From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American singer (born 1944)
Betty Kelly
|
---|
Betty Kelly in 1965
|
|
Birth name
| Betty Kelly
|
---|
Born
| (
1944-09-16
)
September 16, 1944
(age 79)
|
---|
Origin
| Attalla, Alabama
, U.S.
|
---|
Genres
| R&B
,
soul
|
---|
Occupation(s)
| Singer
|
---|
Years active
| 1961?1967
|
---|
Labels
| Gordy
|
---|
Musical artist
Betty Kelly
(born September 16, 1944), also known as
Betty Kelley
, is an American singer most noted as being a member of the popular Motown singing group
Martha and the Vandellas
.
[1]
Early years
[
edit
]
Born in
Attalla, Alabama
, Kelly moved with her family to
Kalamazoo, Michigan
when she was a child. In 1964, she replaced
Annette Beard
as a member of
Martha and the Vandellas
, the group led by
Martha Reeves
and featuring
Rosalind Ashford
. In 1961, she joined Motown singing group
The Velvelettes
.
[2]
Martha and the Vandellas
[
edit
]
Kelly joined what became the most famed lineup of the Vandellas, which recorded "I'm Ready for Love", "
Nowhere to Run
" and "
My Baby Loves Me
". The group performed on
The Ed Sullivan Show
,
Shindig!
and
American Bandstand
. Kelly was fired from the group in the summer of 1967?about the same time that
Florence Ballard
was fired from
The Supremes
?and was replaced by Martha's younger sister
Lois Reeves
with the group's name changed to
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
.
Later years
[
edit
]
After her Motown years, Kelly moved to California, where she worked for a savings and loan association until her retirement. Kelly left the music industry after she became partially deaf in one ear. In 1995, Kelly was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
as a Vandella alongside Martha and Lois Reeves, Annette Beard, and Rosalind Ashford. She remains connected to her Motown family, participating with Janie Bradford's Annual Heroes & Legends Awards, working with other artists at music festivals such as "Sunset Junction," and most recently attending a special artist family night of "Motown: The Musical" on Broadway.
References
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
Clemente, John (2000). Girl Groups?Fabulous Females That Rocked The World. Iola, Wisc. Krause Publications. pp. 276.
ISBN
0-87341-816-6
.
|
---|
- Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
|
Studio albums
| |
---|
Live albums
| |
---|
Compilation albums
| |
---|
Singles
| |
---|
Related topics
| |
---|
|
---|
Performers
| |
---|
Early influences
| |
---|
Non-performers
(Ahmet Ertegun Award)
| |
---|