Who was Betty Davis? Tributes pour in as 'Queen of Funk' dies aged 77

Queen of Funk Singer Betty Davis recently passed away on February 9, at the age of 77. She was mostly known as the ex-wife of singer Miles Davis.

Amie Downs, communications director for Allegheny County, where Davis lived, stated that Betty Davis died of natural causes. However, further details on the same are yet to be revealed.

Betty’s death was confirmed by her friend Danielle Maggio. Davis’ longtime friend Connie Portis also issued a statement saying:

“It is with great sadness that I share the news of the passing of Betty Davis, a multi-talented music influencer and pioneer rock star, singer, songwriter and fashion icon.”

There are no known survivors of Betty Davis and details on her memorial are yet to be disclosed.

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Portis also said that Davis was a friend, aunt, niece, and beloved member of her community of Homestead, Pennsylvania, and of the worldwide community of friends and fans.

Even though Betty Davis was a controversial artist for some reason, she had a huge fan following. The public and other popular personalities paid tribute on social media when they heard about her death:

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Betty Davis and her journey in the music industry

Betty Davis was a controversial figure because of her song lyrics (Image via Anthony Barboza/Getty Images)

Betty's origins and early life

Born on July 16, 1944, she became familiar with her controversial s*xual lyrics and performance style. She grew up in Durham, North Carolina, and used to listen to musicians like B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, and others on her grandmother’s farm in Reidsville, North Carolina.

She left for New York City at the age of 16 and enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She got in touch with a hip uptown club called the Cellar, which used to feature a multiracial and artsy crowd of models, design students, actors, and singers. She played records and chatted with everyone at the Cellar.

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Start and growth of her career

Davis met musicians like Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone in New York and her musical career began through her friendship with singer Lou Courtney, who produced her first single, The Cellar. She then wrote Uptown for the Chambers Brothers and their album was a huge success in 1967.

She recorded Get Ready for Betty in 1964 for DCP International and a duet with Roy Arlington, releasing a single for Safice called I’ll Be There. Betty was involved with Hugh Masekela until 1968 and recorded various songs for Columbia Records.

Davis recorded a few demo tracks in Columbia’s 52nd St. Studios. While Miles Davis tried to use them to get an album deal for Betty, they were archived into a vault and were released in the compilation, The Columbia Years, 1968-1969 in 2016.

Betty gained recognition for her relationship with Miles Davis. The pair dated in early 1968 and tied the knot the same year. Betty influenced Miles by introducing him to the fashions and the famous music trends of the time.

However, Miles mentioned in his autobiography that Betty was too young and wild and accused her of having an affair with Jimi Hendrix. Betty denied the claims and Miles then filed for divorce in 1969.

Betty shifted to London in 1971 after her separation from Miles and pursued her modeling career. She wrote songs for a year intending to record with Santana. However, she recorded her songs with a few West Coast funk musicians.

The singer’s first record, Betty Davis, was released in 1973 followed by two studio albums, They Say I’m Different and Nasty Gal. Unfortunately, all three albums failed to get a decent response.

She remained a popular figure because of her s*xual lyrics and performance style, which were controversial. Although she was successful in Europe, she was restricted from performing on television because of her s*xually aggressive stage personality.

Following a few recording sessions in 1979, she stopped making music and went back to Pittsburgh. After 40 years, she released her first new song, A Little Bit Hot Tonight, in 2019.