Betty Everett is remembered primarily for "The Shoop Shoop Song," a huge Top 10 hit in 1964, but she recorded throughout her life and was recognized as one of the top soul singers of her time.

Everett was born in Greenwood, Miss. in 1939. In her late teens she moved to Chicago where she recorded for local labels in the late 1950s and early 1960s. But it was when A&R man Calvin Carter inked Everett to a deal with VeeJay Records in '63 that her career really took off. Carter, who recorded the infectuous "You're No Good" with Everett, recalled in an interview published in Both Sides Now that the Dells were at the recording session, "They were sitting on the wooden platform where the string players would sit. Well, they were sitting there on the playback and just stomping their feet on this wooden platform to the beat of the song as it was playing back. So the mics were open and I heard it. I told the engineer 'Let's do it again, and let's mic those foot sounds, 'cause it really gave it a hell of a beat.' * " Indeed it did.

Even though Everett's "You're No Good," failed to make the Top 50 at the time, it was a treasured favorite among musicians. Over the the years it has become a rock and roll staple, having been covered by the likes of Swinging Blue Jeans, Linda Rondstadt and many others. After the near miss of "You're No Good," Everett recorded "The Shoop Shoop Song" in the spring of 1964, and it soared to Billboard's Top 10. "The Shoop Shoop Song" was later used in the soundtrack for the 1990 movie "Mermaids" as covered by Cher.

Other highlights of Everett's recording career include "I Can't Hear You," "Getting Mighty Crowded" a number of duets with the Impressions' Jerry Butler, including their Top 10 single, "Let It Be Me." There were other Betty Everett/Jerry Butler duets. One was their single "Smile" and their LP Delicious Together. "There'll Come A Time" was her first entry in the soul charts, and it made number two. It was also her last top forty hit. Betty had five more songs to make the soul charts on Uni and Fantasy by 1971. Over the next couple of years she released moderately successful albums like Love Rhythm and Happy Endings. Although her chart success was primarily at VeeJay, she recorded for many labels over the years. She received the BMI Pop Award in 1964 and 1991, and the BMI R&B Award in 1964. Since the 1980s Everett had lived in Beloit where she remained involved in the Fountain of Life and New Covenant churches and the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.