"Bettye LaVette proved to give the powerhouse performance of the evening at the Kennedy Center Honors when she sang her unparalleled version of "Love Reign O'er Me"as part of the Who tribute. The Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl recently described his first encounter with Bettye's rendition of the song to Air America's Richard Greene: "We showed up for rehearsal, and one of the performers was rehearsing the song for the Who segment. It was a woman named Bettye LaVette… She is gonna steal the show. She was so phenomenal, this performance of The Who song that she did. It will bring you to tears. The room was pin-drop silent when she did this song, and it was just unbelievable."
It's been a long time since her first recording in 1962, but Bettye LaVette's talent, like fine wine, has improved with age.
"Like all voices," says Bettye, "mine has changed over the years. I'd like to think that the change has to do with wisdom. I'm far more selective about what songs I'll sing. If I can't re-sculpt them and, in many instances actually reinvent them to be part of my story, I can't make them come to life."
It is her voice that both announces and ensures her survival; it is her voice that, no matter how dire the circumstances, lets you know that she will not be denied. It is her voice that compels you to listen to every word she says, sings or writes. That voice - rough, tender, sensuous and soaring - is an instrument of inspiration.
Winner of the Best Female Contemporary Blues Artist in 2010 from the Blues Music Awards, Bettye LaVette also won the Best Comeback Blues Album in 2004 for her album A Woman Like Me.
LaVette stole the show and wowed fellow artists at the Kennedy Center Honors with her interpretation of The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me". On his blog at TheWho.com, Pete Townshend wrote "My favorite moment was when Bettye LaVette sang a very fine version of 'Love Reign O'er Me' at the Gala and Barbra Streisand turned to ask me if I really wrote it!"
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