Betty Wright, the Miami soul singer who got feet moving in the ’70s with hits including “Clean Up Woman” and “Where Is the Love,” has died at age 66.
Her niece Niema Bella announced the news Sunday morning on Twitter. Wright’s collaborator Steve Greenberg, founder of S-Curve Records, said she was diagnosed with cancer last fall.
Wright’s signature song, “Clean Up Woman,” also was her first top 10 pop hit, and later was sampled by artists including Chance the Rapper (“Favorite Song”) and Mary J. Blige (“Real Love - Remix”).
She won the Grammy for best R&B song for “Where Is the Love” in 1975, the same year she scored with the hit “Tonight Is the Night.” She continued recording throughout the ’80s and ’90s while remaining active as a producer and songwriter.
Her last solo album, 2011’s “Betty Wright: The Movie,” was a collaboration with The Roots and included cameos by Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg and Joss Stone.
