Accessibility links
Bettye LaVette Bettye LaVette artist page: interviews, features and/or performances archived at NPR Music

Bettye LaVette

Bettye LaVette Might Be Just What You Need Today

Bettye LaVette Joseph Rosen/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Joseph Rosen/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

Bettye LaVette Might Be Just What You Need Today

XPN

LaVette just released Blackbirds, an album of reinterpretations of songs popularized by some of her favorite jazz singers.

Betty Lavette On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/907036078/907045079" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Bettye LaVette On World Cafe

Bettye LaVette. Mark Seliger/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Mark Seliger/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Bettye LaVette On World Cafe

XPN

At 72 years old, LaVette is back with a deep dive into Bob Dylan's songbook for her latest record Things Have Changed.

Bettye LaVette On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/621775550/621827825" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
'My Fifth Career': Bettye LaVette Reinvents Bob Dylan For Herself

Bettye LaVette's Things Have Changed is out now on Verve Records. Mark Seliger/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Mark Seliger/Courtesy of the artist

Music Interviews

'My Fifth Career': Bettye LaVette Reinvents Bob Dylan For Herself

The 72-year-old soul star reflects on a lifetime of overcoming industry skepticism and making Dylan's lyrics personal on her latest album Things Have Changed, her first major label release in 30 years.

'My Fifth Career': Bettye LaVette Reinvents Bob Dylan For Herself

Listen · 9:06
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/612088231/612697063" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
New Music Friday: March 30

Hayley Kiyoko's debut album Expectations is out now on Atlantic. Amanda Charchian/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Amanda Charchian/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: March 30

Hear a quick run through the essential new albums dropping this week, from the crazy infectious pop of Haley Kiyoko to the Cuban big band Orquesta Akokán and more.

New Music Friday: March 30

Listen · 23:56
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/597920256/598136044" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Bettye LaVette On Mountain Stage

Bettye LaVette. Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage hide caption

toggle caption
Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage

Mountain Stage

Bettye LaVette On Mountain Stage

Bettye LaVette began her career in the soul-intensive climate of 1960s Detroit, and recent albums have helped her find a huge new audience. Here, she performs a set with her backing band.

Bettye LaVette On Mountain Stage

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/301427203/301427814" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Music Interviews

Bettye LaVette's Journey To The National Stage

Fresh Air

If you've never heard of Bettye LaVette, the soul singer who belted out "A Change Is Gonna Come" with Jon Bon Jovi at the Inauguration Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial on Jan 18., you may be wondering why.

Bettye LaVette's Journey To The National Stage

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99777150/99777891" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Music Interviews

Bettye LaVette Is the Comeback Queen

Fresh Air

After more than 40 years in the music business, Bettye LaVette is finally getting the notice she deserves. Her new album of Southern soul songs, The Scene of the Crime, was nominated for a Grammy and is still getting rave reviews.

Bettye LaVette Is the Comeback Queen

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/17311075/17322734" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Review

Song Of The Day

Bettye LaVette Picks Up the Pieces of a Lost Career

The '60s soul singer, newly discovered after decades of disappointment, sounds as if she means every word of Willie Nelson's "Somebody Pick Up My Pieces." Does any indie soul singer bring more guts, more conviction and more emotion to her singing?

Somebody Pick Up My Pieces

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/15440764/15419775" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Music Interviews

Singer Bettye Lavette, Still Raising Hell

Bettye LaVette is currently celebrating her 60th birthday, and her latest album, I've Got My Own Hell to Raise. And as she's done for four decades, she's still raising hell on the concert circuit.

Singer Bettye Lavette, Still Raising Hell

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5246297/5246503" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Review

Music Reviews

The 'Return' of Soul Singer Bettye LaVette

Detroit rhythm-and-blues singer Bettye LaVette had a few hit records in the 1960s and then disappeared — sort of. For the past 40 years, she's been making records and appearing on Broadway. On her new CD I've Got My Own Hell to Raise, LaVette covers 10 songs, all written by women.

The 'Return' of Soul Singer Bettye LaVette

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/4965908/4965909" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
The Dynamites: A Celebration Of Resurrection

The Dynamites. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Courtesy of the artist

Review

Song Of The Day

The Dynamites: A Celebration Of Resurrection

Soul music is rooted in gritty perseverance, so pairing up stalwarts Bettye LaVette and Charles Walker works on so many levels, it's a miracle it hasn't happened until now. "Yours and Mine" is an exhilarating affirmation of the power to prevail.

'Yours and Mine' by The Dynamites feat. Charles Walker and Bettye LaVette

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/154591097/154597807" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Bettye LaVette: Open To Interpretation

Soul icon Bettye LaVette recently performed live on WFUV in New York City. courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
courtesy of the artist

Favorite Sessions

Bettye LaVette: Open To Interpretation

WFUV

The soul icon burst back on to the scene this year with Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook, on which she covers classic rock tracks. LaVette joins Claudia Marshall at WFUV to perform two songs from the record and discuss how the project came about.

Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/130858352/130859637" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Bettye LaVette On World Cafe

Bettye LaVette performed on World Cafe. courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Bettye LaVette On World Cafe

XPN

The acclaimed soul icon is back with a collection of renditions of British Invasion songs. Listen to her bring a refreshing, powerful take to some classic songs in the WXPN studios.

Listen Now

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/131362652/131367998" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Bettye LaVette: A Place Of Enlightenment

Soul singer Bettye LaVette takes a George Harrison song and brings out its transcendent serenity. courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
courtesy of the artist

Review

Song Of The Day

Bettye LaVette: A Place Of Enlightenment

On her new collection of British rock covers, the soul singer takes a George Harrison song, "Isn't It a Pity," and brings out its transcendent serenity. LaVette was schooled in the tradition of soul music, and her restraint can't disguise the fact that she's heartbroken over humankind's inability to learn from its mistakes.

Isn't It A Pity

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/128847567/128831450" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
This Week's Mix: From Buzzcocks To Bettye LaVette

Review

All Songs Considered

This Week's Mix: From Buzzcocks To Bettye LaVette

This edition of All Songs Considered features Sleigh Bells, Toro Y Moi, Secret Cities, Accordion, Olafur Arnalds, Buzzcocks and more.

This Week's Mix: From Buzzcocks To Bettye LaVette

Listen · 31:02
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/127094916/127094915" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Bettye LaVette Re-Imagines 'The British Rock Songbook'

Bettye LaVette didn't grow up listening to the music she reinterprets on her new album. Instead, she listened to R&B. Carol Friedman hide caption

toggle caption
Carol Friedman

Music Interviews

Bettye LaVette Re-Imagines 'The British Rock Songbook'

The soul singer has performed on Broadway, been nominated for a Grammy and sung for President Obama. On her latest album, Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook, LaVette tackles songs by the likes of Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Elton John.

Bettye LaVette Re-Imagines 'The British Rock Songbook'

Listen · 10:27
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/127013277/127054788" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Browse archive or search npr.org