Sensei Aishitemasu | Hidden Figures: Betty Davis #BlackHERstoryMonth 11/28 @SenseiAishitemasu | Uploaded February 2022 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
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Betty Davis (July 16, 1944 – February 9, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and model, known for her candid personality, wild performance style and fashion, and groundbreaking funk music. She was also the second wife of trumpeter Miles Davis, credited with inspiring his influential jazz fusion era.
Betty Mabry was born in Durham, North Carolina, on July 16, 1944. At 16, Betty left Homestead for New York City, enrolling at the Fashion Institute of Technology while living with an aunt. She was an early muse to fashion designer Stephen Burrows, who also studied at FIT at the time, and worked as a model for such designers as Halston, Betsey Johnson and Norma Kamali, appearing in photo spreads in Seventeen, Ebony and Glamour.
In New York, she signed a contract with DCP International label. Her breakthrough came after she wrote "Uptown (to Harlem)" for the Chambers Brothers, as their 1967 album was a major success, getting her more jobs as a songwriter. In 1968, she recorded several songs for Columbia Records, two of which were released as singles. Soon after, she began her relationship with Miles Davis, being featured on the cover of his album 'Filles de Kilimanjaro.'
After the end of her marriage with Miles, Betty moved to London around 1971. She wrote music while abroad, and, after about a year, returned to the US to record. Her first record, 'Betty Davis,' was released in 1973. She released 2 more studio albums, 'They Say I'm Different,' in 1974, and 'Nasty Gal' in 1975. None of the three albums were commercial successes, but have since been retroactively reviewed as groundbreaking and influential works of funk for their distinct sound, emotional realism, and sexuality.
Davis became a cult figure and had success in Europe, but in the U.S. was barred from television and radio because of her sexually aggressive stage persona. In 1976, Davis completed another album for her label, Island Records, before being dropped and moving overseas to Japan. In 1980, Davis' father died, which prompted her return to the US to live with her mother in Pennsylvania. She lived out the rest of her days quietly until passing on February 9, 2022 at age 77.
In 2007, 'Betty Davis' (1973) and 'They Say I'm Different' (1974) were reissued by Light in the Attic Records. In 2009, the label also reissued 'Nasty Gal' and her unreleased fourth studio album recorded in 1976, re-titled as ‘Is It Love or Desire?’ All of the re-releases of her albums achieved critical acclaim. In 2017, an independent documentary directed by Philip Cox entitled Betty Davis: They Say I'm Different, was released. In 2019, Davis put out "A Little Bit Hot Tonight", her first new song in over 40 years.
#BettyDavis #HiddenFigures
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Did you know I wrote a book? ☺️ 'So, About That... A Year of Contemporary Essays on Race and Pop Culture'
Paperback: amazon.com/About-That-Contemporary-Essays-Culture-ebook/dp/B013V0CHK6
Kindle: amazon.com/dp/B013V0CHK6
Digital download (e-book): gumroad.com/l/IkUa
******************
Links:
'Betty Davis, Funk Singer and Fashion Icon, Dead at 77: 'There Is No Other':'
people.com/music/betty-davis-dead-77
'Betty Davis, Iconic Funk Singer, Dies at 77:'
pitchfork.com/news/betty-davis-iconic-funk-singer-has-died
'Betty Davis, Singer-Songwriter Who Paved the Way for Boldly Sensual Funk in 1970s, Dies at 77:'
variety.com/2022/music/news/betty-davis-dead-soul-funk-singer-1970s-1235176173
'Pittsburgh funk music icon Betty Davis remembered: ‘She was bold’:'
triblive.com/aande/music/pittsburgh-funk-music-icon-betty-davis-remembered-she-was-bold
'Betty Davis Was a Raw Funk Pioneer. Her Decades of Silence Are Over:'
nytimes.com/2018/05/22/arts/music/betty-davis-they-say-im-different-documentary.html
'Betty Davis, Trailblazing Queen of Funk, Dead at 77:'
rollingstone.com/music/music-news/betty-davis-dead-obit-1297372
'Betty Davis Dead At 77:'
nytimes.com/2022/02/10/arts/music/betty-davis-dead.html
'Betty Davis projected her own liberation – and freed up generations in her wake:'
theguardian.com/music/2022/feb/10/betty-davis-projected-her-own-liberation-and-freed-up-generations-in-her-wake
If you enjoy my work, please consider supporting!
CashApp: $SerenSensei
Patreon: patreon.com/seren_sensei
All Patrons get access to the Discord server!
