Betty Davis: Undisputed '70s Queen of Funk

Want to better understand the deep persona of this legendary, feminist funk-mommie?  Well, you'll know Betty 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.

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