Confirming the passing of Miles Davis' ex-wife is her longtime friend Connie Porties, who remembers the singer as 'a friend, aunt, niece, and beloved member of her community of Homestead, Pennsylvania.'
- Feb 10, 2022
AceShowbiz - Soul and funk singer Betty Davis has passed away. The trailblazing artist, who was once married to jazz legend Miles David, died in the early hours of Wednesday morning, February 9, according to a statement on her official website. She was 77 years old.
Connie Portis, Betty's friend of 65 years, said in a statement, "It is with great sadness that I share the news of the passing of Betty Davis, a multi-talented music influencer and pioneer rock star, singer, songwriter, and fashion icon. Most of all, Betty was a friend, aunt, niece, and beloved member of her community of Homestead, Pennsylvania, and of the worldwide community of friends and fans."
A memorial to honor Betty is being planned and will be announced at a later date. "At a time to be announced, we will pay tribute to her beautiful, bold, and brash persona," Connie added. "Today we cherish her memory as the sweet, thoughtful, and reflective person she was...There is no other."
Betty died in Homestead, Pennsylvania, where she had lived since the age of ten. No cause of death is given, but Betty's close friend and collaborator Danielle Maggio told Fox News Digital that the singer died of natural causes.
The statement included a tribute from Matt Sullivan of Light in the Attic Records, which reissued Betty's music in the 2000s. "Our hearts are incredibly heavy today. Betty has been the guiding light in everything we do at Light in the Attic," he said. "Her unbending DIY ethic and groundbreaking spirit will live on forever. We are going to miss her so much."
Lenny Kravitz took to social media to mourn the death. "#BettyDavis 07/26/1945 - 02/09/2022. This lady was hip before hip was hip," he wrote on Instagram and Twitter. "Her musical and fashion expression had no boundaries, and she influenced the likes of Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix. 'Nuff said. Rest in paradise, Queen."
Questlove wrote, "Betty Davis rip," adding a lot of crown emojis. Actor Elijah Wood simply tweeted, "Rest in Power Betty Davis."
Betty is remembered for her controversially sexual lyrics and performance style, which were ahead of time in the 1970s. She was known for her songs "Anti Love Song", "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up" and "Nasty Gal." She wrote "Uptown (to Harlem)" by the Chambers Brothers, which was featured heavily in the 2021 documentary "Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)".
Betty married Miles Davis in 1968 and influenced him greatly by introducing him to the fashions and the new popular music trends of the era. They, however, divorced just a year later in 1969 amid his claim that she had an affair with Jimi Hendrix, which she denied.
Betty released her self-titled debut album in 1973, her sophomore album "They Say I'm Different" the following year and "Nasty Gal" in 1975. She then bowed out of the music industry and temporarily lived in Japan, where she spent time with silent monks, according to Rolling Stone.
