Bettye LaVette

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With one of her first singles turning into a national hit, 1962’s “Let Me Down Easy”, Detroit-raised LaVette would seem a natural soul star, but she was never able to cut an album deal. In 1972 her album A Child of the Seventies was shelved by Atlantic Records, then thought lost forever in a fire. She eked out a living on the European festival circuit, occasionally surfacing such as with the disco single “Doin’ the Best that I Can”, but remained obscure until French soul collector Gilles Petard tracked down the lost masters and persuaded Atlantic to let him release them on his vanity label as Souvenirs. A live album and 2005’s cover album I’ve Got My Own Hell To Raise followed.

With the release of The Scene of the Crime, Bettye Lavette inches closer to the mainstream, or at least a much bigger cult following. Backed by The Drive-By Truckers and released on -Anti, The Scene of the Crime is recorded at the legendary FAME studios in Muscles Shoals, Alabama. The same place as her lost album. The connection doesn’t end there - Patterson Hood of the Drive-by Truckers is the son of David Hood, who played on the 1972 album.

In 2009, she appeared at President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Celebration, singing “A Change Is Gonna Come” with Jon Bon Jovi. It was televised globally.

Tagged as:

soul, blues, female vocalists, northern soul, oldies
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I've Got My Own Hell To Raise
Bettye LaVette
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Let Me Down Easy In Concert
Bettye LaVette
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The Scene of the Crime
Bettye LaVette
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A Woman Like Me
Bettye LaVette
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Top Tracks

1	Let Me Down Easy full track	146
2	Little Sparrow	41
3	Down to Zero	40
4	Joy	39
5	Only Time Will Tell Me	37
6	The High Road	35
7	Sleep to Dream	33
8	Talking Old Soldiers	30
9	I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got	29
9	Choices	29
11	How Am I Different	28
12	On the Surface	27
13	Just Say So	25
13	Jealousy	25
15	You Don't Know Me At All	24

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chilled-out-777 wrote:
November 2009

A Truly great Soul Singer, "Cry Me A River" should be high in this list but sadly is not.

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Autistic_Cucoo wrote:
May 2009

She knows how to lay down some fierce smoking heavy funky rhythmn n blues soul... stuff. Awesome.

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guvadela wrote:
May 2009

great voice

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FijneWIET wrote:
May 2009

Hm, Mabel King..

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FijneWIET wrote:
May 2009

A stupid question, but did she play the role of a bad witch in The Wiz, singing 'bring me no bad news'? (the 'black' musical video featuring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross)

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lush46 wrote:
February 2009

let it down easy... Go Girl

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chyprechypre wrote:
January 2009

Love it!

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Chyekk wrote:
January 2009

I just found out she will be singing "A Change is Gonna Come" at the inauguration! Way to go! http://www.sfbg.com/blogs/music/2009/01/bettye_lavette_to_perform_at_i.html

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Jack_Cousteau wrote:
November 2008

gritty soul. snap!

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imprecisely wrote:
August 2008

oh my god she is so fucking fierce.

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WilliamNl wrote:
May 2008

DON’T Miss This!: FULL Latest Concert Bettye LaVette is NOW ON LINE! Bettye LaVette-Live In Concert! (09-04-2008 Amsterdam at “Paradiso”) With TWO Great Intro Tracks of her Band! Really Superbe Nice Slide Too!:-) And then!..Bettye LaVette !!! with 15 Tracks! GO TO: Watch FREE FULL Concerts in High Quality! UPDate:12-05-2008

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MarcusAKAFatima wrote:
April 2008

Talking Old Soldiers is beyond amazing.

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njmama wrote:
March 2008

How could I never have heard her? This is incredible!

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WilliamNl wrote:
November 2007

[b]HOT! WATCH ALSO!:[/b] Bettey Lavette in Concert!(FULL Concert!)

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WilliamNl wrote:
November 2007

WATCH 2 Vids from THE GREAT Lady of Soul! Bettey Lavette NW CD:”The Scene Of The Crime” GO TO: http://www.last.fm/user/WilliamNl/journal/2007/11/5/567199/

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Televiper wrote:
September 2007

The new album is smokin

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kintopp wrote:
March 2007

I found that album through emusic, amazing.

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Lieneuh wrote:
January 2007

I've Got My Own Hell To Raise is one of my favourite cd's of 2006 :)

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The_Anti_Scene wrote:
January 2007

One of the best soul singers ever. Criminally underrated.

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Videos

Events

Apr 30 Bettye LaVette Somerville Theatre, Somerville, Boston MA, United States
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Apr 30 Bettye LaVette Somerville Theatre, Somerville, Boston MA, United States
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Apr 30 Bettye LaVette Somerville Theatre, Somerville, Boston MA, United States
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