Artist:Bettye Swann
Song:Make Me Yours
Album:The Very Best of Bettye Swann
Soul singer Bettye Swann topped the R&B charts with the 1967 single Make Me Yours. It was also a top thirty pop hit. She also wrote the song. She continued to record for the next decade and it was still her biggest hit. She was born Betty Jean Champion Oct. 24, 1944 in Shreveport, LA as one of 14 children. She grew up in Arcadia, LA. She was in a vocal group called Arcadia and they moved to Los Angeles in 1963. Local DJ Al Scott became her manager and had her change her name to Bettye Swann. After releasing a couple of singles, Bettye signed with Money Records owned by producer Arthur Wright. And he produced the 1967 single Make Me Yours. It topped the R&B Singles chart and reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. They released the album Make Me Yours. Bettye wrote most of the songs on the album. When subsequent singles didn't catch on, Bettye fired Scott and married her new manager George Barton. They moved to Georgia and she got a new record deal with Capitol. She didn't have much success there or when she switched to Atlantic in 1972. I noticed that both labels had her record covers of songs like Angel of the Morning instead of letting her write her own songs. Bettye retired from music in 1980 after her husband and manager died. This comp from the British oldies label Kent Records covers Bettye's entire career. Bettye changed her name to Betty Barton and became a teacher in Las Vegas. She is now retired. Here's a video of Make Me Yours by Bettye Swann.
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