Bettye LaVette—while on the road—took a moment to field a few questions about getting a call to open for the Stones June 27 at Soldier Field in Chicago. “I am very excited,” the Essex County resident exclaimed. “They are my contemporaries. In fact, my first single came out in 1962 before their first record. Like I’ve said, ‘I’ve been waiting for them to call for sixty years. They finally found my number!”

Despite not winning an award at the know-nothing Grammys for her brilliant ‘LaVette!’ album, The First Lady of Song from Essex County put on a spectacular demonstration—as always—of interpretation at the “Celebrating Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra” NJPAC concert in Newark on February 8.

Two of Essex County’s most cherished artists—vocalist extraordinaire Bettye LaVette, 77, and bassist-composer-arranger-educator Christian McBride, 51, will join Aloe Blacc, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Paula Cole, Rachael Price and Brian Stokes Mitchell in “A Tribute In Song” February 8 on The Betty Wold Johnson Stage, Prudential Hall, within NJ PAC in Newark.

The sly, insinuating funk of Bettye Lavette’s “What You Won’t Say” is a gem but it was left off the CD version of the Grammy-nominated ‘LaVette!.’ Produced by Steve Jordan, written by Randall Bramblett, accentuating the one-of-a-kind vocals of Essex County powerhouse Bettye, it is only included on the vinyl version of the album. As a public service, we present it here in all its unadorned glory.

The 43rd annual John Lennon Tribute concert will take place at Town Hall in New York City on December 2 with Graham Nash, Judy Collins, Rosanne Cash, Marc Cohn, Willie Nile and Lisa Fischer. But we’re most excited about Soul Goddess Bettye LaVette adding her royal presence to the festivities.

American treasure Bettye LaVette, who resides in Essex County, has been nominated for the seventh time in her illustrious career for a Grammy Award in honor of her current ‘LaVette!’ masterpiece.

‘Lavette!’ has Bettye LaVette singing 11 Randall Bramblett songs with an intensity, a passion, a daring kind of in-your-face arrogance that only she can muster. For the most part, though, she sings ‘em straight. Enticing. Inviting. That’s what makes it so universal. Guests like Steve Winwood, Ray Parker, Jr., John Mayer and Jon Batiste show up to the party but this is Bettye’s show.

The Americana Music Foundation and Grammy Museum are teaming up to present a rare one-night-only sit-down at The Greene Space in Manhattan with the iconic soul singer Bettye LaVette, of Essex County, and producer/composer/drummer Steve Jordan, on May 31, as part of their “A New York Evening With…” series.

She came out of Detroit with both barrels smoking in the 1960s but she’s been a Jersey Girl for decades. With one of the most iconic voices in music history, as produced by drummer/label head Steve Jordan on songs all written by Randall Bramblett, ‘LeVette!’ won’t be released until June 16 but you can hear one song, “Plan B,” here.