Biographies » Betty Carter (~britannica)

Betty Carter, Singer
Born: May 16, 1929 (* 1930 according to some sources)
Died: September 26, 1998

Betty Carter, original name "Lillie Mae Jones", also called "Lorraine Carter" or "Lorene Carter" (born May 16, 1930, Flint, Michigan, U.S.—died Sept. 26, 1998, Brooklyn, N.Y.), American jazz singer who is best remembered for the scat and other complex musical interpretations that showcased her remarkable vocal flexibility and musical imagination.

Carter studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory of Music in her native Michigan. At age 16 she began singing in Detroit jazz clubs, and after 1946 she worked in black bars and theatres in the Midwest, at first under the name Lorene Carter.

Albums » Betty Carter - I'm Yours, You're Mine (1996)

Betty Carter - I'm Yours, You're Mine (1996)

Album review by Bill Bennett (~jazztimes.com)
Betty Carter is historically important, one of the singers who took Lady Day's lead and took singing beyond the heights it had reached, who with Carmen created an elegant tradition of song interpretation. She is important for the future, a demanding bandleader who makes herself available to young players who would learn the art of jazz through the Jazz Ahead workshops she runs annually; the lucky among them become members of her band.

Betty Carter, 1929-1998, Singer

Betty Carter's website: ~www.bettycarter.org

Betty Carter, 1929-1998, Singer

Betty Carter's website: ~www.bettycarter.org