Betty Wright, a supremely talented R&B singer who popularized the phrase, “No pain, no gain,” has died at the age of 66, TMZ reports.
According to TMZ which broke the news, reported that the cause of death of Betty Wright was not announced when her niece confirmed the passing.
The report added that something was clearly wrong with the circumstances surrounding the death of Betty Wright, as though the cause of death was not made known to the public, Chaka Khan had posted this message two days ago on her social media, where she was making a plea on her behalf, where she said:
“Calling all my #PrayWarriors. My beloved sister, Betty Wright @MsBettyWright, is now in need of all your prayers.”
Wright, whom some in the music industry called one of the most underrated singers of her time, was recently honored on TV One’s, “Unsung.”
Betty Wright recorded so many songs, including her 1971 hit, “Clean Up Woman. She was only 18 when the song was released, and it turned out to be her biggest song ever. Other hits included “Let Me Be Your Lovermaker,” “Shoorah Shoorah,” “Tonight is the Night,” and “Where is the Love.”
Betty Wright made a bold move in the ’80s, launching her own independent label … it had not been done before by a female artist. That’s when she recorded “No Pain (No Gain).” Ever heard that phrase? Later she recorded “Mother Wit,” and it went gold — the first time an African-American female singer went gold on her own record label.
Wright became an inspiration to so many singers, including Mary J. Blige, The Roots and Joss Stone. Wright performed with Joss on her song, “The Art of Love and War.”
In 2005, her 21-year-old son, Patrick, was shot and killed. She had 4 other children.