Musicians: Betty Joplin (vocals & piano on tracks 8 & 15), Larry Fuller (piano except tracks 8 & 15), Larry Gray (bass), Leon Joyce, Jr. (drums & percussion), Rick Hicks (guitar)
Tracks: 1. You Don't Know WhaT Love Is, 2. That's My Desire, 3. A Cottage For Sale, 4. I Thought About You, 5. What A Difference A Day Made, 6. But Never One Like You, 7. Sunny, 8. Seems So Long, 9. Fly Me To the Moon, 10. And I Love Him, 11. But Beautiful, 12. Use Me, 13. How Do You Keep The Music Playing, 14. Stormy Monday Blues, 15. Through It All.
Biography: Betty's mother recognized her God-given talent when she was 3 years old. At the age of 4, (so young and small her feet were unable to reach the piano pedals) she was being invited to sing and accompany herself on piano at various churches in her home town, Jackson, Michigan. By age 7, the church appointed her pianist for church services as well as for the church choir. She continued to do so until age 17 when she got married. By the age of 19, she had 3 children and was divorced (she later had one more child). Needless to say, she put all dreams of a musical career on hold in order to raise her four children and to maintain a job to support them.
One summer, when 3 of her 4 children were teenagers, a couple of her musician friends convinced her to go with them to a night club at Lake James in Indiana where they were playing, and eventually coaxed her to join them on stage to sing a couple of songs. She loved singing and the audience loved her. She did not go back to the club the following week; however, there was such a demand for her that the owner of the night club asked the musicians to have her call him. He offered her a job singing on weekends at the club for the rest of the summer, which helped to put food on the table. This was the beginning of her professional career.
Just when Betty seemed to be surviving the struggle of single parenting, job, and career, her oldest son was killed in an automobile accident. Needless to say, it was devastating. However, because of her Faith in God, memories of her deceased son's love and his desire for her to 'make it in the Music Business’, the Lord gave her the stamina to keep the dream alive.
Since then, Betty has performed throughout the United States, Hawaii, Europe, Mexico, and Asia. She has worked with many wonderful musicians, including the late Arthur Prysock with whom she recorded ‘A ROCKIN’ GOOD WAY’ and received a Grammy Nomination, ‘THIS GUY’S IN LOVE WITH YOU’, and also appears on ‘THE BEST OF ARTHUR PRYSOCK’, all on Milestone/Fantasy Label. She also sang and toured with the Duke Ellington Orchestra under the direction of the late Mercer Ellington, and has been requested to perform by the one and only Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin on several occasions.
In 1996, she signed a Contract with Lake Street Records and recorded the ‘BLINDED BY LOVE’ CD, which was her only recording on that label.
In 2002, she did a performance with drummer / percussionist Leon Joyce, Jr and bassist Larry Gray (both of the Ramsey Lewis Trio) and was so impressed with their playing that she decided to go into the recording studio to record again…..only this time, she formed her own label, Preserved Moments Music, and asked Leon and Larry to record with her; later enlisting pianist Larry Fuller (formerly of the Ray Brown Trio), and guitarist Rick Hicks to join them. From this union came ‘VISIONS OF THE MOMENT’.
JazzReview.com
