit Drive-By Truckers
served as the back-up band for the album. Drive-By Truckers frontman, Patterson Hood, produced the album alongside LaVette. The album also features one song co-written by LaVette and Patterson Hood.
In 2008, she received a BMA (Blues Music Award) for “Best Contemporary Female Blues Singer”. 2008 also saw Reel Music re-issue on CD her Motown LP, Tell Me A Lie. The CD contains the original cover design that was not used when the album was released.
In December 2008 at the Kennedy Center Honors
, LaVette delivered a rendition of 1973's "Love, Reign o'er Me
" in tribute to Roger Daltrey
and Pete Townshend
of The Who
, who were among the year's honorees. The performance was widely considered one of the event's highlights.
On January 18, 2009, she performed a duet at the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
on Sam Cooke
's 1964 song "A Change Is Gonna Come
" with Jon Bon Jovi
.
In April 2009, she shared the stage with 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.
2009 saw Sundazed
release the album on CD, Do Your Duty, which consisted of her eleven solo tracks cut for Silver Fox and SSS International.
In June 2009 a six song EP, Change Is Gonna Come Sessions, was released as a download only.
In 2010, LaVette released Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook, which included unique arrangements and performances of classic songs by The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Animals, Pink Floyd, and more. Included is the complete, un-edited version of her Kennedy Center Honors performance of the The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me." The CD 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 Wait... Don't Tell Me!. She has appeared in a Mississippi Public Broadcasting series, Blues Divas, and is in a film of the same name, both produced by award winning film maker, Robert Mugge. She has also appeared on Late Night with David Letterman
, The Conan O'Brien Show
, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
, Austin City Limits
, "The Today Show, "Good Morning America", and "The Artist's Den".
LaVette is married to Kevin Kiley, a recorded music and antiques dealer who is also a singer and musician. They live in West Orange
, New Jersey
.
LaVette also joined the 9th and 10th annual Independent Music Awards
judging panel to assist independent musicians' careers.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
who made her first record at sixteen, but achieved only intermittent fame until 2005, with her album, I've Got My Own Hell to Raise
I've Got My Own Hell to Raise
I've Got My Own Hell to Raise by Bettye LaVette was released September 27, 2005 on the label ANTI-. The album comprises covers of songs written by other female artists including Aimee Mann, Joan Armatrading, Sinéad O'Connor, Rosanne Cash, Dolly Parton and Fiona Apple, whose song "Sleep to Dream"...
. Her eclectic musical style combines elements of soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, blues, rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, funk, gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, and country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
.
Life and career
LaVette was born in MuskegonMuskegon, Michigan
Muskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,401. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, and raised in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. Unlike many of her contemporaries, she did not begin singing in the church, but in her parents' living room, singing R&B and country and western
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
music. She was signed by Johnnie Mae Matthews
Johnnie Mae Matthews
Johnnie Mae Matthews was an American blues and R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer from Bessemer, Alabama...
, a local record producer. In 1962, aged sixteen, she recorded a single, "My Man - He's a Lovin' Man", with Matthews, which became a Top Ten R&B hit after Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
bought distribution rights. This led to a tour with rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
musicians Clyde McPhatter
Clyde McPhatter
Clyde McPhatter was an American R&B singer, perhaps the most widely imitated R&B singer of the 1950s and 1960s, making him a key figure in the shaping of doo-wop and R&B. He is best known for his solo hit "A Lover's Question"...
, Ben E. King
Ben E. King
Benjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S...
, Barbara Lynn
Barbara Lynn
Barbara Lynn is an American rhythm and blues and electric blues guitarist and singer. She is best known for her R&B chart-topping hit, "You'll Lose A Good Thing" .-Life and career:She played piano as a child, but switched to guitar...
, and then-newcomer Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
.
She next hit the charts with “Let Me Down Easy” on Calla in 1965. It is considered by many to be one of the greatest soul recordings of all time. This led to a brief stint with The James Brown Revue
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
.
After recording several 45 rpm singles for local Detroit labels, in 1969 Bettye signed to the Silver Fox label. She cut a handful of tracks, including 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 become known as The Dixie Flyers.
In 1972, she signed once again with Atlantic
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
/Atco
Atco Records
ATCO Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMG's Rhino Entertainment.-Beginnings:Atco Records was founded in 1955 as a division of Atlantic Records. It was devised as an outlet for productions by one of Atlantic's founders, Herb Abramson, who...
