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Bettye Lavette

Biography

Bettye LaVette, born Betty Jo Haskins on January 29, 1946, in Muskegon, Michigan, is a celebrated American soul singer whose career spans more than six decades. Raised in Detroit, she was exposed to a vibrant mix of R&B, blues, and country music in her family home, which often hosted traveling musicians. Unlike many of her contemporaries, LaVette did not begin singing in church but instead honed her craft in her parents' living room, developing a distinctive style that would blend soul, blues, rock, funk, gospel, and country influences[1][2][7].

LaVette recorded her first single, "My Man – He’s a Lovin’ Man," at age sixteen with producer Johnnie Mae Matthews, and it quickly became a major R&B hit after being picked up by Atlantic Records. Despite early chart success and touring with prominent acts like Ben E. King and Otis Redding, her career was marked by periods of obscurity and label changes throughout the 1960s and 1970s. She released several singles and albums, including the acclaimed "Let Me Down Easy" and the unreleased "Child of the Seventies" recorded at Muscle Shoals. LaVette’s fortunes shifted dramatically in the 2000s with the release of "I've Got My Own Hell to Raise" (2005), which brought her widespread critical acclaim and established her as one of the premier soul interpreters of her generation[1][2][3].

Known for her emotionally charged, interpretive vocal style, LaVette has received multiple Grammy nominations, was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2020, and honored with the Legacy of Americana Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023. Her ability to transform any song into a deeply personal statement has earned her the admiration of peers and critics alike, solidifying her legacy as a true icon of American music[2][3][4].

Fun Facts

  • Bettye LaVette did not start singing in church, unlike many soul singers of her generation, but began performing R&B and country songs at home[2].
  • She starred in the Broadway musical 'Bubbling Brown Sugar' alongside Honi Coles and Cab Calloway in the late 1970s[2][3].
  • Her 1972 album 'Child of the Seventies,' recorded at Muscle Shoals, was shelved for decades and became a sought-after lost classic[2].
  • LaVette has performed for President Obama and published an autobiography recounting her tumultuous career[1].

Associated Acts

  • The LaVettes

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

  • Johnnie Mae Matthews - Discovered LaVette and produced her first single, helping launch her recording career. ("My Man – He’s a Lovin’ Man") [1962]

Key Collaborators

  • Steve Jordan - Producer of several of LaVette's recent albums, including 'Things Have Changed' and 'LaVette!' ("Things Have Changed", "LaVette!") [2018–present]
  • The Dixie Flyers - Memphis studio musicians who played on her late 1960s recordings. ("He Made a Woman Out of Me", "Do Your Duty") [1969–1970]
  • The Swampers (Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section) - Played on her unreleased album 'Child of the Seventies'. ("Child of the Seventies" (unreleased at the time)) [1972]
  • Randall Bramblett - Songwriter whose works comprise the entirety of her 2023 album. ("LaVette!") [2023]

Artists Influenced

  • Contemporary soul and blues vocalists - LaVette's interpretive style and late-career resurgence have inspired a new generation of soul and blues singers, though specific proteges are not widely documented. (N/A) [2005–present]

Connection Network

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Collaborators
Influenced
Mentors
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Discography

Albums

Title Release Date Type
Things Have Changed 2018-03-30 Album
The Complete Calla, Port and Roulette Recordings 2005-03-25 Album
Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook 2010-05-25 Album
Blackbirds 2020-08-28 Album
LaVette! 2023-06-16 Album
Let Me Down Easy: Bettye LaVette In Memphis (Sun Records 70th / Remastered 2022) 2022-07-22 Album
Child Of The Seventies 2006-02-09 Album
I've Got My Own Hell To Raise 2005-09-27 Album
Standing In The Light 2023-06-30 Album
Thankful N' Thoughtful (Deluxe Edition) 2012-09-25 Album
Nearer to You 1991 Album
Global Underground: Adapt #6 (Mixed) 2025-08-29 Album

Top Tracks

  1. The Last Goodbye (The Last Goodbye)
  2. The Last Goodbye
  3. The Last Goodbye - Koven Remix
  4. Things Have Changed (Things Have Changed)
  5. The Last Goodbye - Hayden James Remix
  6. Let Me Down Easy (The Complete Calla, Port and Roulette Recordings)
  7. The Last Goodbye
  8. Don't Get Me Started (with Steve Winwood) (LaVette!)
  9. Let Me Down Easy - Remastered 2022 (Let Me Down Easy: Bettye LaVette In Memphis (Sun Records 70th / Remastered 2022))
  10. The Last Goodbye - DJ Seinfeld Remix

Tags: #americana, #blues, #country

References

  1. sunrecords.com
  2. tcan.org

Heard on WWOZ

Bettye Lavette has been played 6 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.

DateTimeTitleShowSpotify
Nov 27, 202522:18Piece Of My Heartfrom Take Another Little Piece Of My HeartKitchen Sinkw/ Jennifer Brady
Nov 18, 202515:22Complicatedfrom WorthySoul Serenadew/ Marc Stone
Nov 3, 202519:56it don't come easyBlues and R&Bw/ Gentilly Jr.
Oct 25, 202522:10The Times They Are A ChanginAwake and Willingw/ Peggy Lou
Oct 20, 202519:14Witchcraft in the AirBlues and R&Bw/ Gentilly Jr.
Sep 23, 202515:27what was it you wantedfrom There'll Come A TimeSoul Serenadew/ Marc Stone