Bettye crutcher biography of william
•
Bettye Crutcher, Acclaimed Stax Writer, Dies at 83
It is with a heavy heart that Craft Recordings and Stax Records announce the passing of acclaimed songwriter, producer, and singer, Bettye Crutcher, following a period of illness. A native of Memphis, TN, Crutcher was an integral member of Stax and shone as a prolific songwriter for the legendary soul label’s biggest acts.
Crutcher developed an early passion for writing and could be found composing poems and song lyrics throughout her youth. As a young woman, Crutcher pursued her dreams of becoming a songwriter, despite the fact that it was a role primarily dominated by men in the ’60s. Her perseverance paid off in , however, when she auditioned for Stax’s house composer, David Porter. Porter, a pioneering songwriter and producer, was highly impressed with Crutcher’s talent, and immediately brought her into the label’s fold.
Throughout her time at Stax, Crutcher wrote and co-wrote hundreds of songs, including Carla Thomas’ Top Te
•
The Soulsville Foundation’s Stax Museum of American Soul Music is sad to announce that one of Stax Records’ most illustrious songwriters and recording artists, Bettye Crutcher, died on October 20, at the age of 83 in Nashville, Tennessee.
One of Stax Records’ preeminent songwriters, perhaps best known for co-writing Johnnie Taylor’s smash hit “Who’s Making Love,” Crutcher was a dear friend to many at the Soulsville Foundation and a mentor to the students who studied songwriting in her classes at our Stax Music Academy, of which she was a staunch supporter for more than 20 years, since its inception.
Read more here from Bob Mehr in The Commercial Appeal.
Bettye Crutcher with John Lennon and Yoko Ono,
The list of artists who recorded and/or covered Crutcher’s songs reads like a who’s who of the music industry, from her days at Stax throughout the rest of her lifetime: Johnnie Taylor, the Staple Singers, Albert King, Carla Thomas, Booker T. & the MGs, Sam & Dave, Joa
•
BETTYE CRUTCHER DIES…
Soul stalwart BETTYE CRUTCHER died in Nashville on Thursday 20th October. She was aged 83 and reports suggest that she had been ill for some time. Bettye will be best remembered for her work as a songwriter at Stax during the label’s heyday. She wrote chiefly with Homer Banks and Raymond Jackson as the “We Three” partnership with their biggest commercial success being Johnnie Taylor’s ‘Who’s Making Love’.
Ms Crutcher was born in Memphis in and as a child enjoyed writing poetry, often set to music. After school, she worked as a nurse and, with three young childrenm she tried to sell her songs to local Memphis labels for extra cash. David Porter at Stax was impressed and took Bettye on board.
At Stax, her songs were recorded bygd The Staple Singers, William Bell, Shirley Brown, the Sweet Inspirations and of course Johnnie Taylor. BB King famously recorded her ‘Take Off Your Shoes’ and, interestingly Paul Weller covered her ‘My Whole World inom