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Betty Kelley

Betty Kelly (born Sept. 16, 1944 in Attalla, Alabama), moved to Detroit, Mich,. when she was a child. In 1961, she joined The Velvelettes. Kelly was not part of the group when the band had a 1965 hit, “Needle in a Haystack.” A year before, Kelly had been recruited by Motown president Berry Gordy to become a member of the group led by Martha Reeves known as Martha and the Vandellas. She replaced departed Vandellas member Annette Beard. Betty Kelly joined what became the most famed lineup of the Vandellas, coming in quickly to record the single “Live Wire”, which was similar to earlier Vandellas singles such as “(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave” and “Quicksand.” The group found bigger success with what became signature songs including “Dancing in the Street,” “Nowhere to Run” and “Jimmy Mack.” Kelly was often mistaken for being an original member of the group, de-spite the fact that Beard sang on the group’s earlier singles, often lip-synched by Kelly when the group performed on TV. By 1967, Kelly was out of the group, though it’s said she rejoined the Velvelettes occasionally during reunion performances. In 1995, Betty Kelly was inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a Vandella alongside Martha and Lois Reeves, Annette Beard, Rosalind Ashford, and Sandra Tilley. In recent years, Betty Kelly has helped to organize annual music festivals in California (where she now resides), most notably the late-summer event known as Sunset Junction.