. She was sent to Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
The Muscle Shoals Sound Studio was formed in Muscle Shoals, Alabama,in 1969 when musicians Barry Beckett , Roger Hawkins , Jimmy Johnson and David Hood left FAME Studios to create their own studio...
in Alabama to record what was to be her first full length album. Titled Child of the Seventies, it was produced by Brad Shapiro and featured the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, also known as The Swampers, are a group of American soul, R&B, and country studio musicians based in the town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama...
, now known as The Swampers.
The mid 1970s saw a brief stint and two 45s with Epic, and in 1978 she released the disco smash on West End Records
West End Records
West End Records is a record label, which is known as one of the most prominent labels in dance music’s history along with Prelude Records, Salsoul Records and Casablanca Records.-History:...
"Doin’ The Best That I Can". In 1982, she was signed by her hometown label, Motown, and sent to Nashville to record. The resulting LP, titled Tell Me A Lie, was produced by Steve Buckingham. The first single, “Right In The Middle (Of Falling In Love)” hit the R&B Top 40.
She briefly gave up recording for a six year run in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
smash Bubbling Brown Sugar
Bubbling Brown Sugar
Bubbling Brown Sugar is a musical revue written by Loften Mitchell based on a concept by Rosetta LeNoire and featuring the music of numerous African-American artists who were popular during the Harlem Renaissance, 1920–1940, including Duke Ellington, Eubie Blake, Count Basie, Cab Calloway and Fats...
, appearing alongside both Honi Coles and Cab Calloway
Cab Calloway
Cabell "Cab" Calloway III was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City where he was a regular performer....
.
After LaVette had played her own personal mono recordings of Child of the Seventies for Gilles Petard, a French soul music collector, he requested to look for the master recordings at Atlantic, whose personnel had previously thought they had been lost in a fire some years back. In 1999, he finally discovered the masters and then licensed the album from Atlantic and released it in 2000 as Souvenirs on his Art and Soul label.
At the same time, Let Me Down Easy-Live In Concert, was issued by the Dutch Munich label. Both albums sparked a renewed interest in LaVette and in 2003, A Woman Like Me (produced by Grammy Award winner Dennis Walker) was released. The CD won the 2004 W. C. Handy Award for "Comeback Blues Album of the Year".
After being signed to The Rosebud Agency for live bookings, Rosebud president Mike Kappus brought her to the attention of Anti- Records president, Andy Kaulkin. Upon seeing Bettye perform, Kaulkin signed her to a three record deal. For the first project, he paired her with Grammy Award winning producer Joe Henry, and suggested an album of songs written entirely by women. The resulting CD, "I've Got My Own Hell to Raise
I've Got My Own Hell to Raise
I've Got My Own Hell to Raise by Bettye LaVette was released September 27, 2005 on the label ANTI-. The album comprises covers of songs written by other female artists including Aimee Mann, Joan Armatrading, Sinéad O'Connor, Rosanne Cash, Dolly Parton and Fiona Apple, whose song "Sleep to Dream"...
", was on many critics’ “Best of 2005” lists. The title is taken from the lyrics of Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple McAfee Maggart is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Apple met international acclaim for her 1996 debut album, Tidal, which was a critical and commercial success...
's 1996 hit "Sleep to Dream", which is covered on the album. (Other notable songwriters on the album were Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...
, Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
, Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams is an American rock, folk, blues and country music singer and songwriter. She recorded her first albums in 1978 and 1980 in a traditional country and blues style and received very little attention from radio, the media, or the public. In 1988, she released her self-titled album,...
, Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, MBE is a British singer, songwriter and guitarist. Armatrading is a three-time Grammy Award-nominee and has been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist...
, and Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
.) The album was released by ANTI- Records
ANTI-
ANTI- is an American record label founded in 1999 as a sister label of Epitaph Records.While Epitaph's focus has shifted over the last decade from mostly punk rock, nowadays ANTI- has a more diverse roster, ranging from country , hip hop , reggae , Soul , folk , rap-rock , indie rock...
and produced by Joe Henry
Joe Henry
Joseph Lee "Joe" Henry is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Henry's musical style spans several genres, including alt. country, rock, jazz and folk.- Early years :...
.
In 2006, capitalizing on the success of I've Got My Own Hell To Raise and the reviews of her live shows, Child of the Seventies was reissued by Rhino Handmade with some previously unreleased tracks, which was met with critical acclaim. Varese Sarabande then issued Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart, a CD containing all of the songs that she cut for Silver Fox and SSS International in 1969 and 1970. The CD included 3 unreleased tracks as well as two duets with Hank Ballard.
