Wright struggled with a successful follow-up until 1972 when the single "Baby Sitter" (one of Wright's first compositions) reached the top 50 of the Hot 100 and peaked at number six on the R&B charts. It eventually sold over 1 million copies and was certified gold on December 30, 1971, nine days after the singer turned 18. It crossed over to the pop charts, peaking at number six and staying on the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks. The record reached number two on the R&B charts, where it stayed for eight weeks. Breakthrough Ībout a year later, Wright released her signature song " Clean Up Woman", written by Clarence Reid and Willie Clarke and recorded when she was 17. In 1970, while still in high school, she released "Pure Love" at the age of 16. Her first hit single was " Girls Can't Do What the Guys Do". Her first album, My First Time Around, was released when she was age 14. In 1967, the teen was responsible for discovering other local talents such as George and Gwen McCrae, helping them sign with the Alston Records label TK Records, part of Henry Stone's recording and distribution company. She released the singles "Thank You Baby" and "Paralyzed", which found Wright local fame in Miami. įollowing the group's break-up, Wright, who was already using the name Betty Wright, decided to switch musical styles from gospel to rhythm and blues, singing in local talent shows until she was spotted by a Miami record label owner, who signed her to her first label (Deep City Records) in 1966, when she was 12. Wright and her siblings performed together until 1965, when she was 11 years old. Wright contributed to vocals on the group's first album, released in 1956.
BETTY WRIGHT SONGS ON YOUTUBE PROFESSIONAL
Wright began her professional career at the age of two when her siblings formed the Echoes of Joy, a gospel group.
She will be missed.Biography Early life and career īorn in Miami, Florida, as Bessie Regina Norris on December 21, 1953, Wright was the youngest of seven children of Rosa Akins Braddy-Wright and her second husband, McArthur Norris. "I loved being around Ms Betty Wright," John Legend tweeted. "She was always so loving and giving to younger artists. The news of Wright's death comes days after singer Chaka Khan tweeted that her "beloved sister, Betty Wright, is now in need of all your prays."Ĭhuck D posted on social media that he was "floored" by the news of her passing. "I hope that I'm making memories every day. "The most memorable time in my career, I hope, hasn't even occurred yet," she said in a 2013 video interview with ViewNowTV. Her 2011 album, "Betty Wright: The Movie" was a collaboration with The Roots and featured performers Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg. In recent years, she also produced music for Diddy and Kelly Clarkson. Over the course of Wright's career, she released around 20 albums, most recently "Living Love Lies" in 2014, which featured appearances from Rick Ross and DJ Khaled. Wright, who sang "Clean Up Woman," "No Pain, (No Gain)" and "Tonight Is the Night," was nominated for six Grammy Awards and won one for best rhythm and blues song in 1976 for "Where Is the Love?"īorn Bessie Regina Norris, she was singing at an early age and released her first album, "My First Time Around," at age 14. "Clean Up Woman," perhaps Wright's most iconic song, was released when she was 17. The New York Times and Billboard report the singer died from cancer at her home in Miami. The death was acknowledged on Wright's official Facebook page with a post from the immediate family saying the singer "transitioned to be with the Lord" on May 10 and calling for privacy during the "solemn time of bereavement." Grammy-winning R&B singer Betty Wright has died at 66.
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