Extraordinary Woman: The Queen of Funk

"Betty Davis was a force of nature," says music historian Rob Bowman. "A flamboyant funk diva who wrote and arranged her own material, she was renowned for her aggressive sexuality in performance and for a voice that could shred shrapnel."

Join us on Sunday, June 7, noon, at the Revue Cinema for a documentary and discussion about the incomparable Queen of Funk. Rob Bowman joins us for our post-film Q&A.

As part of Back Lane Studios' Extraordinary Women Series, we will be screening Betty -- They Say I Am Different, directed by Philip Cox. He has created a lyrical film about the artist who disappeared for 35 years, her style too abrasive and sexual for the times.

Here's how filmmaker Cox summarizes Betty's impact:

"An aspiring songwriter from a small steel town, Betty arrived on the '70s scene to break boundaries for women with her daring personality, iconic fashion and outrageous funk music. She befriended Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, wrote songs for the Chambers Brothers and the Commodores, and married Miles Davis - startlingly turning him from jazz to funk on the album she named Bitches Brew.

"She then, despite being banned and boycotted, went on to become the first black woman to perform, write and manage herself. Betty was a feminist pioneer, inspiring and intimidating in a manner like no woman before. Then suddenly - she just vanished."

She passed away from cancer in 2022, but fortunately Cox managed to connect with her and tell her story in this 2017 film. It blends animation, archival footage and documentary techniques to create a sensitive portrait.

Please note this Extraordinary Women event starts at noon.

Tickets are by donation ($16 suggested) on Eventbrite or at the door. When buying by donation on Eventbrite, you can only buy one ticket at a time.

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