Betty Wright has passed away at age 66

OmariAmaru

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Miss B was from the crib and never forgot where she came from.. Born and raised in the Pork and Beans, my old neighborhood. She was our homegrown celebrity. When she did Jazz in the Gardens two years ago, her act was the biggest draw for us. She was big in the community, helping the inner city kids. What they showed on Unsung wasn't even half of the things she did for the neighborhood. Rest easy, Aunt Betty. Job well done!
 

AwwSchitt

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BGOL Investor
I totally missed this. Betty was before my time but I jam to her hits like crazy. I still listen to them. RIP Queen.
 

tallblacknyc

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Certified Pussy Poster
A yooo why did I thought this thread said betty white... I was like well she is damn near 100... Than I saw 4 pages and I was like damn I didn't know it was that many golden girls fans on here.. Than I clicked on thread by curiosity and was like ohhhhh

R.i.p betty Wright my mom use to play that no gain track a lot
 

Hotlantan

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Wright's Billboard chart career began on Aug. 3, 1968, as "Girls Can't Do What the Guys Do" debuted on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Rhythm and Blues Singles (today's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart). The single became Wright's first top 40 hit on both rankings, reaching No. 33 on the former and No. 15 on the latter. Younger listeners may know the tune more than they realize: Its opening drum and horn section was sampled in Beyoncé's "Upgrade U" (featuring Jay-Z), a No. 11 hit on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 2007.





Although Wright's best Hot 100 rank as an artist is a No. 6 high for "Clean Up Woman," she played a noteworthy role in a No. 2 hit: Color Me Badd's "I Wanna Sex You Up." The 1991 single sampled the bass section and looping background vocal, "I know you not gonna sing that song!," from a live version of "Tonight Is the Night, Pts. 1 & 2." It gave Wright no artist billing nor writing credit, however, and she successfully sued the group for its illegal sample and walked away with 35% of the track's royalties. (Wright tells the saga's full story at the start of the clip below.)





The "to the tick tock ya don't stop" soundbite on IWSYU is sampled from Doug E. Fresh's "La Di Da Di." The bassline, chord structure and the "I know you not gonna sing that song!" soundbite are sampled from Betty Wright's "Tonight is the Night." The chorus melody is from the Shuggie Otis song "Strawberry Letter 23". After Betty won her lawsuit, Doug and Shugie also sued Giant Records and got a cut of the CMB royalties.
 

PDQ21

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Platinum Member
Wright's Billboard chart career began on Aug. 3, 1968, as "Girls Can't Do What the Guys Do" debuted on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Rhythm and Blues Singles (today's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart). The single became Wright's first top 40 hit on both rankings, reaching No. 33 on the former and No. 15 on the latter. Younger listeners may know the tune more than they realize: Its opening drum and horn section was sampled in Beyoncé's "Upgrade U" (featuring Jay-Z), a No. 11 hit on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 2007.





Although Wright's best Hot 100 rank as an artist is a No. 6 high for "Clean Up Woman," she played a noteworthy role in a No. 2 hit: Color Me Badd's "I Wanna Sex You Up." The 1991 single sampled the bass section and looping background vocal, "I know you not gonna sing that song!," from a live version of "Tonight Is the Night, Pts. 1 & 2." It gave Wright no artist billing nor writing credit, however, and she successfully sued the group for its illegal sample and walked away with 35% of the track's royalties. (Wright tells the saga's full story at the start of the clip below.)





The "to the tick tock ya don't stop" soundbite on IWSYU is sampled from Doug E. Fresh's "La Di Da Di." The bassline, chord structure and the "I know you not gonna sing that song!" soundbite are sampled from Betty Wright's "Tonight is the Night." The chorus melody is from the Shuggie Otis song "Strawberry Letter 23". After Betty won her lawsuit, Doug and Shugie also sued Giant Records and got a cut of the CMB royalties.

Good info
 

Hotlantan

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BGOL Investor
A more detailed obit for those of you who are interested...
Grammy-winning soul icon Betty Wright dies aged 66: Singer who inspired Mary J. Blige and The Roots - and became first black female indie label owner to have a gold record - passes away
  • The star's niece confirmed she died Sunday morning
  • Mary J. Blige sampled Wright's 1971 track Clean Up Woman on her hit Real Love
  • Then in the 1980s Wright was the first black female to have a gold record on her own label when she released her song Mother Wit
  • Wright was Beyonce Knowles' vocal coach and sang backing vocals for Stevie Wonder. She also wrote for Jennifer Lopez, Michael Jackson, and Gloria Estefan
  • Speaking about her collaborations, Wright said: 'I believe in legacy. And I believe in making the radio sound better. If I gotta listen to it, I want it to sound good'



Soul singer Betty Wright has passed away at the age of 66.

