b. Bessie Regina Norris, 21st December 1953, Miami, Florida, U.S.A.
d. 10th May 2020, Miami, Florida, U.S.A.
Betty Wright hails from Miami in Florida.
Betty is a former member of her family gospel group, the Echoes Of Joy (whom she joined at the age of three years old), Wright's first recordings were as a backing singer.
She then moved into a more secular style of singing after being overheard, at the age of 11, working in a local record store, by fellow Miami musical entrepreneurs, Clarence Reid and Willie Clarke.
Reid and Clarke utilised Betty, initially, as a background vocalist for their Deep City imprint.
By 1967, Betty had relocated to the Solid Soul label, releasing the songs 'Good Lovin' and 'Mr Lucky'.
Betty scored a minor hit with 'Girls Can't Do What The Guys Do' in 1968 for the emerging Alston imprint.
1970 and 1971 saw the respective releases 'Pure Love' and 'I Love The Way You Love'.
'Clean Up Woman' followed in 1972, a U.S. R & B number 2 / pop number 6 hit established a more powerful side to her musical delivery, that later releases, 'Baby Sitter' (from 1972) and 'Let Me Be Your Lovemaker' (from 1973), confirmed.
'Clean Up Woman', on reaching the number 2 slot, became a Gold record, which Betty was presented with on her 18th birthday.
Although 'Shoorah Shoorah' and 'Where Is The Love?' (further Alston releases) reached the U.K. Top 30 in 1975.
'Slip And Do It', 'If I Ever Do You Wrong' and 'Life' followed in 1976.
By this time Betty became more involved with the production side of proceedings, writing much of her material as highlighted by the release of the excellent 'Explosion' album a year later.
In 1977, Betty released the album 'This Time For Real', an album containing the popular modern dancer 'That Man Of Mine'.
Betty continued recording into the 80's and furthered a career as a U.S. television talk show hostess.
She released a self titled album in 1981, which contained the sought after 'Make Me Love The Rain', along with Betty's take on the Richard Dimples Fields song, 'I Like Your Lovin'.
In 1986, Betty released, what is considered by many pundits to be one of the soul albums of the Eighties, 'Sevens' on First String Records.
Bobby Caldwell contributed to the recording.
Her voice can also be heard on Percy Larkins excellent duet 'I Need To See You Again'.
In 2001/2 Betty returned to the soul scene with a new album entitled 'Fit For A King' on her own Ms B label.
Working in December 2006, Betty was to be found working with the artists Beyonce, Scarey Spice, and Broke Hogan
Betty passed away on the 10th of May 2020, following a short illness.
Albums:
My First Time Around (Water Music Records 1968)
I Love The Way You Love (Water Music Records 1972)
Hard To Stop (Water Music Records 1973)
Danger, High Voltage (Alston Records 1975)
Explosion (Alston Records 1976)
This Time For Real (Alston Records 1977)
Betty Wright Live (Alston Records 1978)
Betty Wright (TK Records 1978)
Betty Travellin' In The Wright Circle (TK Records 1979)
Betty Wright (Epic Records 1981)
Wright Back At You (Epic Records 1983)
Sevens (First String Records 1986)
Mother Wit (Ms B Records 1988)
4U2 Njoy (Ms B Records 1989)
Passion & Compassion (Vision Records 1990)
B-Attitudes (Solar Records 1993)
Distant Lover (Ms. B Records 1995)
Hard Times Dance (Black Tiger Records 1995)
Fit For A King (Ms B. Records 2001)
Betty Wright: The Movie (S-Curve Records 2011)
Living Love Lies (Ms B. Records 2014)