In 2006, she received a well-deserved “Pioneer Award” from The Rhythm and Blues Foundation.
Her 2007 album, The Scene of the Crime
The Scene of the Crime
The Scene of the Crime is a studio album by American singer-songwriter Bettye LaVette, released in the United States on September 25, 2007 on the label ANTI-. It is a collaboration with Drive-By Truckers as backing band, Spooner Oldham on piano, and other studio musicians...
, was mostly recorded at FAME Studios
FAME Studios
FAME Studios are located at 603 East Avalon in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. They have been an integral part of American popular music from the late 1950s to the present...
in Muscle Shoals
Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
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. LaVette talked about her experiences at Muscle Shoals Sound and FAME in an interview conducted by Edd Hurt in September 2007. Rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
/alt-country
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
outfit Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers are an alternative country/Southern rock band based in Athens, Georgia, though three out of six members are originally from The Shoals region of Northern Alabama, and the band strongly identifies with Alabama. Their music uses three guitars as well as bass, drums, and now...
served as the back-up band for the album. Drive-By Truckers frontman, Patterson Hood, produced the album alongside LaVette. The album also features one song co-written by LaVette and Patterson Hood.
In 2008, she received a BMA (Blues Music Award) for “Best Contemporary Female Blues Singer”. 2008 also saw Reel Music re-issue on CD her Motown LP, Tell Me A Lie. The CD contains the original cover design that was not used when the album was released.
In December 2008 at the Kennedy Center Honors
Kennedy Center Honors
The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. The Honors have been presented annually since 1978 in Washington, D.C., during gala weekend-long events which culminate in a performance for—and...
, LaVette delivered a rendition of 1973's "Love, Reign o'er Me
Love, Reign o'er Me
"Love, Reign o'er Me" is a song by the English rock band The Who. Written by guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend, "Love, Reign o'er Me" was released on October 23, 1973 as the second single from the band's sixth studio album and second rock opera, Quadrophenia. It is the final song on the...
" in tribute to Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
and Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, who were among the year's honorees. The performance was widely considered one of the event's highlights.
On January 18, 2009, she performed a duet at the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial was a public celebration of the then forthcoming inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States at the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on January 18, 2009. By some estimates the...
on Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
's 1964 song "A Change Is Gonna Come
A Change Is Gonna Come (song)
"A Change Is Gonna Come" is a 1964 single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, written and first recorded in 1963 and released under the RCA Victor label shortly after his death in late 1964. Though only a modest hit for Cooke in comparison with his previous singles, the song came to exemplify the...
" with Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
.
In April 2009, she shared the stage with Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
at Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
for the David Lynch Foundation
David Lynch Foundation
The David Lynch Foundation For Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace is a global charitable foundation based in Fairfield, Iowa. It was founded by film director and Transcendental Meditation practitioner David Lynch in 2005....
's "Change Begins Within" benefit concert promoting teaching Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental Meditation refers to the Transcendental Meditation technique, a specific form of mantra meditation, and to the Transcendental Meditation movement, a spiritual movement...
to children in inner city schools.
2009 saw Sundazed
Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records is a record label based in Coxsackie, in the Catskills of New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s.Label founders Bob Irwin and his wife Mary started the label in 1989...
release the album on CD, Do Your Duty, which consisted of her eleven solo tracks cut for Silver Fox and SSS International.
In June 2009 a six song EP, Change Is Gonna Come Sessions, was released as a download only.
In 2010, LaVette released Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook, which included unique arrangements and performances of classic songs by The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Animals, Pink Floyd, and more. Included is the complete, un-edited version of her Kennedy Center Honors performance of the The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me." The CD 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 Wait... Don't Tell Me!. She has appeared in a Mississippi Public Broadcasting series, Blues Divas, and is in a film of the same name, both produced by award winning film maker, Robert Mugge. She has also appeared on Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
, The Conan O'Brien Show
The Conan O'Brien Show
Conan is an American late-night talk show airing each Monday through Thursday on TBS in the United States. The hour-long show premiered on November 8, 2010, and is hosted by writer, comedian and performer Conan O'Brien...
, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
, Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits is an American public television music program recorded live in Austin, Texas by Public Broadcasting Service Public television member station KLRU, and broadcast on many PBS stations around the United States...
