Betty Everett
| Betty Everett | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Born |
November 23, 1939 Greenwood, Mississippi |
| Died | August 19, 2001 (aged 61) Beloit, Wisconsin |
| Genres | R&B, southern soul, country |
| Instruments | Voice, piano |
| Years active | 1957–2000 |
| Labels | Vee-Jay, Uni, Fantasy |
| Associated acts | The Impressions, Jerry Butler |
Betty Everett (November 23, 1939 – August 19, 2001) was an American soul singer and pianist, best known for her biggest hit single, the million-selling "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)".
Everett began playing the piano and singing gospel music in church at the age of nine. She moved to Chicago in 1957 to pursue a career in secular music. She recorded for various small local Chicago soul labels, before she was signed in 1963 by Calvin Carter, A&R musical director of fast-growing independent label Vee-Jay Records.
An initial single failed, but her second Vee-Jay release, a bluesy version of "You're No Good" (written by Clint Ballard, Jr. and later a #1 hit for Linda Ronstadt), just missed the U.S. top 50. Her next single, the catchy "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)", was her biggest solo hit. The Rudy Clark song climbed to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and made #1 on the Cashbox R&B chart for three weeks.
Her other hits included "I Can't Hear You" (covered by numerous artists, including Dusty Springfield, Helen Reddy, and others), "Getting Mighty Crowded" (covered by Elvis Costello in 1980), and several duets with Jerry Butler, including "Let It Be Me", which made the US Top 5 in 1964 and was another Cashbox R&B number 1. After Vee-Jay folded in 1966, she recorded for several other labels, including ABC, Fantasy, and Uni.
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