Biography

Bettye LaVette was born on January 29, 1946 in Muskegon, Michigan, USA. She is an actress, known for Blood Ties (2013), Beast (2017) and We Still Kill the Old Way (2014). She is married to Kevin Kiley.

Passionate vocal style

Recorded her very first album in 1972 called Child of the Seventies for Atlantic Records subsidiary label, Atco. It was recorded at Muscle Sholes Studios in Alabama, in November 1972, taking a total of nine days to complete; planning to be released in 1973. However, due to the failure of single 'Your Turn to Cry,' Atlantic revoked the album, and asked LaVette to turn in the piles of airline tickets they allotted her for planned promotional tours. In 1999, Bettye found duplicate copies of the master tapes in her basement, and soon found the original tapes still existed, and had not been destroyed in the famous 1970s fire. They were sitting dormant in Atlantic's New York vault. Giles Petaard had the album issued under the alternative title Souvenirs, and has since made LaVette transform from an unknown to a in-demand performer.

"I don't really like to sing things that I wouldn't say. If I sing it, I would more than likely say it." (quoted during release of her 2005 CD, "I've Got My Own Hell to Raise')

No one can give me songs, it's like giving me a lover. I become deeply meshed within these songs when I start to work on them.

[on the resurgence in her career, 2013] I refuse to call it a revival or a resurrection. I never stopped working. I always call it 'the coming out of the crypt' because I was in a deep dark hole, working for fifty dollars. Regular things that happened to artists didn't happen to me. The record company didn't steal my money. I didn't get strung out on drugs. I didn't join a church. My husband didn't make me not sing. It's been all kinds of deep shit.