Legendary singer Betty Wright was laid to rest in a beautiful ceremony held at the Bethel Apostolic Church in her hometown Miami, Florida on Saturday, May 23.
The R&B artist known for songs “Tonight Is The Night”, “Clean Up Woman” and “No Pain, No Gain” was honored by fellow Miami resident and 2 Live Crew’s Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell and Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, among family and friends.
For three hours, masked attendees shared memories and sung hymns to commemorate the legacy of the soul singer. Wright was carried away in a horse drawn, glass-enclosed carriage containing her coffin.
Fan were invited by family to attend the memorial service through a live stream hosted by local news station WPLG-Local 10 and Florida Memorial University.
The TK Records artist started her career at the age of 14 with the release of her 1968 debut album My First Time Around.
Later in her career, she would pen the 1990s Gloria Estefan hit “Coming Out of the Dark”. Estefan, a fellow Miami resident, did not attend the funeral but sent condolences.
“There is no way that ‘Coming Out of the Dark’ would have had its gospel infused force without Betty’s input,” Estefan said. “She drew every note out of my soul so that it could touch the hearts of so many people that helped me overcome one of the darkest moments of my life. I will be forever thankful for her incredible talent, her musical wisdom and the fact that I was touched by her light.”
Wright would go on to mentor many people in the industry, solidifying a legacy as one of the most accomplished artists to arise from Miami, Florida. She was also sampled by some of the biggest artists, including Beyonce and Lil Wayne.
Wright was infamous in the South, where people would play her music at family reunions, summer BBQ’s and casual kickbacks.
After a battle with cancer, Wright passed away in the comfort of her home on May 10. She was 66.
Watch the Memorial below:
