A Woman Like Me
A Memoir
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4.7 • 13 Ratings
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Acclaimed R&B singer Bettye LaVette celebrates her storied career in show business in this compelling memoir.
As a teenager in Detroit, Bettye LaVette had a hit single with “My Man—He’s a Lovin’ Man.” By the time she was twenty, she had faded back into obscurity and was barely surviving in New York City. For the next forty years, despite being associated with legends such as Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, and James Brown, she remained relatively unknown outside a circle of devoted fans. Every time it seemed that her dream of stepping into the spotlight was finally coming true, bad luck smashed her hopes, again and again. Then, after a lifetime of singing in clubs and lounges, her unforgettable televised performances at the 2008 Kennedy Center Honors and at President Obama’s pre-Inaugural Concert at the Lincoln Memorial in 2009 won her the recognition she had sought for her entire life.
Bettye LaVette’s career has been a one-of-a-kind roller-coaster ride through the world of music; it has taken her from the peaks to the pits and back. In this unflinchingly honest memoir, she boldly recounts her freewheeling childhood—her parents ran an illegal liquor business out of their living room, which was frequented by some of the top acts of the forties and fifties—her short-lived conquest of the R&B world in the 1960s, her decline into poverty and despair, and her recent comeback and career revival, with two Grammy-nominated CDs and numerous appearances on major television talk shows. Poignant, brazen, and fearless, A Woman Like Me is a tour de force from one of the most outspoken female performers singing today—and she’s a force to be reckoned with.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
LaVette's autobiography reads like an R&B song only she could perform soulful and honest. As a teenager growing up in 1960s Detroit, LaVette recorded a hit song, "My Man He's a Lovin' Man," that catapulted her life into a crazy spiral of personal and professional chaos. Her path crossed those of Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Berry Gordy, and she describes the seamier sides of Detroit and Los Angeles while her journey through sex, drink, and drugs displays her inner strength to survive. Along with top music writers and musicians within elite record labels LaVette honed her craft, yet still remained a minor fan favorite and never became a household name. Her quest serves as one of the most authentic inside looks at the American music industry, and LaVette pulls no punches. Her dream became reality when televised appearances at the 2008 Kennedy Center Honors and Obama's Lincoln Memorial concert put LaVette on the map after a working lifetime. LaVette's tale is a treat for music buffs.
Customer Reviews
A Woman Like Me
This was a awesome read!!
History
Remarkable and amazing a must read and listen too!!!
Mr. J
I am 57 years old and always considered myself a connoisseur of RnB as well as an historian. I realized that I was neither because I didn't know about Bettye Lavette. However, after reading this book, I am a little more humble about my RnB knowledge. I much appreciate and thank Bettye for writing this book. It is a wonderful read. I couldn't put it down. I read it in 2 days. You will too. I had no idea that Aretha snorted coke and was married to a pimp. Ot that Tammi Terrell pulled a gun on Bettye. Anyway, if you are reading this review, you are probably thinking about buying this book............. Do yourself a favor and don't read anymore reviews,,,,,,,, just buy this book.... You won't regret it.