Betty Davis
b. 7/26/44 Leo, Durham, NC
d. 2/9/22, NC
Born Betty Mabry, she was a model, singer, and all around bad ass.
She went to NYC to pursue music and a modeling career. and became a fixture on the underground club scene, soon becoming very close with Hendrix and Sly Stone.
Betty lived with an aunt while in fashion school and she fell in love with the music scene and started singing at underground spots.
She soon became a muse to fashion designer Stephen Burrows and also started modeling for Seventeen, Ebony, and Glamour.
After dating Hugh Masekela, she began a love affair with Miles Davis....who was fresh off a divorce from his first wife while dating Cicely Tyson.
Betty became Miles Davis' second wife (he left Cicely to marry Betty) and became the muse for what would be one of Davis biggest albums.
Bitches Brew.
She is also responsible for Davis linking with Hendrix and Sly Stone and their music would influence Davis, along with Betty as his muse, as he created a genre of jazz fusion.
Betty also began recording but much of her work during that time was shelved.
Herbie Hancock played in her band while she gigged and she also hung out with Santana while writing music.
While dating Eric Clapton, he helped her get her most decent deal which produced music that was widely performed live by Betty with a cult following, but ultimately shelved again by the record company.
She was offended described as a wild woman and a muse to some of the absolute greats of our time musically. Divine energy helps inspire creation.
To her peers, Betty soon completely disappeared. A music reporter tracked her down after unearthing her recordings. She was living in obscurity in NC and died shortly after being found.
There is a documentary on her on Prime.
Bad ass energy never dies. You can feel the drip in these pics.