Bette Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bette Smith
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Bette Smith in Brooklyn, NY, 2017
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| Background information | |
| Born | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2005–present |
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Bette Smith is an amazing American singer who performs soul, rock, and blues music. She has released albums with different record labels, and as of 2024, she works with Kartel Music Group. Bette's family comes from Trinidad. She is even a member of the New York Blues Hall of Fame! Bette has worked with many talented musicians like Jimbo Mathus and Kirk Fletcher. You can often find her performing at music festivals across North America and in Europe.
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Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Bette Smith's real name is Sharon Meriel Kathleen Smith. She grew up in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents are from Trinidad.
Her father was a choir director at their church. He taught Bette how to sing. She often sang special parts in the church's gospel choir. This is where her musical journey began!
Bette's Music Career
Starting Out (2000s-2010s)
Bette released her first album in 2006. It was called From The Well Of My Inner Child. Back then, she used the stage name "Bette Stuy."
In 2012, Bette was honored by being inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame. This was a big step in her career!
A sad event in 2013 changed things for Bette. Her older brother, Louis, was very sick. He encouraged her to follow her dream of becoming a full-time singer.
So, in 2015, she released an EP (which is like a mini-album) called Introducing Bette Stuy: This is Neo Blues. She put together a band and started playing at clubs and even on the street in New York City.
First Big Album (2017)
A musician heard Bette singing at a street fair. This person knew Jimbo Mathus, a famous musician from the band Squirrel Nut Zippers. Bette got in touch with Jimbo, and he wanted to work with her!
She traveled to Mississippi to record her first official album as Bette Smith. It was called Jetlagger. This album was released in September 2017. It included her own songs and covers of songs by artists like the Staples Singers.
In 2018, a radio show called Radiolab asked Bette to create a song. It was for a special album inspired by the 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Bette chose the 13th Amendment and wrote a song called "Happy Warrior."
Bette also started touring in Europe to promote Jetlagger. She performed at big events like the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 2018. She toured Europe again in 2019.
New Music and Tours (2020s)
Bette continued to release new music. In 2020, she released singles like "Dance Monkey" with Kirk Fletcher and "Memories" with Jesse Johnson.
Her second album, The Good, the Bad and the Bette, came out in September 2020. It was produced by Matt Patton and Bronson Tew. This album included songs Bette helped write. It also featured other great musicians like Luther Dickinson and Patterson Hood. One of her songs, "Fistful of Dollars," even reached number one on a music chart!
In 2021, Bette toured with bands like the Drive-By Truckers and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. She also performed at the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. In 2022, she sang at the famous Kennedy Center.
Bette released more singles in 2022 and 2023. These included a cover of the Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar" with Kirk Fletcher. She also collaborated with Harvey Mandel and Arthur Adams.
She performed at many festivals in 2022 and 2023, including the Calgary Folk Music Festival. In early 2024, she was invited to perform on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise with other blues legends like Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo'.
Bette recorded her third album, Goodthing, in 2023. It was produced by Jimmy Hogarth. This album is set to be released in July 2024. The title song, "Goodthing," was even featured on a popular radio station!
Discography
Albums
| Title | Artist | Year | Label | Producer |
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| Goodthing | Bette Smith | 2024 | Kartel Music Group | Jimmy Hogarth |
| The Good, The Bad and The Bette | Bette Smith | 2020 | Ruf Records | Matt Patton, Bronson Tew |
| 27: The Most Perfect Album | Bette Smith, Dolly Parton, They Might Be Giants, Devendra Banhart, Kevin Morby and Others | 2018 | Jad Abumrad, Suzie Lechtenberg, Julia Longoria, Alex Overington, Kelly Prime, Sarah Qari | |
| Jetlagger | Bette Smith | 2017 | Big Legal Mess Records | Jimbo Mathus |
| Introducing Bette Stuy: This is Neo Blues | as Bette Stuy | 2015 | ||
| From The Well Of My Inner Child | as Bette Stuy | 2006 |
Singles as artist
| Title | Artist | Year | Label | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Eternal Blessings" | Bette Smith | 2024 | Kartel Music Group | Jimmy Hogarth |
| "Goodthing" | Bette Smith | 2024 | Kartel Music Group | Jimmy Hogarth |
| "Beautiful Mess" | Bette Smith | 2024 | Kartel Music Group | Jimmy Hogarth |
| "M.O.N.E.Y" | Bette Smith | 2024 | Kartel Music Group | Jimmy Hogarth |
| "Happiness" | Bette Smith | 2023 | Kartel Music Group | Jimmy Hogarth |
| "Tennessee Whiskey" | Bette Smith and Harvey Mandel | 2023 | Cleopatra Records | |
| "Sign Your Name" | Bette Smith and Arthur Adams | 2023 | Cleopatra Records | |
| "Brown Sugar" | Bette Smith and Kirk Fletcher | 2022 | Cleopatra Records | |
| "Dance Monkey" | Bette Smith and Kirk Fletcher | 2020 | Cleopatra Records | |
| "Memories" | Bette Smith and Jesse Johnson | 2020 | Cleopatra Records |
Singles/tracks as featured artist
| Title | Artist | Year | Label | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Stand By Me" | Ben E. King feat. Bette Smith and Ronnie Earl | 2022 | Cleopatra Records | |
| "Lady in Red" | Joe Louis Walker feat. Bette Smith | 2021 | Cleopatra Records | Scott Petito |
| "With or Without You" | Fabrizio Grossi & Soul Garage Experience feat. Bette Smith | 2021 | Fabrizio Grossi | |
| "Life & Larry Brown: Judgement Day" | Larry Brown feat. Bette Smith et al. | 2020 | Fabrizio Grossi |
Personal Life
Bette Smith lives in Brooklyn, New York. She is a cousin of the gospel singer Wintley Phipps.
