Betty Everett

About

Betty Everett (b. November 23, 1939, Greenwood, Mississippi - d. August 19, 2001, Beloit, Wisconsin) was an African-American R&B singer and pianist. She began singing gospel and playing piano in her church at the age of 9 and continued until 1957, when she moved to Chicago to pursue a recording career. In Chicago she began recording for small soul labels and worked with soon-to-be big name producers Ike Turner and Curtis Mayfield until 1963, when she was picked up by short-lived Vee-Jay Records. While recording for Vee-Jay, she released several minor hits including “You’re No Good” (written by Clint Ballard, Jr. and later a #1 hit for Linda Ronstadt) and the catchy “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss)” which was her biggest solo hit. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and made #1 on the Cashbox R&B chart. Her other hits included “I Can’t Hear You” (covered by numerous artists including Dusty Springfield and Helen Reddy), “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 othe…