Miami-based R&B singer Betty Wright, who recorded her signature 1971 hit “Clean Up Woman” when she was just 17, has passed away at 66, according to Essence. She was also a producer, vocal coach, and entrepreneur, becoming the first African American woman to score a gold record on her own label.
Wright, born Bessie Norris, entered show business at the age of two, signing with her siblings in a gospel group. She stepped out on her own when she was 11, switching to R&B, and recorded her first full album, “My First Time Around” at 14. The album led with the wiser-than-her-years “Girls Can’t Do What The Guys Do,” later sampled by Beyoncé on “Upgrade U.”
“Clean Up Woman” was her first substantial hit, reaching number six on the Hot 100 charts. The infectious groove has been sampled 43 times, most notably by Chance the Rapper, Mary J. Blige, Sublime, and G. Love & Special Sauce.
Other 70s essentials include a recording of Allen Toussaint’s “Shoorah! Shoorah!” that is pure joy and a live original about losing one’s virginity called “Tonight Is The Night.” The extended version begins with chatter to the audience about Wright’s mother, who said liked the melody, but shouted “I know you’re not gonna’ sing that song!”
“Where Is The Love?” netted her only Grammy award in 1975, though she accrued six nominations over the years.