, "The Today Show, "Good Morning America", and "The Artist's Den".
LaVette is married to Kevin Kiley, a recorded music and antiques dealer who is also a singer and musician. They live in West Orange
West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange is a township in central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 46,207...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
LaVette also joined the 9th and 10th annual Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
judging panel to assist independent musicians' careers.
Albums
- Tell Me a Lie - Motown (1982) (LP only) (CD version released on Reel Music, May 2008)
- Not Gonna Happen Twice - Motor City (1990) (Import CD)
- Nearer to You: The SSS Recordings - Charly (1990) (Import CD)
- The Very Best of the Motor City Recordings - Motor City (1996) (CD)
- Bluesoul Belles the Complete Calla Recordings - West Side (1999) (Import CD), EMI INT'L (2005) (Import CD)
- Souvenirs - (Original previously unreleased Atco LP from 1973), Art & Soul (2000) (Import CD)
- Bettye LaVette: Let Me Down Easy In Concert - Munich (2000) (Import CD)
- Let Me Down Easy in Concert - Munich (2001)
- A Woman Like MeA Woman Like Me (album)A Woman Like Me is a blues/soul album released by Bettye LaVette in 2003.-Track listing:#"Serves Him Right" 4:19#"The Forecast" 5:02#"Thru The Winter" 5:49#"Right Next Door" 4:30...
- Blues Express (2003) (CD) - Vanthology: A Tribute to Van MorrisonVanthology: A Tribute to Van MorrisonVanthology: A Tribute to Van Morrison released in August 2003 is the third tribute album for the songs of Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison.-Track listing:All songs by Van Morrison#"Tupelo Honey" performed by Little Milton - 4:39...
(Various Artists) - Evidence (2003) (CD) - Track: "Real Real GoneReal Real Gone"Real Real Gone" is a hit single written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1990 album Enlightenment. It has remained a popular live performance tune and Morrison has included it on the set lists at many of his concerts since releasing it.-Recording and...
" - I've Got My Own Hell to RaiseI've Got My Own Hell to RaiseI've Got My Own Hell to Raise by Bettye LaVette was released September 27, 2005 on the label ANTI-. The album comprises covers of songs written by other female artists including Aimee Mann, Joan Armatrading, Sinéad O'Connor, Rosanne Cash, Dolly Parton and Fiona Apple, whose song "Sleep to Dream"...
- ANTI- (2005) (CD), DBK Works (LP) - Get in the Groove - Live (Various Artists) - Norton (2005) (CD)
- Tracks: "Night Time Is the Right Time", "Tailfeather Finale"
- The Complete Cala, Port and Roulette Recordings with Carol FranCarol FranCarol Fran is an African American soul blues singer, pianist and songwriter. Fran is best known for her string of single releases in the 1950s and 1960s, and her later musical association with her husband, Clarence Hollimon...
(2005) (Stateside Records) - Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart: The Classic Late '60s Memphis Recordings with The Dixie Flyers - Varese Sarabande (2006) (CD)
- Child of the Seventies: The Complete Atlantic/Atco Recordings - Rhino Handmade (2006) (CD)
- Do Your Duty: The Complete Silver Fox/SSS Recordings - Sundazed (2006) (LP)
- What's Going On - The Dirty Dozen Brass Band - Shoutfactory (2006) (CD)
- Track: "What's Happening Brother"
- Song of AmericaSong of America (album)Song of America is a 3-disc, compilation album comprising 50 songs related to the history of America. Released on September 18, 2007 under Split Rock Records/Thirty One Tigers, the music collection was conceived by former U.S...
- Various Artists - Thirty Tigers (2007) (CD) - Track: "Streets of PhiladelphiaStreets of Philadelphia"Streets of Philadelphia" is an Oscar winning song, written and performed by American rock musician Bruce Springsteen for the first mainstream film on HIV/AIDS in the 1993 film, Philadelphia...
" - The Scene of the CrimeThe Scene of the CrimeThe Scene of the Crime is a studio album by American singer-songwriter Bettye LaVette, released in the United States on September 25, 2007 on the label ANTI-. It is a collaboration with Drive-By Truckers as backing band, Spooner Oldham on piano, and other studio musicians...
