Betty Harris, renowned throughout the world for her devastating ballad "Cry to Me," was born in Orlando, FL and raised primarily in Alabama. The child of preachers, her deep church roots conflicted with her desire to sing secular soul music, and at 17 she left home headed to the Big Apple to pursue a performing career. Gaining experience as a member of The Hearts, Betty recorded her first tune in 1958 singing the lead of “Like Later Baby,†and then hit the road with her mentor, confidante and tutor, Big Maybelle.Taking a break in Chicago, Betty traveled to California, cutting the 1960 single "Taking Care of Business" for the Douglas label. While there she met Babe Chivian, who connected her with the legendary New York writer/producer Bert Berns. Given the opportunity to sing “Cry To Me, previously a Solomon Burke’s hit, Betty created one of the biggest crossover R&B hits of 1963. The two follow-up singles, “His Kiss†and “Mojo Hannah†went nowhere, although Betty was headlining the Apollo Theater and drawing a huge following.During a 1965 tour, Betty met New Orleans composer and producer Allen Toussaint and with “What A Sad Feeling/I'm Evil Tonight" became the first artist to record for his fledgling Sansu label. With Toussaint at the helm, the bluesy balladry of Harris' Jubilee sides gave way to a funky, sensual dynamic that heralded a new era of New Orleans R&B. The 1966 ballad "Sometime" was backed by the brilliant "I Don't Want to Hear It," Toussaint’s edgiest and most aggressive production to date. The subsequent "Twelve Red Roses" further refined the approach, and with 1967's "Nearer to You" Betty finally returned to the R&B Top 20, delivering another sublimely emotional performance. From 1965 to 1968 Betty featured on ten singles on the Sansu label including "Love Lots of Lovin'," a duet with Lee Dorsey. Many of these works were backed by a session group that would later become The Meters.During this time Betty also toured with Otis Redding, which abruptly ended when his plane went down in a Wisconsin Lake in December 1967. She also recorded the 1967 “I’m A Fool For You†with James Carr on the Goldwax Label that reached #42 on the R&B chart. Betty’s last single with Toussaint was the 1969 “There’s A Break In The Road†(licensed to the SSS International label) considered by many to be a funk cult classic.Betty then retired from the business and focused on raising her family, singing in her church choir, and providing vocal lessons. In 2001, her daughter found several Betty Harris fan sites on the Internet, prompting the singer to join a soul mailing list to announce her present whereabouts. Her re-emergence caused a stir in deep soul circles, and on April 17, 2005, she headlined her first live appearance in over three decades, performing at a benefit for her daughter's Hartford alma mater. Weeks later, Harris also performed at New Orleans' annual Ponderosa Stomp. And then came a Hurricane Katrina benefit in Melbourne, raising over $30,000 for the Musicians’ Clinic, and the Poretta Soul Festival in Bologna, Italy.With Jon Tiven at the helm, Betty Harris is back. Intuition is her debut solo album recorded in December 2006 and released on Evidence Music in November 2007. Betty now resides in Atlanta, GA with her energetic 95 year-old mother. Not only is Betty back; with such good genes she’ll be with us for many years to come.“Her performance seems to assert no creative neuroses or artistic ego – only a consistent richness of emotion, a faith in the feel, the love and labor of an impassioned professional.†Devin McKinney, The Oxford American, Fall 2007Check out Betty Harris on MYSPACE MUSIC:
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