Betty Davis, a popular funk singer who was once the wife of legendary jazz musician Miles Davis has died. She died at the age of 77.
According to Rolling Stone, the death of Davis was confirmed by a close friend, Danielle Maggio. Also, Amie Downs, the Communications Director of Allegheny County, where Betty lived, verified that she died of natural causes.
In the same vein, another close friend of Davis, Connie Portis, released a statement that read: “It is with great sadness that I share the news of the passing of Betty Davis, a multitalented music influencer and pioneer rock star, singer, songwriter, and fashion icon.
“Most of all, Betty was a friend, aunt, niece, and beloved member of her community of Homestead, Pennsylvania, and of the worldwide community of friends and fans. At a time to be announced, we will pay tribute to her beautiful, bold, and brash persona. Today we cherish her memory as the sweet, thoughtful, and reflective person she was … there is no other.”
Davis was born in Durham, North Carolina but relocated to New York City while she was a teenager in the early 1960s and enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Davis worked as a model for magazines like Seventeen and Glamour. While she was modelling, she started releasing her music, which include the singles “The Cellar” and “Get Ready for Betty.”
Though she didn’t release any recent songs, her songs were reissued over the years. Betty Davis and a few of her other ’70s albums were released, and her songs were heard on the Netflix prison series, Orange Is the New Black and other television series.
She wrote, arranged, and produced a song, A Little Bit Hot Tonight, in 2019.
