BETTE SMITH - BE YOURSELF!

IN THE VIBRANT WORLD OF CONTEMPORARY SOUL AND BLUES, FEW VOICES RESONATE AS POWERFULLY AND AUTHENTICALLY AS THAT OF BETTE SMITH

WORDS: COLIN CAMPBELL

Hailing from the storied streets of Brooklyn, Smith channels the raw, emotive spirit of her roots into every note, creating a sound that is both timeless and fiercely modern. With a career that has seen her transcend the boundaries of genre, her music encapsulates the struggles, joys, and triumphs of her journey. Blues Matters delved into the stories behind her newest release, Goodthing, the influences that have shaped her unique sound, and the vision she holds for her ever-evolving musical path. Welcome to an intimate conversation with Bette Smith, where soul meets story.

Background Story

Reflecting on her roots, she recalls, “My father, a choir director, got me interested in music by having me sing on holidays and in church.” From the ages of five to nine, they shared “beautiful times, vibing in the church”. As a “little black girl from the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighbourhood, Brooklyn,” she was immersed in the sounds of the Apollo Theatre, where artists like James Brown and Gladys Knight performed. “I was like a bowl of hot, boiling, steaming water, steeped in the rich blend of church music and soul.” This dual influence, from her father and icons like Aretha Franklin, formed her musical foundation. Her career choice was driven by an “inherent love of music that makes me happy and keeps me happy.” Growing up, she was captivated by soul legends such as Otis Redding, Diana Ross, and The Temptations. Singing in the choir at age five, backed by the choir, was “a beautiful spiritual experience” that ignited her lifelong passion.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSICAL STYLE?

“My style of music is based on gospel and soul. Blues is also integral because ‘even the president’s got the blues.’ I consider myself an essence of blues singer and love singing sad songs, which I communicate effectively and authentically. Someone once told me I have a knack for singing the blues. In British Columbia, I wanted to sing Tracy Chapman songs but was told I had to perform 12-bar blues to get on stage. So, I taught myself and became adept at it, finding the blues beautiful, evocative, and poetic.

MUSIC SCENE IN BROOKLYN

“The blues scene in Brooklyn was intense,” she recalls, necessitating trips over the Brooklyn Bridge to Harlem, where everything was happening. Harlem’s fierce competition was a “great playground for creativity,” where performers faced boos if they didn’t meet the high standards. Nights at the Apollo were particularly influential for her. Growing up, she was steeped in both this vibrant scene and the rich harmonies of church music—baritone, bass, soprano, tenor, everything. This blend of influences deeply shaped her. “I just started humming and singing to myself at every opportunity,” she says. Whether cleaning the house or riding the train from Brooklyn to Washington Heights, singing became her constant companion. In high school, she joined the choir, performing every Friday. These experiences sent “incredible waves” to her left brain, fuelling her constant flow of lyrics and collaborations with classmates. “My father would fall asleep with the radio on. My bedroom was right across from his. I heard constant musical waves— not algorithms, but constant waves of music influencing my psyche. It’s spilling out now that I’m singing professionally all over the world!”

First Stage Show And Musical Influences

Bette first took to the stage at five years old. At this point in the interview, she sang some lyrics of that song: “Beautiful flowers, bright with morning dew... and beautiful flowers, beautiful flowers. We should be like you.” She explains, “They taught us all these beautiful songs. It just constantly keeps playing in the back of my mind. Going to school, I’m humming; coming home from school, I’m humming and singing, and now it soothes me. When I feel down, I listen to church music, and even some soul music too, like Sam Cooke’s ‘A Change Is Gonna Come.’ I love that tune.” These songs are based on gospel and soul music, highlighting a connection often overlooked. “When you listen to Sam Cooke, he was a gospel singer with a band.” Her experiences reinforce this link, noting that Al Green, now a minister, “went back to his roots, his gospel roots.” She emphasises the importance of acknowledging origins: “Gospel music was the mother of soul music, and soul was the mother of rock and roll.” This deep respect for gospel’s foundational role underscores her musical journey and influences.

WHAT ABOUT HER FIRST BAND?

