BETTY WRIGHT

The Gospel Jams concert series at The Miami Beach Bandshell was filled with an evening of music, dancing, worship, and praise.

Submitted by Ashley GarnerMIAMI, FL – The sixth annual Glitz & Girlpower Awards will be held on March 31,2022 at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida at 8 p.m. Featuring a POWER lineup of women, confirmed attendees include Congresswoman Frederica Wilson; Kelly Price; Trina; and Yoyo. Stay tuned – this year’s surprise celebrity talent and performances will be announced closer to the date. In light of the event’s esteemed impact and platform, this year’s philanthropy is focused on mental health and awareness. Walk the red carpet at the event-of-the-year and support our cause in luxury and style.

Story written by Phillip L. Wright Ph.D.My Grandmother, of native Heritage, was born on Christmas day December 1894. My experience is my youngest sibling named Bessie, but known as Betty Wright, did that very same thing, teaching from the Holy Bible with the public invited to her home every Thursday evening. When I got home, my mother was sitting on the couch with Betty (Bessie) next to her lying on a blanket asleep. She coached Gloria Estefan how to use her voice singing, and assisted her with background voices when Gloria needed them. My remarkable vision is just as I believe that my sister Betty (Bessie) was the true reincarnation of our Grandmother Bessie Hunter Akins.

The world also said goodbye to U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement who died in July. Other former political figures who died this year include Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, New York Mayor David Dinkins, Arizona Gov. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2020 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___David Stern, 77. The guitarist who supplied the scratching, seething sound that fueled the highly influential British punk band Gang of Four. He fused African rhythms with funk to become one of the most influential musicians in world dance music.

NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. – One final goodbye Saturday at Bethel Apostolic Church for Miami music legend Betty Wright. It was a funeral fit for a superstar to celebrate a life so rich in talent and humanity honored in the town where she was born. In the age of coronavirus, everyone wore masks, pallbearers wore black masks emblazoned with a picture of Wright and the words The Life of a Legend. Hymns were sung, there was much music, and proclamations, one read bestowed upon Wright from Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson. Her final exit was made as her coffin was placed in a glass carriage pulled by two white horses.

Published: May 20, 2020, 9:23 am Updated: May 23, 2020, 4:23 pmPEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Singer Betty Wright was remembered at a funeral service Saturday in South Florida. Florida Memorial University partnered with Local 10 to stream it. A replay can be seen below:Betty Wright Funeral WATCH LIVE: Funeral service for Miami music legend Betty Wright Read more: A personal tribute to Miami native and legendary singer Betty Wright from Local 10's Calvin Hughes https://bit.ly/3c1aKHo Posted by WPLG Local 10 on Saturday, May 23, 2020The family invited fans of the late soul and R&B singer/songwriter to watch online so as to not gather a crowd in the church where the service took place. Wright died May 10 at age 66 after battling cancer. READ MORE: Music legend Betty Wright remembered as an influence to many in the music industryLocal 10′s Calvin Hughes has a personal tribute to the singer

by Howard CampbellSOUTH FLORIDA Betty Wright, the soul singer who helped define the Miami sound of the 1970s, has died. Her husband, singer/songwrter Noel King Sporty Williams, was from Portland parish in that country and co-wrote Buffalo Soldier with Bob Marley. Before her last major performance, at last years Jazz In The Gardens in Miami, Wright recalled her relationship with Marley who died May 11, 1981 at age 36. And not only did I get to do the tours with Bob, but we were also friends, because my husband [Noel King Sporty Williams] wrote Buffalo Soldier, she explained. Betty Wright was a popular artist in Jamaica, where she performed several times, the first being in 1970 at the Carib Theatre in Kingston.