Music News

Bettye LaVette has new EP out June 16, tour dates announced

By April MacIntyre Jun 2, 2009, 1:49 GMT

The Grammy-nominated singer will release a six song digital EP on iTunes, dubbed "A Change is Gonna Come Sessions" available June 16. Courtesy of Dept. 56

Singer Bettye LaVette was the knockout punch at the last Kennedy Center Honors with her gut-wrenching performance of The Who’s “Love Reign O’er Me,” which provided one of the evening’s most spectacular moments and inspired other honorees and musicians to speak out in praise of her.

LaVette was born in Muskegon and grew up in nearby Detroit, where she was discovered by Johnnie Mae Matthews, a Detroit record producer. In 1962, aged 16, she recorded a single, "My Man - He's A Lovin' Man" with Matthews, which became a hit after Atlantic Records bought distribution rights.

She toured with Clyde McPhatter, Ben E. King, Barbara Lynn and Otis Redding, and even James Brown in her youth.

LaVette's style of jazz, country, soul, R&B, rock and gospel defied the neat categories that the labels preferred.

She spent six years on Broadway and touring with the musical Bubbling Brown Sugar opposite Cab Calloway. During the disco years, she managed a small hit "Doin' The Best That I Can". 

Motown then gave her shot and LaVette recorded Tell Me A Lie, with the single "Right in the Middle of Falling in Love" which was also a modest hit. Her career took her to the European festival circuit. In 1991, she completed the album Not Gonna Happen Twice for Ian Levine's Motorcity label.

Now Bettye follows her amazing performance at Obama's Inagural festivities with her own recorded version of Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come."

The Grammy-nominated singer will release a six song digital EP on iTunes, dubbed "A Change is Gonna Come Sessions" available June 16.

The track listing is as follows:

1. “A Change Is Gonna Come” (Sam Cooke)

2. “'Round Midnight” (Thelonious Monk)

3. “God Bless The Child” (Billie Holiday / Arthur Herzog)

4. “Lush Life” (Billy Strayhorn)

5. “Ain't No Sunshine” (Bill Withers)

6. “Ain’t That Lovin’ You” (Jimmy Reed)

Bettye's tour dates through the Fall of 2009

6/4/2009    Twilight Alive  Kingsport  TN  
6/5/2009    Riverbend Festival  Chattanooga  TN  Multi act event
6/11/2009  The Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant  Minneapolis  MN  Evening with
6/13/2009  Chicago Blues Festival  Chicago  IL  Multi act event
6/24/2009  Museum of Fine Arts  Boston  MA  
6/25/2009  NYC Rockin The River Cruise  New York  NY  Ryan Shaw
6/26/2009  North by Northwest  Philadelphia  PA  Evening with
6/28/2009  Freihofer’s Jazz Festival  Saratoga Springs  NY  Multi act event
7/3/2009   Muskegon Summer Celebration  Muskegon  MI  Multi act event
7/4/2009   Comerica CityFest  Detroit  MI  Multi act event
7/8/2009   Common Ground Music Festival  Lansing  MI  Multi act event
7/9/2009   Burlington International Waterfront Festival  Burlington  VT  Buddy Guy
7/10/2009  North Carolina Museum of Art  Raleigh  NC  Marcia Ball
7/14/2009  Montreux Jazz Festival  Montreux SWITZERLAND  Solomon Burke, The Blind Boys of Alabama
7/18/2009  Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Festival  Sioux Falls  SD  Multi act event
7/19/2009  Grand Targhee Folk & Americana Festival  Alta  WY  Multi act event
7/24/2009  Central Park Summerstage  New York  NY  
7/25/2009  Blues Under The Bridge  Colorado Springs  CO  Multi act event
8/8/2009   Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival  Clarksdale  MS  Multi act event
8/9/2009   San Jose Jazz Festival  San Jose  CA  Multi act event
8/30/2009  Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival  San Francisco  CA  Multi act event
8/31/2009  Jimmy Mak’s  Portland  OR  Evening with
9/1/2009   Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley  Seattle  WA  Evening with
9/2/2009   Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley  Seattle  WA  Evening with
9/4/2009   Anthology  San Diego  CA  Evening with
9/5/2009   Long Beach Blues Festival  Long Beach  CA  Multi act event
9/12/2009  Playing With Fire  Omaha  NE  
9/20/2009  Brisbane Festival  Brisbane QLD AUSTRALIA  Evening with
9/21/2009  Brisbane Festival  Brisbane QLD AUSTRALIA  Evening with
9/25/2009  The Sheldon Concert Hall  St. Louis  MO  St. Louis Blues All Stars
9/26/2009  Singletary Center for the Arts  Lexington  KY  
            
Sisters In Soul featuring Marcia Ball, Bettye LaVette & Maria Muldaur

10/23/2009  College of Lake County - James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts  Grayslake  IL  Evening with

10/24/2009  College of DuPage - McAninch Arts Center  Glen Ellyn  IL  Evening with
            
Bettye LaVette
2/2/2010  Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts  Hopkins  MN  Evening with
            
Sisters In Soul featuring Marcia Ball, Bettye LaVette & Maria Muldaur
3/12/2010  The Community Theater at Mayo Center  Morristown  NJ  
3/18/2010  Tarrytown Music Hall  Tarrytown  NY  
3/19/2010  Flynn Center for the Performing Arts  Burlington  VT  
3/20/2010  Quick Center of The Arts  Fairfield  CT