... she died on August 19, 2001 at 61.
R&B singer and pianist Betty Everett was born in Greenwood, Mississippi. She is known for her biggest hit single "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)."
At the age of nine, Everett began playing the piano and singing gospel music in church. She continued until moving to Chicago in 1957 to pursue a career in secular music. She recorded for various small local labels produced by Ike Turner and Curtis Mayfield. She was discovered in 1963 by A&R musical director Calvin Carter, of the independent label, Vee-Jay Records.
That same year, she recorded a bluesy version of "You're No Good,"written by Clint Ballard, Jr. and later a #1 hit for Linda Ronstadt. Betty's rendition just missed the U.S. top 50.
Her next single, the catchy "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)", was her biggest solo hit. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and made #1 on the Cashbox R&B chart.
Her other hits included "I Can't Hear You", "Getting Mighty Crowded" (covered by Elvis Costello in 1980), and several duets with Jerry Butler, including "Let It Be Me" which made the US Top 5 in 1964 and was another Cashbox R&B number 1. After Vee-Jay folded in 1966, she recorded for several other labels.
She had another major success in 1969 with "There'll Come A Time," co-written by producer and lead singer of The Chi-Lites, Eugene Record, this rose to #2 in the Billboard R&B listing (#26 on the Hot 100) and topped the Cashbox chart.
Most of her later work could not match the success she had with Vee-Jay, although there were other R&B hits with "It's Been A Long Time" and "I Got To Tell Somebody. Her awards include the BMI Pop Award (both for 1964 and 1991) and the BMI R&B Award (for 1964).
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In 2000, she made her last public appearance on the PBS special Doo Wop 51 along with her former singing partner, Jerry Butler.
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