Betty Davis (1944 to 2022) was funk's fiercest pioneer, a singer, songwriter and producer who was artistic and sexual liberation personified. A model and songwriter in late-1960s New York, she was briefly married to Miles Davis, whom she introduced to the rock and funk that would reshape his music, and to whom she gave the title Bitches Brew. From 1973 she made her own records, writing and producing everything herself and fronting bands of the best young funk players, with a raw, growling voice and lyrics of unapologetic desire.

Betty Davis (1944 to 2022) was funk's fiercest pioneer, a singer, songwriter and producer who was artistic and sexual liberation personified. A model and songwriter in late-1960s New York, she was briefly married to Miles Davis, whom she introduced to the rock and funk that would reshape his music, and to whom she gave the title Bitches Brew. From 1973 she made her own records, writing and producing everything herself and fronting bands of the best young funk players, with a raw, growling voice and lyrics of unapologetic desire.