Bette Smith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bette Smith
Bette Smith in Brooklyn, NY, 2017
Background information
Born	Brooklyn, New York, United States
Genres	Soul Rock Blues
Years active	2005–present
Labels	Ruf Records Cleopatra Records Big Legal Mess Records Kartel Music Group
Associated acts	Drive-By Truckers Jimbo Mathus Kenny Wayne Shepherd Kirk Fletcher Jesse Johnson Joe Louis Walker Fabrizio Grossi & Soul Garage Experience

Bette Smith is an American singer known for her powerful soul, rock, and blues music. She has released albums with labels like Ruf Records and Kartel Music Group.

Bette Smith is from a Trinidadian family. She is also a member of the New York Blues Hall of Fame. She has worked with many famous musicians, including Jimbo Mathus, Kirk Fletcher, and Patterson Hood. Bette often performs at blues festivals in North America and Europe.

Early life

Sharon Meriel Kathleen Smith, known as Bette Smith, grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents came from Trinidad.

Her father was a choir director at their church. He taught Bette how to sing. She sang many important parts in the church's gospel choir.

Career

Starting Out (2010s)

Bette Smith released her first album in 2006. She used the name "Bette Stuy" for this album, which was called From The Well Of My Inner Child.

She studied at different colleges, including The New School in New York City. She also worked various jobs to support herself.

In 2012, Bette was honored by being added to the New York Blues Hall of Fame.

Bette Smith performing at Beaver Creek Blues Festival in Colorado, 2024

In 2013, Bette's older brother, Louis, encouraged her to follow her dream of becoming a full-time singer. In 2015, she released an EP (a shorter album) called Introducing Bette Stuy: This is Neo Blues. She then formed a band and started playing in clubs and on the streets of New York City.

A musician heard her singing at a street fair. This led to her meeting Jimbo Mathus, a member of the band Squirrel Nut Zippers. Mathus wanted to work with her. Bette went to Mississippi and recorded her first album as Bette Smith, called Jetlagger.

In July 2017, the music video for her song "Manchild" was shown for the first time by Billboard magazine. Jetlagger was released in September 2017. It included her own songs and covers of songs by other artists like the Staples Singers.

In 2018, a radio show called Radiolab asked Bette to create a song for their project. The project was called 27: The Most Perfect Album. Each song was inspired by one of the 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Bette chose the 13th Amendment and wrote "Happy Warrior."

Jetlagger received good reviews from many music publications. Bette toured in Europe to promote the album. She performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 2018. She also played at festivals in Spain, France, and The Netherlands. She toured Europe again in July 2019.

Recent Years (2020s)

In February 2020, Bette released the song "Dance Monkey" with Kirk Fletcher. Later that year, she released "Memories" with Jesse Johnson. Her second album, The Good, the Bad and the Bette, came out in September 2020 on Ruf Records.

This album was produced by Matt Patton and Bronson Tew. It included songs Bette helped write. Other musicians like Luther Dickinson and Patterson Hood also contributed. The song "Fistful of Dollars" became very popular in April 2021.

In 2021, Bette toured the U.S. with bands like the Drive-By Truckers and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. She also performed at the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. In 2022, she performed at the Kennedy Center.

Bette Smith performing at Bilbao Blues Festival in 2023

In February 2022, Bette and Kirk Fletcher released a cover of the Rolling Stones' song "Brown Sugar." In August 2022, she was featured on Ben E. King's album Supernatural Soul. She sang on the song "Stand By Me" with King and Ronnie Earl.

Bette performed at several festivals in the summer of 2022. These included the Mempho Music Festival and the Calgary Folk Music Festival.

In 2023, she released two more songs: "Tennessee Whiskey" with Harvey Mandel and "Sign Your Name" with Arthur Adams. She was invited to perform at many festivals, including the Holland International Blues Festival. In early 2024, she performed on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise with famous artists like Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo'.

Bette recorded her third album, Goodthing, in 2023. It was produced by Jimmy Hogarth and released in July 2024. The song "Goodthing" was featured on a public radio station. Other songs from the album were added to popular playlists on Spotify.

In the summer of 2024, Bette Smith and her new album were featured on podcasts and radio shows. She also performed in the New York City subway system. In June 2024, she was the main performer at the Columbia Pike Blues Festival. In October, she toured Europe, playing sold-out shows in London, Paris, and Milan.

In April 2025, Bette Smith released a new song. It was a cover of Foreigner's "I Want To Know What Love Is." She plans to tour Europe again in 2025, performing at festivals in Italy, France, and Spain.

Discography

Albums

Singles as artist

Singles/tracks as featured artist

Personal life

Bette Smith lives in Brooklyn, New York. She is a cousin of the gospel singer Wintley Phipps.