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Betty Davis (born Betty Gray Mabry; July 26, 1944 – February 9, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and model. She was known for her controversial sexually oriented lyrics and performance style, and was the second wife of trumpeter
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...
. Her
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
profile describes her as "a wildly flamboyant funk diva with few equals ... hocombined the gritty emotional realism of Tina Turner, the futurist fashion sense of
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
, and the trendsetting flair of Miles Davis".


Early life

Betty Gray Mabry was born in
Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...
, on July 26, 1944. She developed an interest in music when she was about ten, and was introduced to various blues musicians by her grandmother, Beulah Blackwell, while staying at her farm in Reidsville, North Carolina. At 12, she wrote one of her first songs, "I'm Going to Bake That Cake of Love". The family relocated to Homestead, Pennsylvania, so her father, Henry Mabry, could work at a
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
steel mill. Davis attended and graduated from Homestead High School.


Career

When she was 16, Betty left Homestead for New York City, enrolling at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) while living with her aunt. She soaked up the
Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...
culture and
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
of the early 1960s. She associated herself with frequenters of the Cellar, a hip uptown club where young and stylish people congregated. It was a multiracial, artsy crowd of models, design students, actors, and singers. At the Cellar she played records and chatted people up. She was a friend and early muse to fashion designer Stephen Burrows, who also studied at the FIT at the time. She also worked as a model, appearing in photo spreads in '' Seventeen'', '' Ebony'' and '' Glamour''. In New York, she met musicians including
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
and Sly Stone.Crowhurst, Anna-Marie (March 7, 2018
"Forgotten Women: The taboo-smashing queen of funk"
''Stylist.co.uk''. Retrieved February 10, 2022
The seeds of her musical career were planted through her friendship with soul singer Lou Courtney, who reputedly produced her first single, "The Cellar", though the existence of that record has been questioned."Betty Mabry: 'Get Ready for Betty
''On the Record'', November 8, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
She secured a contract with Don Costa, who had written arrangements for
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
. As Betty Mabry, she recorded "Get Ready For Betty" b/w "I'm Gonna Get My Baby Back" in 1964 for Costa's DCP International label. Around the same time, she recorded a single, "I'll Be There", with Roy Arlington for Safice Records, under the joint name "Roy and Betty". Her first professional gig came after she wrote "Uptown (to Harlem)" for The Chambers Brothers. Their 1967 album was a major success, but Mabry focused on her modeling career. She was successful as a model but felt bored by the work—"I didn't like modeling because you didn't need brains to do it. It's only going to last as long as you look good." In 1968, when she was in a relationship with Hugh Masekela, she recorded several songs for Columbia Records, with Masekela doing the arrangements. Two of them were released as a single: "Live, Love, Learn" b/w "It's My Life". Her relationship with Miles Davis began soon after her breakup from Masekela. She featured on the cover of Miles Davis's 1968 album '' Filles de Kilimanjaro'', which included his tribute to her, "Mademoiselle Mabry", and she introduced him to
psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
and the flamboyant clothing styles of the era. In the spring of 1969, Betty returned to Columbia's 52nd St. Studios to record a series of demo tracks, with Miles and Teo Macero producing. At least five songs were taped during those sessions, three of which were Mabry originals, two of which were covers of Cream and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Miles attempted to use these demo songs to secure an album deal for Betty, but neither Columbia nor Atlantic were interested and they were archived until 2016, when they were released in the compilation ''The Columbia Years, 1968–1969'' by Seattle's Light in the Attic Records. After the end of her marriage with Miles, Betty moved to London, probably around 1971, to pursue her modeling career. She wrote music while in the UK and, after about a year, returned to the US with the intention of recording songs with
Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer * Sailboat designs by W. D. Schock Corp ** Santana 20 ** Santan ...
. Instead, she recorded her own songs with a group of West Coast funk musicians including Larry Graham, Greg Errico, the Pointer Sisters, and members of
Tower of Power Tower of Power is an American R&B and funk based band and horn section, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing since 1968. The band has had a number of lead vocalists, the best-known being Lenny Williams, who fronted ...
. Davis wrote and arranged all her songs. Her first record, '' Betty Davis'', was released in 1973. She released two more studio albums, '' They Say I'm Different'' (1974) and her major label debut on Island Records '' Nasty Gal'' (1975). None of the three albums were a commercial success, but she had two minor hits on the '' Billboard'' R&B chart: "If I'm in Luck I Might Get Picked Up", which reached number 66 in 1973, and "Shut Off the Lights", which reached number 97 in 1975. Davis remained a cult figure as a singer, due in part to her unabashedly sexual lyrics and performance style, which were both controversial for the time. She had success in Europe, but in the U.S. she was barred from performing on television because of her sexually aggressive stage persona. Some of her shows were boycotted, and her songs were not played on the radio due to pressure by religious groups and the NAACP. Carlos Santana recalled Betty as "indomitable – she couldn't be tamed. Musically, philosophically and physically, she was extreme and attractive."


