Oakville residents are in for a soulful treat when renowned singer Bettye LaVette plays the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts with special guests The Walkervilles on Saturday, February 21, 2015 at 8 p.m..
With a musical career spanning over 50 years, Bettye LaVette is rightly recognized as one of the finest vocalists and one of the great interpreters of song. Her discography spans 5 decades, but it is within the past decade that she’s finally been recognized as one of America’s finest vocal talents. Bettye has teamed up with producer Joe Henry, and the result is a stunning new album, Worthy, featuring 11 songs composed by writers such as Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, Bob Dylan, John Lennon & Paul McCartney, Mickey Newbury, Beth Nielsen Chapman & Mary Gauthier (who wrote the album title track) and Joe Henry among others.
“I never thought anyone could challenge the way Roger Daltrey took the vocals to such a high level of anguish, longing, and epiphany, but Bettye did it. She is a voice from the wilderness..”- PETE TOWNSHEND
Bettye had the honour of performing "A Change Is Gonna Come" with Jon Bon Jovi for President elect Barack Obama on HBO's telecast of the kick-off 2009 Inaugural Celebratory concert. Later that year, she shared the stage with Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr at Radio City Music Hall for David Lynch's Change Begins Within benefit concert.
The Walkervilles have figured out the recipe, you see. The recipe for making music that touches your soul, slaps it around a bit, caresses it, and leaves it wanting more in the best way. It’s no wonder that they are influenced by the genre of music that is aptly named the same: soul. Throw in heavy influences of Motown and Rock and what you’ve got is the unique ability to make a lover out of a fan. Made of three musicians from Windsor, Ontario – Pat Robitaille, Mike Hargreaves and Stefan Cvetkovic seamlessly fit together like a sexy bowtie and a perfect-fitting suit.