Agent: Tom Gold (Worldwide)
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“A rugged, chugging southern soul record… Like Betty Davis or Betty Wright before her, she imbues tracks with shingly, saw-toothed texture, capable of breaking off a high note with a throaty cry or scraping so low and wide that she threatens to put her bass player out of work.” – Billboard
“Bette Smith moved effortlessly across the stage wearing a tight holographic vinyl dress and five-inch-heeled thigh-high boots, strutting like Tina Turner.” – The New York Times
“A stompin’ good time!” – All Things Considered
“A major new voice in soul music… Brooklyn’s Bette Smith possesses a one of a kind voice, deeply drenched in hot soul of the nearly incendiary Southern type. That voice could rock the biggest of stages and move mountains if it had to… Smith is the sort of artist that you’ll find yourself following her whole career.” – popmatters
Critically acclaimed soul artist and Brooklyn native, Bette Smith, unleashes her much anticipated album Goodthing (Kartel Music Group) with Grammy-winning UK producer Jimmy Hogarth, out July 12, 2024.
Coming off her much lauded indie albums Jetlagger (Big Legal Mess Records) and The Good, The Bad, and The Bette (Ruf Records) Bette’s musical prowess reaches new levels on her third album, Goodthing, featuring cookers “Goodthing,” “Whup ‘Em Good,” “Happiness” and “Neptune.” It all began when Bette flew across the pond and embarked on an exhilarating collaboration with Hogarth, renowned for his work with Amy Winehouse, James Bay and Paulo Nutini. Starting with “Eternal Blessings” and through three intensive days of songwriting and recording, they transformed the song. Soon after, they were crafting an array of mesmerizing tracks between Jimmy’s creative sanctuary in London and Bette’s
in Brooklyn, fusing previously written tracks with fresh compositions born of creative synergy.
Blessed with a voice described as “raspy,” “sassy,” “raunchy” and “sweet ’n soulful” and inspired by legends Tina, Aretha and Etta, Bette possesses a distinctive style that intertwines elements of soul, funk and rock into a uniquely gripping artform. Bette, an inductee of the New York Blues Hall of Fame, has collaborated with renowned musicians Jimbo Mathus, Patterson Hood, Kirk Fletcher and Luther Dickinson.
And Bette’s been busy on the road too. Completing an extensive series of tours and festivals across North America and Europe, including Calgary, Telluride, Harvest, Mempho and Holland, Bette is poised to conquer stages and enthrall audiences worldwide in 2024.
Like soul and funk icons Betty Davis and Betty Wright before her, Bette’s tremendous
range and power, combined with Goodthing‘s infectious energy, solidify her position as
an authentic and dynamic international soul artist, an iconic force in the industry for
years to come.