“I got my first band together right before the World Trade Centre tragedy,” she recalls, pulling musicians from local spots like the Red Lion in the West Village. “We’d collaborate, and it was just great to stand up and sing.” This tradition continues as she still frequents Greenwich Village in Manhattan. To form her first band, she placed an advert in the local newspaper and held auditions, resulting in lifelong connections. Austin, the drummer, helped organise and find other musicians. Initially, stage fright was a significant hurdle. “I had terrible stage fright,” she admits, but gradually overcame it by focusing on the audience. “I think about the audience that came to see me. They want a good time, and I’m just going to run out and put myself out there.” Drawing inspiration from icons like Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin, she invokes their spirits for courage. “I take the spirits of Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin. They help me spiritually.” Despite the challenges, including fatigue from travel, she finds energy in these rituals. “Even though I might be tired from flying across the ocean, I get a surge of energy.” Summoning the “good energy” of past legends, she delivers a powerful performance, believing their “fairy dust” aids her onstage.

Learning Stagecraft

“This is a story I’ve never told anybody before,” she begins. In 2000, she travelled to Vancouver, British Columbia, where she was “adopted” by local musicians. Staying at The Yale Hotel, she performed in various clubs and speakeasies. Her friend, Thedda Marie Gourley, taught her essential stagecraft: “focus on the audience and project myself, breaking down the wall between the audience and the performer.” Gourley emphasised being a “true entertainer,” engaging the audience to sing along and not remaining

“locked in your head.” Embracing this, she learned to “say yes to everything” and always perform, regardless of circumstances, fostering a conversational connection with her audience.

GOODTHING, THE NEWEST RELEASE

We went on to discuss Bette’s new release, Goodthing. “The album is a collaboration with about 13 different artists. The Scottish gentleman, Jimmy Hogarth, produced this. He’s a brilliant guy. Sometimes I just think, wow, this man’s a genius because he took five of my original songs, and he didn’t rewrite them. He didn’t tinker with them. He just found a way to bring out the essence of what I was trying to emote in the song when I first wrote it.” Bette wrote Darkest Hour when she was about 16, but it evolved over time. Although inspired by various tragedies, like 9/11, George Floyd’s murder, and Hurricane Sandy, it was completed during the pandemic. “The song became bigger than me, reflecting the importance of connections. ‘In your darkest hour, stay free, keep yourself well, keep holding it together.’ I wrote five original songs on the album, with the rest being collaborations, some pre-produced in London by Jimmy. We locked ourselves into the studio for about seven hours. We did stop for a lunch break and recharged with carrot juice, which I thought was very cute, but he helped me finesse the songs that I had written. He’s very easy to work with, a taskmaster too, because he wanted to make sure that the songs were perfect. Originally, my co-manager in the UK sent my material to him. He fell in love with it, like he told me, and he sent for me. I came to the UK to work in this beautifully decorated studio in London.” The album’s theme is about resilience: “I will survive, I will overcome.” It reflects the journey of a “strong black woman” determined to “overcome all obstacles.” The message is one of persistence: “I will succeed... never stop trying until I reach my goals.” Ultimately, it’s a “very human theme” of overcoming challenges.

Musical Training

“I studied creative arts therapy to compromise with my parents, who wanted me to be a nurse. The course was ‘very beautiful’ and my ‘favourite time there,’ though it’s no longer offered, which I find ‘so sad.’ The most valuable lesson was about connection; we sat in a circle of 15-20 people, playing instruments in drum circles and ad-libbing interpretations of music. I inherited my father’s ‘velvet vocal cords’ and trained with famous voice teachers like Seth Riggs and Filippo De Stefano. Riggs, known for coaching Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, provided foundational lessons that were transformative. Filippo described my vocals as ‘not sweet, not salt, not pepper, not sugar, but spice. You have a spicy voice. You’re like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.’ He said to focus on artists that have that sound, that contralto sound, like Tina Turner, Pearl Bailey, and Eartha Kitt—people who have these unconventional voices and tones.”

Spontaneously, Bette gave an example of her vocal talents and sang Amazing Grace. What an astounding voice she has! “My voice is an instrument. I warm up quite frequently in the morning when I walk my labradoodle to the park. I sing, hum, and do vocal exercises, both recorded and memorised. It’s very important for a singer to sing, and if not singing, you should be humming all day—it’s very good exercise. My voice is resilient. I try not to yell. I learned techniques in my vocal classes so that if I must yell, there’s a technical way to do so without overextending and damaging your voice, preventing the development of vocal nodules, which a lot of singers suffer from.”

Being On The Road

“Travelling makes me so happy because I get to learn and enjoy the flavours and the cultures. I also try to learn to say ‘I love you’ in every language. I believe it’s the most important phrase in any language.”

Final Words For The Blues Matters Readers

“Keep loving the blues, keep loving the blues! Keep supporting blues artists around the world. Bette Smith is here for you, loving the blues. I’m coming over to play in London in October—see you there!”

For further information visit: www.bettesmith.com