‘WHERE IS THE LOVE’

Betty Wright, Legendary Soul and R&B Artist, Has Died at 66

The soul and R&B icon is credited with influencing a generation of female performers, from Mary J. Blige to Chaka Khan. Her cause of death has not been released.

Legendary R&B and soul performer Betty Wright has died at the age of 66, according to her niece. Her cause of death has not been revealed, but fans and friends, including Chaka Khan, have been asking for prayers for her for nearly a week, implying she was gravely ill.

Born Bessie Regina Norris in Miami, Florida, in 1953, she began as a gospel music singer in a family band before being discovered in the early 1970s through such hits as “Clean Up Woman” and “Where is the Love,” for which she won a Grammy Award for Best R&B song in 1972. She won a number of subsequent Grammy nominations over the years, and was described by her record company Universal Music as an artist who “influenced a generation of female singer-songwriters and continues to influence the world of hip hop.”