R&B singer Betty Wright has died aged 66

R&B singer Betty Wright, who was responsible for songs such as ‘Where Is the Love?’ and ‘Clean Up Woman’, has died aged 66.

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The singer’s niece confirmed her passing to TMZ folowing Chaka Khan‘s plea earlier in the week, when she tweeted: “Calling all my #PrayWarriors | My beloved sister, Betty Wright is now in need of all your prays.”

Growing up singing in her family’s gospel group the Echoes of Joy, Wright began her career as a backing singer on songs by other artists, including David Byrne, Peter Tosh, Gloria Estefan, Jimmy Cliff, Stephen Stills, Alice Cooper, and many others.

She released her debut album, ‘My First Time Around’, in 1968, and it featured her first Top 40 single, ‘Girls Can’t Do What the Guys Do’. Her last album was 2011’s ‘Betty Wright: The Movie’, which was collaboration with The Roots.

Probably best known for her 1972 song ‘Clean Up Woman’, which was sampled by Mary J. Blige on her hit single ‘Real Love’, Wright’s other big songs included the Grammy-winning ‘Where Is the Love?’ in 1974, and her Stevie Wonder-produced 1981 single ‘What Are You Going to Do With It’.

A favourite in the hip-hop world, Wright has featured on tracks with the likes of Diddy, Nas, Rick Ross, and The Game.

In 2008, she appeared on Lil Wayne’s record-breaking ‘Tha Carter III’ album. She sang the chorus of ‘Playing With Fire’, which is a reworking of Ruth Copeland’s ‘Play With Fire’, which itself is a cover of the Rolling Stones song of the same name.

Wright collaborated with DJ Khaled, Kendrick Lamar, and Big Sean on the song ‘Holy Key’ in 2016. She also featured on Erykah Badu’s 2000 album ‘Mama’s Gun’.

See tributes to the singer below.

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