My mom, Grady "Fats" Jackson, Horace and Phil Echols (my brothers), Jimmy Reed, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, The Tams, Johnny Taylor, Sam Cooke, Bobby Blue Bland, Albert White, Robert Ward, Mahalia Jackson, and James Brown.
Some of my favorites are: Tommy Brown, Cootie Stark, Eddie Tigner, Beverly "Guitar" Watkins, Sam Cooke, Bobby Rush, Captain Luke, Nappy Brown, Ronnie Baker Brooks, The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Holmes Brothers, Tupac, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Teddy Pendergrass, Chick Willis, Jimmy Reed, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, The Shadows, Freddy Jackson, Regina Bell, Sade, India Arie, Larry Garner and Walter Wolfman Washington.
Born in Duluth, GA, just northeast of Atlanta, Betty Echols Journey grew up listening to gospel music. (Her mother's singing in church influenced her.) Aspiring to become a singer herself, Betty began singing at parties at her friends' homes. In the mid 1980's, she was introduced to legendary saxophonist, Grady "Fats" Jackson. Jackson was so impressed with Betty's vocals that he began bringing her with him to his performances. It was through Jackson that Betty met former Muddy Waters guitarist, "Steady Rollin" Bob Margolin. Margolin and his band, upon passing thought the southern region of the United States in the early 1990's would regularly perform with Jackson and Betty in such places as Jackson Station nightclub in Hodges, South Carolina and Blind Willie's or Blues Harbor in Atlanta, GA.
In 1993, Jackson and Betty's music collaboration would land them a cameo appearance in the movie "Simple Twist of Fate", starring Steve Martin.
Upon the untimely death of Jackson on January 17, 1994, the future of Betty;s singing career appeared uncertain until Margolin invited her to sing on his 1997 release "Up and In". You can hear Betty's vocal work on the laid-back sax driven Grady "Fats" Jackson tune, Coffee Break.
Betty's popularity continues to grow as evidenced by her demand from European audiences. Her resume includes past performances in Greece, Germany, Israel, Italy, France, and Switzerland. She has worked with artists as Percy Sledge, Taj Mahal, Magic Slim, Kenny Neal, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Larry Garner and John Primer. Closer to home, you can often find Betty performing with Tommy Brown, The Shadows, The Breeze Kings and long time Georgia musicians and friends Albert White, Roy Lee Johnson and Beverly "Guitar" Watkins, all former guitarists with the legendary Atlanta blues pianist, Piano Red.
PEACE & MANY BLESSINS' ON YOUR PATH SWEET BETTY !! THANKS FOR KEEPING THE BLUES ALIVE!! MAY THERE BE FEW STONES IN YOUR PASSWAY MY FRIEND!! HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE ROAD..TILL THEN.. KEEP MAKING IT DO WHAT IT DO... ~ RR
"DEVIL OFFERED A GOLD DOBRO~I SAID NO,I BE A HOBO!!" ~ RiYeN RoOtS
WhAt'S GoOD FaMiLY? I'm JuSt KeEpIn' BuSy..WoRkInG HaRd aT ThEsE BLuEs... BaCk To ThE StUdIo In JuNe To ReCoRd TuNeS FoR My NeW CD..!! GeTtInG ReAdY To HiT ThE RoAd ThIs SuMmER. HoPe To SeE YoU At A ShOW DoWN ThE RoAD. TiLL ThEn..
If YoU ArE GoInG To TrY.. Go aLL ThE WaY.. Do It...ALL ThE WaY.. DoN'T LeT AnYoNe StEaL YoUr ShIne.. 2009 BeLoNgS To YoU.. MaKe It Do WhAt It Do!!
MaY ThErE Be FeW StOnEs In YoUr PaSsWaY SwEeT BeTTy,
