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Betty Davis, The Underground Funk Icon Who Blew Everyone's Mind
Want to better understand the deep persona of this legendary, feminist funk-mommie? Well, you'll knowBetty Davis was one gorgeous, badass "trick" if you view her '70s antics through the lens of today's drama queens...
Imagine that an up-and-coming Naomi Campbell (model) reinvented herself as Kelis (funky-sexy out-of-the-box singer), then married one of the greatest rappers, Nas (in Betty's case, jazz trumpeter Miles Davis), and had an affair with Tupac (in Betty's case, rock guitar god Jimi Hendrix, who also died young).
It would take all of these live-out-loud moves of today combined to compare with the colorful life of Betty Davis. But something happened. Her super-hot light dimmed. She seemed to have disappeared from the planet... There were rumors that Betty Davis had died, presumably from a drug overdose. (Not only is she quite alive, she vehemently denies personally abusing drugs, although she was around it plenty.) And then there are accounts that Betty had collapsed emotionally after her father died in 1980.
She currently lives in Pittsburgh and is said to be in dire straits, financially.
Her countless, cultish fans may never know the truth about what she's really been through. Nor is it any of our business, really. But we're awfully glad she has recently surfaced. Hopefully, the recent remaster and release in May 2007 of two of her three infamous, risque albums will result in helping this beloved, ground-breaking lady toward better financial times.
Ingredients For Betty's Wicked Musical Brew: 1 Part Funk, 1 Part Rock, 1 Part Blues
This album title track is said to be inspired by Betty's relationship with her second husband, jazz great Miles Davis. He was quoted saying that Betty was "too wild" for him. Imagine that! Their marriage only lasted about a year, but based on the message of this track, perhaps Miles was a bit, umm "kitty whipped?" (meow!)
What's All the Funk About? These Super-hot Betty-related Links!
Two Betty Davis Classics Remastered and Released on 5/15/07 http://lightintheattic.net/releases/bettydavis/ After what seems about a two-decade absence from the face of Planet Earth, the undisputed Queen of Funk recently has resurfaced to help promote her re-released classic seventies-era albums! For those of us who're die-hard Betty Davis fans, it's almost as if Mary of Nazarus has returned... Well, sort of. Maybe the sexy, raw version of Mary, Mother of the Funk?
Sweet, Vintage Radio Interview of Betty Davis Circa 1975 http://www.divshare.com/download/797397-934 Much to everyone's surprise, the raspy sounding Betty Davis we've adored for so long in real life has the sweetest, most pleasant voice and personality. Life is truly full of surprises. Listen to this amazing audio interview from back in the day, and you'll be shocked at how sweet this 'nasty gal' sounds in her natural voice, too.
Sexy Betty Davis Tribute Page at MySpace http://lightintheattic.net/releases/bettydavis/ If you don't believe there's a worldwide network of people who practically worship Betty Davis, just check out this phenomenal MySpace shrine dedicated to her. Her 'friends' include the likes of Chaka Khan, Lenny Kravitz, Sly Stone, and Muhammed Ali. (Yeah, sure ;-)
Today's Singers With "Inner Betty" Mojo
... And the winners are Sandra St. Victor, Joi & Kelis
These "mack divas" are unafraid to dive into hardcore rock, or confrontation, for that matter. One goes Bootsie Collins, in a redeux of his funk classic, "Munchies For Your Love." Another confronts her lover in a song, astonishingly bellowing "What, motherf*****, what?" Another confessed in her hip-hop anthem: "I'm bossy!" Go ahead and check 'em out. Take a walk on the wild side of black feminist music.
Betty Davis could be sultry or earthy, strident or more...1 point
Betty Davis could be sultry or earthy, strident or nasty. She seized heavy funk backbeats, and around them built commanding, sometimes taunting vocal...1 point
Betty Davis is a pop historian's wet dream, and no more...0 points
Betty Davis is a pop historian's wet dream, and not just because of her lyrics' raunchiness. Record collectors have long whispered her name with rever...0 points
One of the main extracurricular projects I've work more...0 points
One of the main extracurricular projects I've worked on this past year was to research and write the liner notes to Betty Davis' two reissue CDs, ...0 points
Betty Mabry Davis doesn't sing. She singes. She le more...0 points
Betty Mabry Davis doesn't sing. She singes. She leaps off the page, tears into your face, rips scars with her growls, screeches and hollers. ...0 points
Here's a piece I did in today's Chron on the great more...0 points
Here's a piece I did in today's Chron on the great Betty Davis. (MP3s included at the link!) Hers is an amazing and still mysterious story. ...0 points
Betty Davis Betty Davis review on Blender. We have more...0 points
Betty Davis Betty Davis review on Blender. We have the latest news, information, videos, and pictures of Betty Davis Betty Davis. Blender is the autho...0 points
Writer, publicist and music reviewer Viqi French pays homage to fusion soul and the definant divas who innovated the sound in the 1970s through a series titled...
Writer, publicist and music reviewer Viqi French pays homage to fusion soul and the definant divas who innovated the sound in the 1970s through a series titled the Baddest Black Music Chicks EVER.
For more, check out the blog at http://southsidestar.blogspot.com