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Betty Barton (born Betty Jean Champion, October 24, 1944),[1] better known by the stage name Bettye Swann, is a retired American soul singer. She is best known for her 1967 hit song "Make Me Yours".

This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (September 2010)

Bettye Swann
Birth name	Betty Jean Champion
Also known as	Betty Barton
Born	(1944-10-24) October 24, 1944 (age 78) Shreveport, Louisiana, United States
Occupation(s)	Singer
Instrument(s)	Voice
Years active	1964-1980

Career

Swann was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States,[1] one of 14 children. She grew up in Arcadia, Louisiana, and moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1963. Although some sources state that Swann was in a vocal group known as The Fawns who recorded for Capital Records in 1964, she has refuted this, saying that she sang with a trio in Arcadia by that name.[2]

In 1964, Swann started a solo singing career, changing her name to Bettye Swann at the prompting of local DJ Al Scott, who became her manager. After a minor hit with the self-penned "Don’t Wait Too Long", her big breakthrough came with "Make Me Yours", which topped the Billboard R&B charts in July 1967 and made No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] In 1968, she split with Scott, moved to Georgia, won a new contract with Capitol Records, and had another hit in 1969 with her cover of the Jeannie Seely hit "Don't Touch Me" (No. 14 R&B, No. 38 Hot 100).

In 1972, Swann transferred to Atlantic Records and had a pair of minor hits with "Victim of a Foolish Heart" (later covered by Joss Stone) and Merle Haggard's "Today I Started Loving You Again".[1] After leaving Money Records she lived for a short time in Athens, Georgia.[2] She continued to record until the mid-1970s, but with little commercial success. Her last public performance was in 1980, the year her husband and manager, George Barton, died.^{[citation needed]}

Swann later changed her name to Betty Barton, began working as a teacher in the Las Vegas area, and became a Jehovah's Witness. She is now retired and, according to a 2005 interview, suffers from a degenerative spinal condition.^{[citation needed]}

In 2015, multiple elements from Swann's 1974 recording "Kiss My Love Goodbye" were sampled in the Galantis single "Peanut Butter Jelly".[4]

In 2019, Swann's "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" enjoyed a resurgence of interest when it was used as the closing song in the finale of the second series of The End of the F***ing World.

In 2021, the Vermont-based rapper Subtex [Zeke Kreitzer] sampled the beginning lines of Swann's 1968 song, "(My Heart Is) Closed For The Season" in his track, "Love Art Pain."

Discography

Albums

• 1967: Make Me Yours (Money)
• 1969: The Soul View Now (Capitol) - R&B #48
• 1969: Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me (Capitol)
• 1990: Sweet Dreams (Capitol)
• 2001: The Money Recordings (Kent)
• 2004: Bettye Swann (Astralwerks/Honest Jon's)
• 2014: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (Rhino)
• 2015: The Very Best of Bettye Swann (Kent)

Singles

Year	Title	Chart positions
		US	US R&B
1964	"Don't Wait Too Long"	131	27
1965	"The Man That Said No"	–	–
1966	"The Heartache Is Gone"	–	–
1967	"Make Me Yours"	21	1
	"Fall in Love with Me"	67	36
1968	"Don't Look Back"	–	–
	"Don't Take My Mind"	–	–
	"I'm Lonely For You"	–	–
1969	"Don't Touch Me"	38	14
	"Angel of the Morning"	109	–
	"Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me)"	102	–
1970	"Little Things Mean a Lot"	114	–
	"Don't Let It Happen To Us"	–	–
1971	"I'm Just Living A Lie"	–	–
1972	"Victim of a Foolish Heart"	63	16
1973	"'Til I Get It Right"	–	88
	"Today I Started Loving You Again"	46	26
1974	"The Boy Next Door"	–	71
	"Time To Say Goodbye"	–	–
1975	"All the Way In or All the Way Out"	–	83
1976	"Storybook Children" (with Sam Dees)	–	84
	"Heading in the Right Direction"	–	–

References

External links

• 2005 interview with Bettye Swann, by Jarret Keane
• Profile of Bettye Swann on AMG
• Bettye Swann discography at Discogs

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