throwback: betty davis.

way before the lil kims, beyonces and ______ (insert almost any name here), there was betty davis, a 70s funk, rock and soul singer and model. while all ladies are known for their downright salacious energy, there's one major difference. while sex appeal seems to be the prerequisite for popularity in today's game, betty davis was oozing with it way before it was the accepted format. her racy attitude resulted in protests against her shows, limited radio play and poor record sales. lyrics like those from "if i'm in luck, i might get picked up" which speaks of a one night stand was a no-no in those days. hard to believe in an era of "think i invented sex" and "i wish i could f--- every girl in the world," huh?

she was the ex-wife of jazz great, miles davis. a rumored affair between she and jimi hendrix is noted as the reason for their split after just one year of marriage. she is known to have been a great influence on davis. she inspired the title of davis' piece, bitches brew, which was initially to be titled witches brew.

during the length of her career, she released 3 albums - betty davis/1973, they say i'm different/1974 and nasty gal/1975. she also appeared in photo spreads in glamour, seventeen and ebony.

if i'm in luck, i might get picked up, 1973: