Chesescake 4,006 Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 Betty Davis, the cult funk singer and ex-wife of jazz legend Miles Davis who left an underappreciated yet trailblazing body of work, died Wednesday at the age of 77. Danielle Maggio, a close friend of Davis whose research as an ethnomusicologist focused on Davis’ work, confirmed the singer’s death to Rolling Stone. [...] she finally released her self-titled debut album in 1973 for Woodstock promoter Michael Lang’s Just Sunshine Records. Davis recruited Sly and the Family Stone producer Greg Errico and an outfit of West Coast musical greats like Larry Graham and Merl Saunders. Two more albums quickly followed: 1974’s They Say I’m Different and 1975’s Nasty Gal. While none of the funk albums were a commercial success, Davis gained a cult following for her sexuality-laden lyrics, highlighted on songs like “Shut Off the Light” and “If “I’m in Luck I Might Get Picked Up.” Her candid, liberating attitudes trailblazed a path for artists like Prince and Madonna in the ensuing decade. Following that three-year spurt of material — and following a year in Japan where she spent time with silent monks — Davis abruptly left the music industry, moving to the Pittsburgh area where she lived for the next 40 years without making new music. However, over that decades-long period, Davis’ music gained a cult following, inspiring a generation of artists like Erykah Badu and Janelle Monae. The renewed interest in Davis’ work resulted in a series of reissues from archival label Light in the Attic — including the first-ever printing of her unreleased 1976 fourth LP — that celebrated her legacy. “Our hearts are incredibly heavy today,” Light in the Attic’s Matt Sullivan said in a statement Wednesday. “Betty has been the guiding light in everything we do at Light in the Attic. Her unbending DIY ethic and groundbreaking spirit will live on forever. We are going to miss her so much.” (The label will reissue Davis’ final and “personal favorite” album, Crashin’ From Passion, later this year.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dit 46,483 Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 rest in peace Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeldeFaith 5,521 Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 RIP legend. 😢 Can I vanish into a cheeseburger pizza? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavadour 2,393 Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 Thanks @Chesescake for this eulogy / thread about the late Betty Davis. Every true funk fan on the planet should listen to Miss Mabry eponymous first album (73) and it's follow-up 'They Say I'm Different' (74). Two more albums will follow, with a less convincing production and lacking the incredible raw power of the early ones. Despite her short career she reached cult status. Her provocative attitude and performances, colorful costumes and fierce groans will stay with us forever. Wanna know more about Betty ? They made a movie in 2017 about her... Late to the party but I got a diamond heart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesescake 4,006 Posted February 10, 2022 Author Share Posted February 10, 2022 This is before we got Madonna and Prince. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantasmas 10,597 Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 AN ICON Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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