Betty Carter

Betty Carter was born Lillie Mae Jones in 1929. She started singing in Flint, Michigan, and joined Lionel Hampton's band in 1954, where she worked with musicians like Clifford Brown and Art Blakey. Her early style drew from bebop players like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.

After leaving Hampton's group, she recorded as a solo artist for decades. She was known for an improvisational approach to singing, treating her voice like an instrument with scatting and rhythmic invention. Songs like 'Social Call' and 'Everytime We Say Goodbye' show that side of her work.

Her 1987 album 'Round Midnight' included material that touched on the AIDS crisis, which drew some criticism at the time. She kept recording and performing with a style that didn't always fit neatly into traditional jazz vocal categories.