Betty Kelly

Betty Kelly
Betty Kelly in 1965
Background information
Birth name	Betty Kelly
Born	(1944-09-16) September 16, 1944
Origin	Attalla, Alabama, U.S.
Genres	R&B, soul
Occupation	Singer
Years active	1961–1967
Labels	Gordy

Betty Kelly (born September 16, 1944), also known as Betty Kelley, is an American singer most noted as being a member of the popular Motown singing group Martha and the Vandellas.

Early years

Born in Attalla, Alabama, Kelly moved with her family to Kalamazoo, Michigan when she was a child. In 1964, she replaced Annette Beard as a member of Martha and the Vandellas, the group led by Martha Reeves and featuring Rosalind Ashford. In 1961, she joined Motown singing group The Velvelettes.

Martha and the Vandellas

Main article: Martha and the Vandellas

Kelly (right) with Rosalind Ashford (left) and Martha Reeves as Martha and the Vandellas in 1965

Kelly joined what became the most famed lineup of the Vandellas, which recorded "I'm Ready for Love", "Nowhere to Run" and "My Baby Loves Me". The group performed on The Ed Sullivan Show, Shindig! and American Bandstand. Kelly was fired from the group in the summer of 1967—about the same time that Florence Ballard was fired from The Supremes—and was replaced by Martha's younger sister Lois Reeves with the group's name changed to Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.

Later years

After her Motown years, Kelly moved to California, where she worked for a savings and loan association until her retirement. Kelly left the music industry after she became partially deaf in one ear. In 1995, Kelly was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a Vandella alongside Martha and Lois Reeves, Annette Beard, and Rosalind Ashford. She remains connected to her Motown family, participating with Janie Bradford's Annual Heroes & Legends Awards, working with other artists at music festivals such as "Sunset Junction," and most recently attending a special artist family night of "Motown: The Musical" on Broadway.

Notes

Clemente, John (2000). Girl Groups—Fabulous Females That Rocked The World. Iola, Wisc. Krause Publications. pp. 276. ISBN 0-87341-816-6.