Betty Harris

about

Betty Harris (born 1939, Orlando, Florida, United States) is an American soul singer. Her recording career in the 1960s produced three hit singles that made the US Billboard R&B and Billboard Hot 100 charts: "Cry to Me" (1963), "His Kiss" (1964) and "Nearer to You" (1967). However, her reputation among soul music connoisseurs far exceeds her commercial success of the 1960s, and her recordings for the Jubilee and Sansu record labels are highly sought after in the 2000s by fans of Northern soul and deep soul. In 1963, after being in the music business for a few years, Betty Harris recorded a slowed down version of Solomon Burke's hit of the year before, "Cry to Me", produced by the original record's producer, Bert Berns, and released on the Jubilee record label. Taken at a slower pace, Harris' rendition turned the song into a Billboard Hot 100 number 23 hit, with a corresponding number 10 listing on the R&B chart, and it became a deep soul classic. A total of three further singles including a reissue of "Cry to Me" were released on Jubilee, also produced by Bert Berns, with "His Kiss", which was released on January 4, 1964, another deep soul ballad, reaching the lower part of the Billboard Pop and R&B charts. In 1964, Betty Harris switched record labels to Sansu, a New Orleans label, where she was produced by Allen Toussaint. Her recording with Sansu produced ten singles. Of those, only "Nearer to You", an atmospheric, dramatic soul ballad, now considered one of the milestone

top songs

albums

The Lost Queen Of New Orleans Soul

There's A Break In The Road / All I Want Is You

Betty Harris: The Lost Queen Of New Orleans Soul

Soul Jazz Records Presents Betty Harris: The Lost Queen of New Orleans Soul

Lost Soul Queen

Soul Perfection Re-Mastered

Soul Perfection (2024 remastered)

Soul from the South

Soul Perfection

Betty Harris: The Lost Queen of New Orleans Soul Re-Mastered

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Sun Records - Soul Party

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Funky Divas - Do You Funk?

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