Betty Padgett Betty Padgett
A soul singer who started out in Miami in the mid-’70s, Betty Padgett has a […]
A soul singer who started out in Miami in the mid-’70s, Betty Padgett has a sweet, down-home sound. The disco-laced single “Sugar Daddy,” with its polite requests for ice and a trip to Italy, comes from an era far removed from Beyonce’s self-made assertiveness. But Padgett’s simple vocals and delivery belies the multicultural mix of music on her reissued debut. Here she champions Miami as a cultural crossroads, a city where slack reggae grooves, conga beats, soul flavor, and pastel disco melodies mingle on the South Beach sand. This fusion clicks on tracks like “My Eyes Adore You,” unrequited love set to a smooth downbeat. Not quite a lost treasure, Padgett is a decent find filled with charm.