Is Madame Betty Lavette A Motowner, Or Not?

[Motown4Ever518]

Ian Levine thinks so, so that is good enough for me. I just finished reading her book "The Woman In Me", and don't know if I should put the book in my Motown Book Section or not. What are the thoughts out there. She did have an album on Motown in the early 80's, and was/is a Motor City home owner, having spent much of her life there, including time during the "Golden Age".

The book was OK, I always like reading about how music people navigated through a very tough business. However there were some things that I learned that I did not need to know. What I was inspired by is that she showed that"Ain't No Mountain High Enough".

[thomas96]

Ehhh. I wouldn't consider her a "Motowner." Not involved with it up to '72 and that's what I would consider a "Motowner."

[marv2]

Bettye LaVette is a Motor City original! She recorded for Motown so to me, yes she is definitely a Motown Alumni.

[Kamasu_Jr]

Is there a difference in being a Detroiter and a Motowner? There are lots of Detroiters, but apparently there is a Motowners' clique in which some Detroiters were not a part of. Still, some of them made it or survived in spite of their not being a "Motowner."

[theboyfromxtown]

It was a great book and I was pleased to read that Bettye is now doing well for herself both personally and professionally. She's worked damned hard for it and it's well deserved.

[roger]

Ehhh. I wouldn't consider her a "Motowner." Not involved with it up to '72 and that's what I would consider a "Motowner."

I'm sure I heard somewhere that this pre-1972 gem was written with Miss Betty in mind .....



Roger

[jsmith]

Well she recorded for Motown & came from Detroit ...........
.... that makes her 100% a Motowner for me.

[Kamasu_Jr]

Aretha is from Detroit and still lives there, but she is not a Motowner and probably could give a damn. Ms. Lavette writes about how her one album distributed by Motown came about in her book. She didn't record for the label during it's boom or golden era from 1962 to 1972. Like Aretha, I associate her with the Detroit music scene which thrived and survived because of and in spite of Motown. Like I said there's a mythical Motown pseudo clique that Martha Reeves often alludes to in interviews that others were just not a part of.

[RossHolloway]

I think you have to look at what made an artist famous or a household name. And by this criteria she is NOT a Motowner. Detroiter? Yes.

[phil]

she is NOT a Motowner. Detroiter? Yes.

I agree. For those who have her book, check out page 233, where she tells about her presence at the Heroes and Legends Banquet, in Beverly Hills. "All the Motowners were in the grand ballroom, including the fattest cat of all, Berry Gordy"...

[jsmith]

RE: I think you have to look at what made an artist famous or a household name.

So by your definition, the likes of the Monitors, Hattie Littles, Choker Campbell, EVD, Mable John, Francis Nero, the Satintones, Sammy Ward, Gino Parks, Valadiers, LaBrenda Ben, Blinky, Frank Wilson, the Andantes, Oma Heard, Debbie Dean & the like weren't Motowners as they never had hits & became famous.
I don't think I'll go with your criteria as to who is & IS NOT a Motowner.

[westgrandboulevard]

I'm in the UK, and am still unclear on the following, so I wonder if anyone here who is from Detroit, or from the immediate area could clarify :

My understanding is that Detroit during the first half of the 20th century was also known locally, nationally and internationally as 'The Motor City'. That was how I was taught in geography lessons over here in the early 60s.

Was the name 'Motortown' also used nationally across the US, or was it more common in the locality of Detroit?

My understanding is that 'Motown' is a contraction of ' Motortown' [[as in Mo'town) - but was Detroit, apart from being dubbed ' The Motor City', also known as Motown before Berry Gordy established his record label of that name, and then his corporate brand of music - or simply a name he coined himself?

[144man]

I'm not sure that it matters that much whether Bettye Lavette is a Motowner or not as long as Motown4Ever518 can remember where he put the book

If I ever start a thread on Bettye in the future, I'd probably use the Motown Forum.

[RossHolloway]

Ian Levine thinks so, so that is good enough for me. I just finished reading her book "The Woman In Me", and don't know if I should put the book in my Motown Book Section or not. What are the thoughts out there. She did have an album on Motown in the early 80's, and was/is a Motor City home owner, having spent much of her life there, including time during the "Golden Age".

