Bettye Crutcher
Bettye Crutcher | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1939 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | (aged 83) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Memphis soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Labels | Stax |
Bettye Jean Crutcher (1939 – October 20, 2022) was an American songwriter. She was a staff writer for Stax Records.[1] Crutcher teamed with Homer Banks and Raymond Jackson as "We Three", and co-wrote "Who's Making Love" for Johnnie Taylor, which earned a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song. Crutcher also wrote music for the Staple Singers, Sam & Dave, and Albert King.
Early life and career
Crutcher was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1939, and started writing poems as a child. She became a nurse and was a single parent of three children when she applied to work for various record labels. After being rejected by other labels, she joined Stax Records as a songwriter in 1967, becoming their only female staffer.[2] In 2019, she said: "Being the only female songwriter for Stax was quite an event ... They talk about the sexist '60s, and I really think the guys didn't think the girls could do that."[1]
At Stax Records, Crutcher teamed with Homer Banks and Raymond Jackson as the songwriting trio "We Three". In their first year together, their work accounted for $6 million in sales ($47,074,550 in current dollar terms).[3] Crutcher wrote "Somebody's Sleeping in My Bed" for Johnnie Taylor, which made the R&B Top 40 in 1967. "We Three" wrote "Who's Making Love" for Taylor, which was a Top 5 hit in 1968 and was nominated for Best R&B Song at the 1969 Grammy Awards.[2] In 1974, Crutcher recorded an album of her own, titled Long as You Love Me.[4] which she co-produced with Mack Rice. Crutcher and Rice also wrote the soundtrack for The Klansman in 1974.[5] In addition, Crutcher wrote music with Marvell Thomas and Bobby Manuel. She wrote "The Ghetto", "We'll Get Over", and "The Challenge" for the Staple Singers, and recommended that "Respect Yourself" by Rice and Luther Ingram would work well for the group.[2] Crutcher also wrote "I Like What You're Doing to Me" for Carla Thomas[6] and also wrote songs for Sam & Dave, Ann Peebles, Otis Clay, and Albert King. Her songs were covered by Joan Baez, Buddy Guy, Paul Weller, and Sammy Davis Jr., and sampled by the Wu-Tang Clan, Diddy, and Mary J. Blige.[2]
Later life
After Stax went out of business, Crutcher worked in antiques and made jewelry. She moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in the 1980s and wrote songs for B.B. King and Bobby Bland.[2]
Crutcher died in Nashville on October 20, 2022, at the age of 83.[1][2]
References
- ^ a b c Peter Barker, "Bettye Crutcher, Stax Records contributor and pioneering songwriter, dies at 83", Tennessee News, October 21, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2022
- ^ a b c d e f Mehr, Bob (October 20, 2022). "Stax songwriter Bettye Crutcher remembered for her energy, creativity and perspective". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- ^ "Stax Songwriting Team Accounts For Millions". The Pittsburgh Courier. May 16, 1970. p. 13. Retrieved October 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Stax Songwriter to Speak at Quest Center on Saturday". The Dickson Herald. April 3, 2015. p. A6. Retrieved October 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Lee, Mary Ann (July 12, 1974). "Hollywood Beckons Another Stax VIP". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. p. 3. Retrieved October 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Lee, Mary Ann (March 2, 1973). "Composers Tell Do's, Don'ts of Songwriting". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. p. 17. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
External links
- Bettye Crutcher discography at Discogs
- Bettye Crutcher at IMDb