Betty Davis — cultishly-beloved funk artist and legendary live performer known for her bold, untameable persona — has died at age 77. As reported by Rolling Stone, her passing was confirmed by close friend Danielle Maggio, an ethnomusicologist whose work focused on Davis' music and life. No specific cause of death was given, though Davis reportedly died of natural causes.
A model by trade, Davis first started making music under her own name, Betty Mabry, around 1964. That year she released her single "Get Ready for Betty." She quickly became an influential figure in the New York music scene, and wrote the Chambers Brothers' 1967 song "Uptown (to Harlem)."
In 1968 she married Miles Davis and appeared on the cover of his album Filles de Kilimanjaro that same year. Davis was also the inspiration behind Miles' "Mademoiselle Mabry." Additionally, Davis is credited with introducing her then-husband to the era's rock music, inspiring his jazz fusion era that spawned 1969's In a Silent Way and 1970's Bitches Brew.
Davis went on to write and record three solo albums, her 1973 self-titled, 1974's They Say I'm Different and 1975's Nasty Gal. After the commercial failure of Nasty Gal and a small handful of recording sessions in 1979, Davis abandoned the music industry and went on to live quietly in Pittsburgh, PA.
In 2017, a documentary was released called Betty: They Say I'm Different. In 2019, Davis released "A Little Bit Hot Tonight", her first new song in over 40 years, which was performed by Maggio, who associate produced the documentary.
A model by trade, Davis first started making music under her own name, Betty Mabry, around 1964. That year she released her single "Get Ready for Betty." She quickly became an influential figure in the New York music scene, and wrote the Chambers Brothers' 1967 song "Uptown (to Harlem)."
In 1968 she married Miles Davis and appeared on the cover of his album Filles de Kilimanjaro that same year. Davis was also the inspiration behind Miles' "Mademoiselle Mabry." Additionally, Davis is credited with introducing her then-husband to the era's rock music, inspiring his jazz fusion era that spawned 1969's In a Silent Way and 1970's Bitches Brew.
Davis went on to write and record three solo albums, her 1973 self-titled, 1974's They Say I'm Different and 1975's Nasty Gal. After the commercial failure of Nasty Gal and a small handful of recording sessions in 1979, Davis abandoned the music industry and went on to live quietly in Pittsburgh, PA.
In 2017, a documentary was released called Betty: They Say I'm Different. In 2019, Davis released "A Little Bit Hot Tonight", her first new song in over 40 years, which was performed by Maggio, who associate produced the documentary.
