A third music legend passed away this week…
Written by Site Hub on May 14, 2020
Music pioneer and writer Betty Wright has passed away after a struggle with endometrial cancer. She was 66 years old. Wright started like so many R&B music legends with a background in gospel music. Although originally named Bessie Regina Norris, she took the stage name Betty Wright while performing for the Echos of Joy, which was a professional gospel group created by her family.
Wright’s inspiring music catalog includes “My First Time Around,” “Girls Can’t Do What the Guys Do,” “Clean Up Woman,” “Where Is the Love,” “Tonight Is the Night,” and “Surrender.” During her six-decade career, she reached Top 10 status on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and received multiple Grammy awards.
Wright performed as a backup singer as well for artists like Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez, and Alice Cooper. With a talent to sing the whistle register, she also helped several artists as a vocal coach, including Beyoncé and Sean Combs. Wright had a defining influence on R&B and soul music and inspired other artists who have sampled her songs, including Chance the Rapper, Color Me Bad, and Mary J. Blige.
She previously told the Miami Times News: “If you came to a BBQ at my house you would hear live music. Because at my house, there’s always a concert. Somebody would pick up a guitar. And after a while, somebody would pick up a drum. So you would hear a multiplicity of genres. I don’t have a preference. Just every time I start singing, they say it’s R&B just because I have a soulful tone in my voice.”
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