Bettye Lavette is an American soul singer who had a top-ten hit at 16 but didn’t taste similar success again until her 60s. Born in Muskegon, Michigan in 1946, Bettye grew up in Detroit and found some success as a teenager but was largely off of the national map until she hit her 60s.
I’ve Got My Own Hell To Raise, released in 2004, was Bettye’s big break and that took place when she was nearly 60! She’s long loved singing and she still puts on a phenomenal show. Below are two videos of her performing. The first is her singing her “life story” of sorts in a song called “The Battle of Bettye Lavette.”
The second video is her singing The Who’s “Love Reign Over Me” at the Kennedy Center Honors.
