Betty Wright, an American soul and R&B singer, who rose to fame with hits such as “Clean Up Woman” and “Tonight is the Night,” has died after battling cancer at the age of 66.
Steve Greenberg, president of S-Curve Records, confirmed the news of her death on Sunday, stating that it came after a battle with cancer.
Greenberg, who teamed up with Wright on several recordings, called her “one of the most significant women in the history of R&B music, period.”
Her real name was Bessie Regina Norris. She was also prominent about the use of the whistle register.
Wright’s “Clean Up Woman” song rose to number six on the Billboard singles charts in the 70s, prefaced years of successes for her that included a Grammy win for “Where is the Love” in 1975.
After a year of Grammy win, Wright became the first woman to have a record on her own label to achieve gold status.
She worked with many artists and ended up teaming up with Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Lil Wayne, and The Roots. Wright also played a great role in mentoring younger artists, including Jennifer Lopez and Joss Stone.
In 2011, she discussed her reasons for coaching younger singers to NPR. She 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. So I’m tired of people disturbing the peace, getting on the radio and sounding a hot mess,” she added. “If I can tell what the note really is, why let them go to the note they think it is? I’ve got that mama vibe. I don’t look at it with an ego.” Born on December 21, 1953, in Miami, Florida, Wright was the youngest of seven children of Rosa Akins Braddy-Wright and her second husband, McArthur Norris.
