Betty Harris Vinyl Records
Renowned in deep soul circles for the devastating ballad "Cry to Me," singer Betty Harris was born in Orlando, Florida, in 1941 and raised primarily in Alabama. The child of preachers, her deep church roots conflicted with her desire to sing secular soul music, and at 17 she left home to pursue a performing career, briefly apprenticing under R&B star Big Maybelle before eventually landing in California, cutting the 1960 single "Taking Care of Business" for the Douglas label. Record promoter Babe Chivian recommended that Harris relocate to New York City, promising her an audition with Brill Building producer and songwriter Bert Berns. There she performed a slow, gospel-inspired rendition of "Cry to Me," an uptempo Berns-produced hit for Chivian's client Solomon Burke.