BETTYE LAVETTE - A CHANGE IS GONNA COME SESSIONS

Before her appearance at the Presidential Inauguration this past January, singer Bettye LaVette had a sporadic 2009 performance schedule. Now ever since she performed the incredible “A Change Is Gonna Come" along with Jon Bon Jovi, she has amassed a full concert schedule with bookings through next year. Bettye LaVette was born in Muskegon and grew up in nearby Detroit, where she was discovered by Johnnie Mae Matthews, a Detroit record producer. In 1962, at age16, she recorded a single, "My Man - He's A Lovin' Man" with Matthews, which became a hit after Atlantic Records bought distribution rights. Through the years she toured with Clyde McPhatter, Ben E. King, Barbara Lynn and Otis Redding, and even James Brown in her youth. Afterwards, she spent six years on Broadway and touring with the musical Bubbling Brown Sugar opposite Cab Calloway. During the disco years, she managed a small hit "Doin' The Best That I Can". She was signed to Motown and recorded Tell Me A Lie, with the single "Right in the Middle of Falling in Love" which was also a modest hit. Her career took her to the European festival circuit. In 1991, she completed the album Not Gonna Happen Twice for Ian Levine's Motorcity label. Now Bettye follows her amazing performance at Obama's Inagural festivities with her own recorded version of Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come." The Grammy-nominated singer will release a six song digital EP on iTunes, dubbed "A Change is Gonna Come Sessions" available June 16.

A Change Is Gonna Come Track Listing:
1. “A Change Is Gonna Come” (Sam Cooke)
2. “'Round Midnight” (Thelonious Monk)
3. “God Bless The Child” (Billie Holiday / Arthur Herzog)
4. “Lush Life” (Billy Strayhorn)
5. “Ain't No Sunshine” (Bill Withers)
6. “Ain’t That Lovin’ You” (Jimmy Reed)

Bettye LaVette Tour Dates:
June 4 @ Twilight Alive, Kingsport, TN
June 5 @ Riverbend Festival, Chattanooga,TN
June 11 @ The Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, Minneapolis, MN
June 13 @ Chicago Blues Festival, Chicago, IL
June 24 @ Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
June 25 @ NYC Rockin The River Cruise, New York, NY
June 26 @ North By Northwest, Philadelphia, PA
June 28 @ Freihofer’s Jazz Festival, Saratoga Springs, NY
July 3 @ Muskegon Summer Celebration, Muskegon, MI
July 4 @ Comerica CityFest, Detroit, MI
July 8 @ Common Ground Music Festival, Lansing, MI
July 9 @ Burlington International Waterfront Festival, Burlington,VT
July 10 @ North Carolina Museum Of Art, Raleigh, NC
July 14 @ Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux, Switzerland
July 18 @ Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Festival, Sioux Falls, SD
July 19 @ Grand Targhee Folk & Americana Festival, Alta, WY
July 24 @ Central Park Summerstage, New York, NY
July 25 @ Blues Under The Bridge, Colorado Springs, CO
August 8 @ Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival, Clarksdale, MS
August 9 @ San Jose Jazz Festival, San Jose, CA
August 30 @ Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, San Francisco, CA
August 31 @ Jimmy Mak’s, Portland, OR
September 1 @ Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA
September 2 @ Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA
September 4 @ Anthology, San Diego, CA
September 5 @ Long Beach Blues Festival, Long Beach, CA
September 12 @ Playing With Fire, Omaha, NE
September 20 @ Brisbane Festival, Brisbane, Australia
September 21 @ Brisbane Festival, Brisbane, Australia
September 25 @ The Sheldon Concert Hall, St. Louis, MO
September 26 @ Singletary Center For The Arts, Lexington, KY
October 23 @ James Lumber Center For The Performing Art, Grayslake, IL
October 24 @ McAninch Arts Center, Glen Ellyn, IL

2010 Tour Dates
February 2 – Hopkins Center For The Performing Arts, Hopkins, MN
March 12 @ The Community Theatre At Mayo Center, Morristown, NJ
March 18 – Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY
March 19 – Flynn Center For The Performing Arts, Burlington, VTMarch 20 – Quick Center Of The Arts, Fairfield, CT