Bettye LaVette is a symbol of gritty persistence in the face of music industry indifference. Though she emerged from the same fecund Detroit music community that gave rise to, among many others, Aretha Franklin and the entire early Motown roster, she remained a relative unknown to those outside the most dedicated of soul circles. In the early 2000s, however, LaVette's career underwent a surprising resurgence, and in 2005 she released I'VE GOT MY OWN HELL TO RAISE. The triumphant, critically acclaimed comeback album featured renditions of songs by the likes of Lucinda Williams, Sinead O'Connor, and Fiona Apple. A tour followed, and in 2007 she released THE SCENE OF THE CRIME, with musical backing by alt-country young guns the Drive-By Truckers.

Listen to Bettye LaVette at Finetune.

• (2007)  The Scene of the Crime
• (0000)  I've Got My Own Hell To Raise

• I Still Want To Be Your Baby (Take Me Like I Am)
• Streets of Philadelphia
• Choices
• You Dont Know Me At All
• Talking Old Soldiers

• Otis Redding
• Aretha Franklin
• Mavis Staples
• Irma Thomas
• Fontella Bass
• Candi Staton
• Laura Lee
• Carla Thomas
• Arthur Alexander
• Barbara Lynn
• Betty Everett
• Diana Ross
• Drive-By Truckers
• Lucinda Williams
• Fiona Apple
• Joan Armatrading
• Etta James
• Angie Stone
• Anthony Hamilton
• Detroit Cobras

• Ledbetter
• JBER
• Lyelac
• prinpronisse
• S_Fleitas
• RaimundE
• GoldenApollo
• OceanWaves
• mjwhitt1

• Ledbetter on 2008-10-10 19:52:05.273:
  I saw her in 2008 at a Blues Festival, what an accomplished preformer.