The No Pain (No Gain) and Tonight Is the Night hitmaker passed away on Sunday morning, her niece confirmed.

'I just lost my aunt this morning.... and now my mood has changed.... sleep in peace aunty Betty Wright. Fly high angel,' she tweeted.

Her niece added in a tribute on Twitter: 'My auntie was a legend.... she helped me get my first paychecks singing background..... and I didn’t make it to see you this past week and that’s going to haunt me .... R.I.P. Betty Wright.'

Wright's niece did not confirm the cause of death.

She is survived by her four children Aisha, Patrice, Chaka and Asher.

The announcement caShe went on to win the Best Rhythm and Blues Song Grammy Award for her track Where Is the Love.

Then in the 1980s Wright released her song Mother Wit on her own independent label Ms. B Records and the album went gold. It was the first time a black female artist had a gold record on her own independent label.

She was nominated twice more for Grammys via her work on British singer Joss Stone's first two albums. Wright collaborated on Stone's track The Art of Love and War.

Wright was Beyonce Knowles' vocal coach and the former Destiny's Child star sample her Girls Can't Do What the Guys Do tune on her 2006 hit with Jay-Z, Upgrade U.

Collaborators included Alice Cooper, Jimmy Cliff, Tom Jones, Peter Tosh, David Byrne and Stephen Stills. Wright also sang backing vocals for Stevie Wonder, wrote for Jennifer Lopez and Michael Jackson, and collaborated with Gloria Estefan up until recently.

In 2011, many stars including Kelly Clarkson, Snoop Dogg, Keyshia Cole joined Wright and The Roots for album Betty Wright: The Movie.

Speaking about her influence on the music industry, soul singer Angie Stone recently said on the TV One show, Unsung, that Clean Up Woman played a pivotal role in music journey.

'You believed her. I can see the woman with the broom and the whole nine,' Stone said.

Rappers DJ Khaled and Lil' Wayne also recalled Tonight Is the Night's role in their childhoods.me after fellow singing legend Chaka Khan had last week asked her fans to pray for the star.

'My beloved sister, Betty Wright is now in need of all your prayers [sic],' Khan tweeted. '“Que Sera, Sera | Whatever Will Be, Will Be” In Jesus Name We Pray for Sister Betty All My Love Chaka.'

Wright - real name Bessie Regina Norris - has been credited with influencing popular R 'n' B and rap music greats. Born in Miami, Florida, she rose to fame in 1971 with her hit Clean Up Woman. Wright was just 18 years old at the time.

The track was sampled by Mary J. Blige on her 1992 tune Real Love.

'There’s eras of the song in my life, the first is being in the backseat of a car. Your mom’s singing it and you’re singing right along with her,' Lil Wayne said on the show that aired last month.

'The second is you’re riding in that car alone and now you find those words meaning something totally different than what they meant when you were sitting in that backseat.'

Wright sang the Rolling Stones melody on his Playing With Fire track.

Producer DJ Khaled, who alongside Kendrick Lamar and Big Sean worked with the legend on song Holy Key, said: 'I’m talking about she just flowed — Tonight is the Night is just super classic, incredible.'

He also produced her final album in 2014, a collaboration with Rick Ross, titled Living... Love... Lies.'

Wright said about penning the 1974 track about losing virginity, which at the time was considered controversial for a woman to do: 'By then I was an adult. People could accept that from me. When I’m singing it, it was believable.'

The star also collaborated with rap artists Diddy, Nas and The Game.

Wright had five children. Her son Patrick was shot to death in 2005 when he was 21. No one was arrested for the shooting in South Florida. Wright performed at a rally in support of the arrest of Trayvon Martin's killer George Zimmerman in 2012.

'If I can lend a celebrity voice to it, because when my son died, the way I got through it was through the power of family and the power of prayer. And I began to write it out, as I have always done the pain in my life,' she explained about her participation.

Wright also famously turned down $1million to perform in South Africa in 1981 as a protest to the apartheid, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

Speaking about her work with a generation of music stars, Wright once said: 'I believe in legacy. And I believe in making the radio sound better. If I gotta listen to it, I want it to sound good.'
 

BigATLslim

Rising Star
BGOL Investor
Finding out at the beginning of March that she sang background on All I Do...and now.........this.

I can’t Man, I just can’t...
 
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