Retirement

Davis completed another album for Island Records in 1976 (which was shelved and unreleased for 33 years), before being dropped by the label. She spent a year in Japan, spending time with silent monks. Davis's father died in 1980, which prompted her return to the US to live with her mother in Homestead, Pennsylvania. Davis struggled to overcome her father's death, and subsequent mental illness. She acknowledged that she suffered a setback at the time, but stayed in Homestead, accepted the end of her career, and lived a quiet life. The tracks from her final recording sessions in 1979 were released on two bootleg albums, ''Crashin' From Passion'' (1995) and ''Hangin' Out in Hollywood'' (1996). A greatest hits album, ''Anti Love: The Best of Betty Davis'', was also released in 1995. In 2007, ''Betty Davis'' (1973) and ''They Say I'm Different'' (1974) were reissued by Light in the Attic Records. In 2009, the label reissued '' Nasty Gal'' and her unreleased fourth studio album recorded in 1976, re-titled ''Is It Love or Desire?'' Both reissues contained extensive liner notes and shed some light on the mystery of why her fourth album, considered possibly to be her best work by members of her last band (
Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...
, Chuck Rainey, and Alphonse Mouzon), was shelved and remained unreleased for 33 years. An independent documentary directed by Phil Cox entitled ''Betty: They Say I'm Different'' was released in 2017, which renewed interest in her life and music career. When Cox tracked Davis down, he found her living in the basement of a house with no internet, cell phone, or car. He said: "This wasn't a woman with riches or luxury. She was living on the bare essentials." In 2019, Davis released "A Little Bit Hot Tonight", her first new song in more than 40 years, which was performed and sung by Danielle Maggio, an ethnomusicologist who was a close friend and associate producer on ''Betty: They Say I'm Different''. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Betty Davis's self-titled debut, in 2023 Light in the Attic Records reissued three of her albums: ''Betty Davis'', ''They Say I'm Different'', ''Is It Love Or Desire?'', as well as the first official release of her 1979 tracks, ''Crashin' From Passion''.


Personal life and death

As a model in 1966, Betty met jazz musician
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...
, who was 18 years her senior. He was separated from his first wife, dancer Frances Davis, and was dating actress Cicely Tyson. Betty began dating Miles in early 1968, and they were married that September. During their year of marriage, she introduced him to the fashions and popular music trends of the era that influenced his music. In his autobiography, Miles credited Betty with helping to plant the seeds of his further musical explorations by introducing the trumpeter to
psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
guitarist
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
and funk innovator Sly Stone. The Miles Davis album '' Filles de Kilimanjaro'' (1968) features Betty on the cover and includes a song named after her. In his autobiography, Miles said Betty was "too young and wild", and accused her of having an affair with Jimi Hendrix, which hastened the end of their marriage. Betty denied the affair, stating: "I was so angry with Miles when he wrote that. It was disrespectful to Jimi and to me. Miles and I broke up because of his violent temper." After accusing her of adultery, he filed for divorce in 1969. Miles told '' Jet'' magazine that the divorce was obtained on a "temperament" charge. He added: "I'm just not the kind of cat to be married." Hendrix and Miles remained close, planning to record, until Hendrix's death. The influence of Hendrix and especially Sly Stone on Miles Davis was obvious on the album '' Bitches Brew'' (1970), which ushered in the era of jazz fusion. It has been said that he wanted to call the album ''Witches Brew'' but Betty convinced him to change it. Davis briefly dated musician
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...
, but she refused to collaborate with him. In 1975 Davis' lover Robert Palmer helped her secure a deal with
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
. Shortly thereafter she released her album '' Nasty Gal''. Davis died from cancer at her home in Homestead, Pennsylvania, on February 9, 2022, at the age of 77.


Legacy

The live action/animated TV series '' Mike Judge Presents: Tales from the Tour Bus'' ended its 2018 season with an episode focusing on Davis' controversial career. Davis' music has been featured in television series including '' Orange Is the New Black'', '' Girlboss'', '' Mixed-ish'', '' High Fidelity'' and '' Pistol''.


Discography


Studio albums


Compilation albums


Singles


Notes


References


Literature

* Liner notes to Light in the Attic Records' 2007 re-issue of Betty Davis' self-titled 1973 debut album.


External links

*
Betty Davis
at '' AllAboutJazz'' * *
''The Sound of Young America''
– interview on Maximum Fun June 21, 2007 (her first radio interview in 30 years)
''The Beautiful Dichotomy of Betty Davis: A Rare Conversation with the Elusive Mistress of Funk''
– interview on No Depression, February 2010, by J. Hayes * Neil Spencer
"Miles Davis: The muse who changed him, and the heady Brew that rewrote jazz"
''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', September 5, 2010 (including 2010 interview).
Emily Lordi, "The Artful, Erotic and Still Misunderstood Funk of Betty Davis"
''The New Yorker'', May 2, 2018. {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Betty 1944 births 2022 deaths 20th-century African-American women singers 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers African-American rock musicians African-American women singer-songwriters American women singer-songwriters American expatriates in England American funk singers American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters American rock singers American rock songwriters American soul singers Deaths from cancer in Pennsylvania Fashion Institute of Technology alumni Female models from North Carolina Female models from Pittsburgh Island Records artists Light in the Attic Records artists Miles Davis Musicians from Durham, North Carolina People from Homestead, Pennsylvania Singer-songwriters from North Carolina Singer-songwriters from Pennsylvania Singers from Pittsburgh