The route to Detroit for most African Americans was via the Deep South. For Betty Haskins it was straight East from the Michigan port of Muskegon, which lies 200 miles from Detroit.

Taking her artist surname from a close friend, her first audition was for Johnnie Mae Matthews who had recently gained a foothold on the Detroit music scene with her Northern label.

Recording a Lupine Published song in May 1962, Betty got a real break when when it was leased to Atlantic Records in New York City.

That song was "My man - he's a lovin' man" and it was written by Johnnie Mae  and her chief songwriter James Bennett. It was recorded in Bristoe Bryant's studio on East Alexandrine in August 1962 and gave Betty a blistering start going R&B #7, Pop #101.

The follow up was the equally brilliant "You'll never change" which was co-written by Robert West and Willie Schofield. For some reason, the song flopped, leaving Betty with no future at Atlantic.

Betty's contract now fell to her manager, Robert West, who recorded "Witchcraft in the air"/"You killed the love". The song was co-written by Jack Thomas who provided a significant slice of the song base at Lupine.

Sadly that record flopped too and Betty opted to find more work in Manhattan, this time turning up at Calla records on Broadway.

That partnership provided Soul Music fans with one of the classic songs of the era in "Let me down easy" which reached #20 in the R&B charts in April 1965. 

Notes thanks to David Meikle
 

DESIGN AND GRAPHICS BY LOWELL BOILEAU