NEW MERCH SHOP: the-bheezebake-project.creator-spring.com
Betty Davis (July 16, 1944 – February 9, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and model, known for her candid personality, wild performance style and fashion, and groundbreaking funk music. She was also the second wife of trumpeter Miles Davis, credited with inspiring his influential jazz fusion era.
Betty Mabry was born in Durham, North Carolina, on July 16, 1944. At 16, Betty left Homestead for New York City, enrolling at the Fashion Institute of Technology while living with an aunt. She was an early muse to fashion designer Stephen Burrows, who also studied at FIT at the time, and worked as a model for such designers as Halston, Betsey Johnson and Norma Kamali, appearing in photo spreads in Seventeen, Ebony and Glamour.
In New York, she signed a contract with DCP International label. Her breakthrough came after she wrote "Uptown (to Harlem)" for the Chambers Brothers, as their 1967 album was a major success, getting her more jobs as a songwriter. In 1968, she recorded several songs for Columbia Records, two of which were released as singles. Soon after, she began her relationship with Miles Davis, being featured on the cover of his album 'Filles de Kilimanjaro.'
After the end of her marriage with Miles, Betty moved to London around 1971. She wrote music while abroad, and, after about a year, returned to the US to record. Her first record, 'Betty Davis,' was released in 1973. She released 2 more studio albums, 'They Say I'm Different,' in 1974, and 'Nasty Gal' in 1975. None of the three albums were commercial successes, but have since been retroactively reviewed as groundbreaking and influential works of funk for their distinct sound, emotional realism, and sexuality.
Davis became a cult figure and had success in Europe, but in the U.S. was barred from television and radio because of her sexually aggressive stage persona. In 1976, Davis completed another album for her label, Island Records, before being dropped and moving overseas to Japan. In 1980, Davis' father died, which prompted her return to the US to live with her mother in Pennsylvania. She lived out the rest of her days quietly until passing on February 9, 2022 at age 77.
In 2007, 'Betty Davis' (1973) and 'They Say I'm Different' (1974) were reissued by Light in the Attic Records. In 2009, the label also reissued 'Nasty Gal' and her unreleased fourth studio album recorded in 1976, re-titled as ‘Is It Love or Desire?’ All of the re-releases of her albums achieved critical acclaim. In 2017, an independent documentary directed by Philip Cox entitled Betty Davis: They Say I'm Different, was released. In 2019, Davis put out "A Little Bit Hot Tonight", her first new song in over 40 years.
#BettyDavis #HiddenFigures
******************
Merchandise! MAKE SURE U GETTA SHIRT!! teepublic.com/user/sssseren
shophouseof950.com/embroidery-tees/theblackamericans
shophouseof950.com/embroidery-tees/dacs?rq=d.a.c.s
Follow me on social media!
Instagram: @sensei_aishitemasu
Personal Tumblr: sensei-aishitemasu.tumblr.com
Tumblr for my work: sssseren.tumblr.com
Snapchat: sssseren
GoFundMe: gofundme.com/tc5wh7q
******************
Did you know I wrote a book? ☺️ 'So, About That... A Year of Contemporary Essays on Race and Pop Culture'
Paperback: amazon.com/About-That-Contemporary-Essays-Culture-ebook/dp/B013V0CHK6
Kindle: amazon.com/dp/B013V0CHK6
Digital download (e-book): gumroad.com/l/IkUa
******************
Links:
'Betty Davis, Funk Singer and Fashion Icon, Dead at 77: 'There Is No Other':'
people.com/music/betty-davis-dead-77
'Betty Davis, Iconic Funk Singer, Dies at 77:'
pitchfork.com/news/betty-davis-iconic-funk-singer-has-died
'Betty Davis, Singer-Songwriter Who Paved the Way for Boldly Sensual Funk in 1970s, Dies at 77:'
variety.com/2022/music/news/betty-davis-dead-soul-funk-singer-1970s-1235176173
'Pittsburgh funk music icon Betty Davis remembered: ‘She was bold’:'
triblive.com/aande/music/pittsburgh-funk-music-icon-betty-davis-remembered-she-was-bold
'Betty Davis Was a Raw Funk Pioneer. Her Decades of Silence Are Over:'
nytimes.com/2018/05/22/arts/music/betty-davis-they-say-im-different-documentary.html
'Betty Davis, Trailblazing Queen of Funk, Dead at 77:'
rollingstone.com/music/music-news/betty-davis-dead-obit-1297372
'Betty Davis Dead At 77:'
nytimes.com/2022/02/10/arts/music/betty-davis-dead.html
'Betty Davis projected her own liberation – and freed up generations in her wake:'
theguardian.com/music/2022/feb/10/betty-davis-projected-her-own-liberation-and-freed-up-generations-in-her-wake
