By: Rick Zeigler—
Muncie, IN—Celebrated soul-blues singer Bettye Lavette will be performing in a FREE outdoor concert as part of the 2017 Muncie Three Trails Music Series. The concert will take place at 7:00 PM on Saturday, July 8th at Canan Commons (500 S. Walnut St.) in the heart of downtown Muncie, IN. Muncie native and acclaimed Indiana artist Jennie Devoe will open the show. This is the first of four concerts that are part of the Muncie Three Trails Series.
Bettye Lavette’s career started in the early 1960’s, and she has recorded for numerous labels and shared the stage with many musical legends. The Irish Times professed that Bettye is “[a] valid rival to Aretha Franklin as the best woman soul singer of the past 50 years”. While unjustly ignored by critics during her early years, the 2000’s saw Bettye embarking on what she calls her “Fifth Career,” resulting in numerous accolades that include:
- 3 Grammy nominations, including in 2016 for her most recent CD, “Worthy”
- Winner of a 2004 W.C. Handy Award for “Comeback Blues Alum of the Year”
- Winner of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation prestigious Pioneer Award
- 2008 Blues Music Award for “Best Contemporary Female Blues Singer”
- 2016 Blues Music Award for “Best Soul Blues Female Artist”
- Critically acclaimed appearance at the Kennedy Center Honors for The Who
- Critically acclaimed duet with Jon Bon Jovi of “A Change is Gonna Come” at Barack Obama’s Inaugural Celebratory concert
- Featured on PBS’s 2017 American Epic documentary series
Bettye has appeared on National Public Radio’s World Café, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, and their Tiny Desk Concert series. She has also appeared in a Mississippi Public Broadcasting series, Blues Divas, and is in a film of the same name, both produced by award winning film maker Robert Mugge. She has performed on The Tonight Show, Late Night, Prairie Home Companion, Austin City Limits, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and countless other TV and radio offerings. And in 2012 she released her autobiography, “A Woman Like Me”.
Opening the show will be Muncie native and acclaimed Indiana artist Jennie Devoe. Jennie was recently voted “Best Local Musical Artist/Group” in Indianapolis by NUVO Magazine readers, this on the heels of being named one of Indy’s top 50 “Entertainers of the Decade” by the Indianapolis Star.
(L-R) Brett Lodde, Jennie DeVoe and Greg McGuirk. Jennie & her band perform during Muncie’s 150th Birthday Celebration at Canan Commons. Photo by: Courtney DeRusha, Rubin The Cat Music
About The Muncie Three Trails Music Series
The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is a non-profit partnership between Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, Muncie Arts and Culture Council, and Rick Zeigler, series founder and organizer. The mission of the series is to bring critically acclaimed, national recording artists to perform at Canan Commons, Muncie’s premier outdoor performance venue, located in the heart of Downtown Muncie. A second mission is to promote the many recreational, artistic, and cultural attractions located along, or in close proximity to, Canan Commons and Muncie’s popular “Three Trails” — The White River Greenway, Cardinal Greenway, and Muncie Arts and Culture Trail. We hope attendees will heed our slogan, “Explore the Trails, Enjoy the Music.”
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