When people think of Betty Wright, they automatically think of the 70's. That era of old school Funk and Disco that brought "The Clean Up Woman" onto the scene in a big way. But Ms. B's song didn't end there … it was only just beginning.
She ushered in the 80's with a controversial smash duet, "She's Got Papers On Me," with Richard "Dimples" Fields and a new contract with Epic Records. The first Epic single, "What Are You Gonna Do With It," was produced and co-written by Stevie Wonder who asked Betty to contribute vocals to his "Hotter Than July" album. The result: Betty is distinctively heard singing along side Michael Jackson on "All I Do" and as a part of Stevie's wonderful tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr., "Happy Birthday."
And speaking of the Jacksons, much of Betty's second Epic album, "Wright Back At You," was produced by Marlon. Unfortunately, it had the misfortune of being released on the same day as Michael's "Thriller." It's not too hard to figure out which one got the push. Still, Betty, a licensed and ordained minister, believed that "all things work together for the good of them who love the Lord," and kept right on goin'.
1986 saw the release of the "Sevens" album on First String, but it was in 1987 that things really started movin' on the fast track again. Betty went about the business of taking business into her own hands and established her own production, music publishing and record companies. This shrewd little move gave Betty "No Pain, No Gain," and the distinction of being the first African American female to have a gold record on her own record label. And it was still no indication of what was to come.
Betty ushered in the 90's with her third album on Ms. B Records but had precious little time to promote it. Affectionately known as the "Queen of the Miami Sound," in 1991, Betty was called upon to help new Miami royalty Gloria Estefan get her voice back in shape after her tragic bus accident. During this time, Betty contributed vocals to nine of the tracks for the "Coming Out of the Dark" album and is seen in the video for the song, both the English and Spanish versions, directing the choir.
In addition, Betty did a stint backing Gloria on the road during her European tour to support the album. In 92, Betty found herself on the adult contemporary charts with a remake of the old Champaign song, "How Bout Us" with Grayson Hugh which was featured in the soundtrack to the movie "True Love."
At about the same time, Betty ended up in court! Well, sort of. You see, Color Me Badd was just reaching the top of the pop charts with a little ditty called "I Wanna Sex You Up." In addition to stealing the theme and bass line of Betty's classic "Tonight is the Night," they had even stolen her voice as featured on her 1978 platinum selling "Live" album.
After a very nasty court battle, Betty walked away with 35% of the writer royalties for the song. This sparked a renewed interest in Betty and her music, as her 70's classics began popping up on Greatest Hits albums and compilations everywhere. To date, "Tonight is the Night" has been sampled by not just Color Me Badd, but Candyman, Tupac Shakur, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Kriss Kross and countless others, while the original version is currently available on more than a dozen CDs in stores now.
And it's not just about what Betty's done … it's what she's still doing. Her fourth Ms. Records album, "B-Attitudes" was released in 1994 to critical acclaim and she appeared just last year on "Regatta Mondatta - A Reggae Tribute to the Police" as well as the soundtrack to "Speed 2" with a remake of "Every Breath You Take." She continues to record and perform live all across the world, including with buddy Bruce Willis as part of the Planet Hollywood Grand Opening Revue which has taken her as far as Amsterdam, Paris and Berlin.
Finally, when she can find time, she's still in her home away from home, the recording studio, working on tracks not just for herself, but for others. She's recently produced fellow old schoolers Millie Jackson and Ronnie Laws and contributed vocal production to the likes of Jon Secada, Enrique Iglesius and Jennifer Lopez.
Yes, no doubt about it, Ms. B is still 'cleanin' up!