Betty Everett

Betty Jean Everett (November 23, 1939 – August 19, 2001) was an American soul singer and pianist, best known for her biggest hit single, the million-selling "Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)", and her duet "Let It Be Me" with Jerry Butler. She began playing the piano and singing gospel music in church at the age of nine. Later that year, two concerts were booked for consecutive weekends in late October 1991; one at Trump's Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, the other at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. All had been arranged through management and Charles McMillan, Jerry Butler's longtime friend and personal manager. However, Everett declined to show for the engagements. Despite exposure, she was unable to resurrect her career because of health problems.

She was inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame in 1996 and, about four years later, made her last public appearance on the PBS special Doo Wop 51, along with her former singing partner, Jerry Butler. This, according to The Independent (August 2001), was met with raves about the brief reunion where she "brought the house down". Butler, in his autobiography, Only the Strong Survive, compared Betty with Gladys Knight as a singer in that she seemed to do everything so effortlessly.

Discography Studio albums Year Album Chart positionsUS R&B US Pop 1962 Betty Everett & Ketty Lester (with Ketty Lester) — — 1963 You're No Good (reissued in 1964 as It's in His Kiss) — — 1964 Delicious Together (with Jerry Butler) — 102 1968 I Need You So (reissued material) — — 1969 There'll Come a Time 44 — 1974 Love Rhymes — — 1975 Happy Endings — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Compilation albums 1964: The Very Best of Betty Everett 1969: Betty Everett and the Impressions (with The Impressions) 1993: The Shoop Shoop Song 1995: The Fantasy Years 1998: Best of Betty Everett: Let It Be Me 2000: The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)

Singles Year Title Peak chart positionsUS 1963 "The Prince of Players" — — — "You're No Good" 51 5 — 1964 "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" 6 1 34 "I Can't Hear You" 66 39 — "Let It Be Me" (duet with Jerry Butler) 5 1 — 1965 "Getting Mighty Crowded" 65 28 29 "Smile" (duet with Jerry Butler) 42 16 — "I'm Gonna Be Ready" 117 — — 1967 "People Around Me" — — — "I Can't Say" — — — 1969 "There'll Come a Time" 26 2 — "I Can't Say No to You" 78 29 — "It's Been a Long Time" 96 17 — 1970 "Unlucky Girl" — 46 — "I Got to Tell Somebody" 96 22 — 1971 "Ain't Nothing Gonna Change Me" 113 32 — 1973 "Danger" — 79 — 1974 "Sweet Dan" — 38 — 1978 "True Love (You Took My Heart)" — 78 — 1980 "Hungry for You" — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart.