Before there was Erykah Badu, Janelle Monae or Cardi B, there was Betty Davis, a sexy funk and soul singer who made a name for herself with her explicit, sexually-charged lyrics and her amazing sense of style. The North Carolina native and aspiring songwriter came to New York City after high school and made a name for herself on the art scene, hanging out with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Andy Warhol.
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In her twenties, she met and married jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. Although their relationship didn’t last long, many credit Davis with inspiring Miles’ music and his sense of style. But after producing three hard-hitting albums that barely broke the Billboard Hot 100, Betty Davis disappeared from the spotlight, where she remained until she agreed to participate in a 2017 documentary about her life.
Although Davis didn’t have much commercial success, her influence can be seen in generations of bold Black female artists who came after her.
“She had this badass, Foxy Brown vibe about her. She was the kind of girl that you want to be when you grow up,” Macy Gray once said about her. “She seemed sure, free, bold and unafraid at a time when women and Black people were supposed to feel afraid or limited.”
This is the story of Betty Davis.
Southern Roots
Betty Davis was born Betty Gray Mabry on July 26, 1944, in Durham, N.C. Like many families, during the Great Migration period of 1940 to 1970, Davis’ family moved north to Pittsburgh when she was young after her father got a job working in the steel mills.
Early Influences
Davis’s first musical influences were her grandmother’s blues records that filled the home when she was growing up, including artists like Muddy Waters, B. B. King and Big Mama Thornton. By the time she was 12 years old, she had written her first song, “Bake a Cake of Love.”
Her Sights on the City
After high school, Davis left home for New York City. Once there, she found herself fully immersed in the art scene, enrolling in classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology. At 5-foot-7, she also found work as a model, landing gigs with well-known magazines like Ebony and Glamour, and working in night clubs around the city.
Making Music
Davis brought her songwriting talent with her to New York City and made fast friends with artists like Sly Stone and Jimi Hendrix. In 1967, she got her first songwriting credit for a song called “Uptown to Harlem,” a celebration of the neighborhood known for its rich connection to Black culture, for The Chambers Brothers. As Lester Chambers remembers, Betty did her best to sell the song to the group.
“She wouldn’t shut up about the fact she had a tune that was perfect for us,” he told The New Yorker.
Marriage to Miles
On a night out at a New York City jazz club in 1967, then Betty Mabry noticed a trumpeter on stage. She had no idea who Miles Davis was at the time and wasn’t a fan of his stuffy suit, but she did like his shoes.
The two began a romantic relationship and were married in 1968. Miles was 42 years old at the time, while Davis was just 24.
“Me and Miles were married in ’68. He got me a limo, and I filled the trash with his suits,” she said in a 2017 documentary about her life, “Betty: They Say I’m Different.”
But, as Davis recalled, their relationship both gave and took from her and described him as having a dark side that was sometimes violent.
“Every day married to him was a day I earned the named ‘Davis,’” she added.
Miles’ Muse
Although their marriage only lasted two years, Miles and Betty Davis’ time together left a lasting impact on both of them. Betty credited Miles with broadening her musical horizons by introducing her to classical artists and encouraging her to perform instead of just writing songs for other people. She, in turn, turned him on to rock artists like Jimi Hendrix. Davis was Miles’ muse during his electric jazz period between 1969 and 1975, when he took more musical risks.
“When he makes this leap into bringing in louder electric guitars and electric basses, and drummers playing back beats, it’s really a testament to a sense of freedom and just ballsiness that Betty brought into his life,” said author-musician Greg Tate in “Betty: They Say I’m Different.”
Davis also influenced Miles’ fashion, as he traded in his tailored suits for leather and sunglasses.
No Holds Barred
Davis says she spent most of the time she was with Miles writing music. And in 1973, she released her first studio album, The self-titled project was a clear departure from anything other female artists were producing at the time. Working with producer Greg Errico, who was a former drummer for Sly and the Family Stone, the album featured tracks like “Your Man My Man,” that were gritty and unapologetically raw.
“San Francisco, New York, in between
Your man, my man, what does it mean?
You care, I share, who’s to blame?
Your man, he’s my man, it’s all the same
‘Cause he’s yours, all yours, when he’s there
He’s mine, I have him, when he’s here
You cry, I sigh, what does it mean?
Your man, he’s my man, it’s all the same.”
On-Stage Persona
Davis’ lyrics were raw, but her on-stage persona was next level. She commanded every stage she appeared on in a way that other female artists had never done. Forget cute choreography and perfectly polished costumes; Davis was larger than life.
“Seeing Betty Davis for the first time is like seeing your first X-rated movie when you were expecting Walt Disney,” a Penthouse music critic wrote about her in 1976.
Serious Style
Part of what set Betty Davis apart from other female artists was her flamboyant sense of style. Her shows were a treat for the ears and the eyes, as she was known to take the stage in hot pants, bodysuits, knee-high boots and a full-blown afro.
“They Say I’m Different
In 1974, Davis released her second album, “They Say I’m Different,” which featured tracks like “Shoo-B-Doop & Cop Him.”
“I’m going to do it until the cows come home
And when my goose gets loose
She’s gonna know
I’m still be getting it on
And with him around I’ll (move it, move it).”
But beyond the music, the album got plenty of critical acclaim for its beautiful cover art, which featured a photograph of Davis depicted in an Afrofuturistic-inspired bodysuit and boots.
“Nasty Gal”
In 1975, Davis released her third studio album, “Nasty Gal.” From the cover art to the track list, this album was one of her most provocative. Check out some of the lyrics from her song, “Lone Ranger:”
“Hey, hey stranger
I hear that they call you the lone ranger
They say you love to live in the saddle
Is it true you want to high ho my silver?
Giddy up, you can try, lawd, have mercy
I will take that ride with you, I’m mighty thirsty.”
Leaving the Spotlight
Davis’ “Nasty Girl” would be the last studio album released during her lifetime. Soon after it dropped, she mysteriously disappeared from the spotlight and withdrew from her friends and fans. Some close to her think she had grown tired of not being appreciated by the music industry, others think she was rocked by the death of her father.
“The impact was greater on Betty because it kind of affected some mental stability. And from that time forward, there was a change,” a close friend of Betty’s said in her documentary.
Losing a Legend
Betty Davis passed away on Feb. 9, 2022 at the age of 77, as her record label confirmed. Although her songs were never chart toppers, fans of her music and her style were devastated by the news of the loss of a legend.
“Thankful for Betty Davis, though. The reach of her influence & sonic lineage is immense. You’ve heard her, even if you think you’ve never heard her. I’m glad we got her at all,” wrote Hanif Abdurraqib on X in response to the news of her death.
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