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1939-2001
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Born November 23, 1939, in Greenwood, Mississippi, Betty Everett moved to Chicago during the late 50’s. She began playing the piano and singing in church at age nine and these were two of her favorite activities. When she moved to Chicago, it was a very busy city even during the fifties and because of its overpopulation it was very hard for Betty during her first years. Betty Everett recorded for several local labels, including Cobra and Onederful, but Everett's big hits came when she signed with VeeJay Records. As a teenager, Betty performed with Muddy Waters and Magic Sam. Betty Everett recorded The Shoop Shoop Song [It's In His Kiss]. In the Spring of 1964 it was a top ten song. Other songs like I Can't Hear You and Getting Mighty Crowded were not as successful. She sang a duet with another well-known Chicago-area singer named Jerry Butler, and Let It Be Me also made the top ten that year. There were other Betty Everett/Jerry Butler duets. One was their single Smile and their LP Delicious Together. There'll Come A Time was her first entry in the soul charts, and it made number two. It was also her last top forty hit. Betty had five more songs to make the soul charts on Uni and Fantasy by 1971. She received the BMI Pop Award in 1964 and1991, and the BMI R&B Award in 1964.
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