- ANTI- (2007) (CD) (LP) - Do Your Duty: The Complete Silver Fox/SSS Recordings - Sundazed (2009) (CD)
- A Change is Gonna Come Sessions - Anti- (2009) (Digital download only EP)
- Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook - ANTI- (2010) (CD)
Singles
- "My Man - He's a Lovin' Man"/"Shut Your Mouth" - Atlantic 2160 (1962) (No 7 R&B)
- "You'll Never Change"/"Here I Am" - Atlantic 2198 (1963)
- "Witchcraft in the Air"/"You Killed the Love" - LuPine 123 (1963)
- "(Happiness Will Cost You) One Thin Dime" - Scepter (1964) (unreleased)
- "Let Me Down Easy"/"What I Don't Know (Won't Hurt Me)" Calla 102 (1965) (No 20 R&B)
- "I Feel Good All Over"/"Only Your Love Can Save Me" - Calla 104 (1965)
- "Cry Me a River" - Calla (1965) (unreleased)
- "She Don't Love You Like I Love You" - Calla (1965) (unreleased)
- "I'm Just a Fool for You"/"Stand Up Like a Man" - Calla 106 (1966)
- "I'm Holding On"/"Tears in Vain" - Big Wheel (1969, 1966)
- "Almost"/"Love Makes the World Go Round" - Karen 1540 (1968)
- "Get Away"/"What Condition My Condition Is In" - Karen 1544 (1968)
- "A Little Help from My Friends"/"Hey Love" - Karen 1545 (1969)
- "Let Me Down Easy"/"Ticket to the Moon" - Karen 1548 (1969)
- "He Made a Woman Out of Me"/"Nearer to You" - Silver Fox 17 (1969) (No 25 R&B)
- "Do Your Duty"/Love's Made a Fool Out of Me" - Silver Fox 21 (1970) (No 38 R&B)
- "Games People Play"/"My Train's Comin' In" - Silver Fox 24 (1970)
- "Piece of My Heart"/"At the Mercy of a Man" - SSS International 839 (1970)
- "He Made a Woman Out of Me"/"My Train's Coming In" - SSS Int'l 933 (1970)
- "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" (with Hank Ballard) - SSS International 946 (c. 1970)
- "Hello, Sunshine" (with Hank Ballard) - SSS International (c. 1970) (unreleased)
- "I'm in Love" - Silver Fox (1970) (unreleased)
- "We Got to Slip Around" - SSS International (c. 1970) (unreleased)
- "Easier to Say (Than Do)" - SSS International (c. 1970) (unreleased)
- "Never My Love"/"Stormy" - TCA 001 (1971)
- "Heart of Gold"/"You'll Wake Up Wiser" - Atco 6891 (1972)
- "Your Turn to Cry"/"Soul Tambourine" - Atco 6913 (1973)
- "Thank You for Loving Me"/"You Made a Believer Out of Me" - Epic 50143 (1975) (No 94 R&B)
- "Behind Closed Doors"/"You're a Man of Words, I'm a Woman of Action" - Epic 50177 (1975)
- "Feelings" - (1978) (unreleased)
- "Shoestring" - (1978) (unreleased)
- "Doin' the Best I Can Pt. 1"/"Doin' the Best I Can Pt. 2" - West End 1213 (1978)
- "Right in the Middle (Of Falling in Love)"/"You've Seen One You've Seen 'em All" - Motown 1532 (1982) (No 35 R&B)
- "I Can't Stop"/"Either Way We Lose" - Motown 1614 (1982)
- "Trance Dance Pt. 1"/"Trance Dance Pt. 2" - Street King (1984)
- "Not Gonna Happen Twice" - Motor City (1990) (UK only)
- "Damn Your Eyes"/"Out Cold" - Bar None (1997) (Cassette only)
External links
- Official website
- Bettye LaVette on ANTI-ANTI-ANTI- is an American record label founded in 1999 as a sister label of Epitaph Records.While Epitaph's focus has shifted over the last decade from mostly punk rock, nowadays ANTI- has a more diverse roster, ranging from country , hip hop , reggae , Soul , folk , rap-rock , indie rock...
- "Bettye LaVette: When the Blues Catch up to You" article at Crawdaddy!Crawdaddy!Crawdaddy! was the first U.S. magazine of rock and roll music criticism. Created in 1966 by college student Paul Williams in response to the increasing sophistication and cultural influence of popular music, Crawdaddy! was self-described as "the first magazine to take rock and roll...
- Bettye talks about her CD, The Scene of the Crime, at Soul Express
- West End Records facebook page
- Official West End Records Website