Bettye Lavette
Friday, March 20, 2026
7:30pm
Location
135 Congress Street, Portsmouth, NH
Price
$83
Bettye Lavette
Overview
An intimate evening with Bettye LaVette, accompanied by Etienne Stadwijk on keyboards, offers a rare and deeply personal look at one of America's most revered vocalists. Hailed by The New York Times as "one of the great soul interpreters of her generation," LaVette is a true song stylist, able to inhabit any material and make it unmistakably her own. As George Jones once said, "Bettye is truly a singer's singer."
These stripped-down performances weave songs and stories from a remarkable 64-year career. From her 1962 Atlantic Records debut through her celebrated renaissance in the 2000s, LaVette has earned seven Grammy nominations, multiple Blues Music Awards, and induction into both the Blues and R&B Halls of Fame. Producer Steve Jordan calls her "a combination of Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, and Miles Davis."
Now at 80, LaVette remains a vital, captivating force onstage-proof that soul, when lived honestly, only deepens with time.
These stripped-down performances weave songs and stories from a remarkable 64-year career. From her 1962 Atlantic Records debut through her celebrated renaissance in the 2000s, LaVette has earned seven Grammy nominations, multiple Blues Music Awards, and induction into both the Blues and R&B Halls of Fame. Producer Steve Jordan calls her "a combination of Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, and Miles Davis."
Now at 80, LaVette remains a vital, captivating force onstage-proof that soul, when lived honestly, only deepens with time.