The book was OK, I always like reading about how music people navigated through a very tough business. However there were some things that I learned that I did not need to know. What I was inspired by is that she showed that"Ain't No Mountain High Enough".

How many different labels did Betty record for before making her ONE album for Motown in the early 80's? I'm not familiar with her work, but I'm going to assume she had some minor/major hit records prior to this time period which made her "famous", she did not become famous for making that one album while signed to Motown, nor do I recall any singles being a big hit for her there.

After I googled her name, I see that Betty has recorded for: Calla, Atlantic, Silver Fox, Epic, West End Records, Art & Soul, SSS International, Dutch Munich, ATVO, ANTI-Record, Charly, Blues Express... Ms. Lavette may be many things, but I WOULD NOT call her a Motowner, in the pure or classical sense of the word.

[RossHolloway]

RE: I think you have to look at what made an artist famous or a household name.

So by your definition, the likes of the Monitors, Hattie Littles, Choker Campbell, EVD, Mable John, Francis Nero, the Satintones, Sammy Ward, Gino Parks, Valadiers, LaBrenda Ben, Blinky, Frank Wilson, the Andantes, Oma Heard, Debbie Dean & the like weren't Motowners as they never had hits & became famous.
I don't think I'll go with your criteria as to who is & IS NOT a Motowner.

All those artists that you listed were signed and recorded for Motown during the labels GOLDEN AGE while the label was still located in Detroit. All those acts can claim they were there and were labelmates to the likes of the Temptation and the Miracles and the Four Top and The Supremes and Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder and worked with the writers and producers who put Motown on the map. Having released just one album after she was an established artist in the early 1980's does not make her a "Motowner". But that's just my opinion.

[marv2]

Detroit was always also known as "The Big D!" apart from being called "The Motor City". It was never commonly referred to as "Motortown" or "Motown" prior to Berry Gordy and company becoming World famous.

[marv2]

All those artists that you listed were signed and recorded for Motown during the labels GOLDEN AGE while the label was still located in Detroit. All those acts can claim they were there and were labelmates to the likes of the Temptation and the Miracles and the Four Top and The Supremes and Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder and worked with the writers and producers who put Motown on the map. Having released just one album after she was an established artist in the early 1980's does not make her a "Motowner". But that's just my opinion.

Miss Bettye is more of a "Motowner" than SOME of the Supremes! Oh and try telling George Clinton that he is not a "Motowner" hehehehehehe.....!

[Motown4Ever518]

I'm not sure that it matters that much whether Bettye Lavette is a Motowner or not as long as Motown4Ever518 can remember where he put the book

If I ever start a thread on Bettye in the future, I'd probably use the Motown Forum.

Thank you 144man, before I went to bed the night that I first started the thread, I put it on one of the two shelves I have devoted to Motown.

[midnightman]

She's a Detroit music legend but she's not a Motowner.

[RossHolloway]

She's a Detroit music legend but she's not a Motowner.

*THIS* She is no more a Motowner then Soupy Sales or Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies.

[robb_k]

Bettye also recorded for Robert West's LuPine Records, and Ollie McLaughlin's Karen Records, and Florence Greenberg's Scepter Records.

[Kamasu_Jr]

Bettye also recorded for Robert West's LuPine Records, and Ollie McLaughlin's Karen Records, and Florence Greenberg's Scepter Records.

TRUE. She's a Detroit based artist like Barbara Lewis, Wilson Pickett, Aretha, Freda Payne and so on. They aren't Motowners, but they were among the best from the Motorcity. The city offered a lot of great musicians and singers. But I bet Ms Lavette doesn't really care whether she's associated with Motown or not, she survived.

[midnightman]

Off topic but I love how some people call Aretha the "Queen of Motown" or the "Motown legend" because some assume Detroit = Motown. LOL

[Motown4Ever518]

midnightman, actually, I remember watching a daytime talk show where The Women of Motown were being interviewed around the time of the release of the book "Berry And Me", and one of the other guests was jumping up and down about how much she loved "Respect", one of the Women of Motown politely informed the other guest that Aretha was not a Motown Artist.

If one looks at the Motown Category on EBay in the CD's for sale section, one will find half the CD's not Motown, stylistically, or by geography.