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Sad News - Bertha Barbee-McNeal of The Velvelettes - RIP

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Reported via various sources that Bertha Barbee-McNeal a co-founder member of The Velvelettes passed away on the 16th December 2022 

RIP

 

https://www.soul-source.co.uk/videos/view-1808-the-velvelettes-lonely-lonely-girl-am-i/

 

 

A detailed article can be read on the Western Michigan University web site featuring Bertha Barbee-McNeal and the group...

The Velvelettes: A legendary Motown group born on Western's campus

"Three of us quit at that time to have our families," says Barbee-McNeal. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in music from Western and became a music teacher in Kalamazoo Public Schools, where she taught for 26 years."

https://wmich.edu/news/2021/02/63261

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The Velvelettes rehearse at Motown studio in Detroit in 1963. Left to right: Betty Kelley, Norma (Barbee) Fairhurst, Bertha Barbee-McNeal and Cal (Gill) Street

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  • Tlscapital
    Tlscapital

    The Velvelettes are on their own real outstanding. To my ears and in my book since a teen they were always holding a special place. Later collecting such or such press of each of their releases proved

  • Soul Shrews
    Soul Shrews

    One I never tire of. Farewell Bertha Cheers Paul

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It must have been amazing to have played a part in the incredible Motown story.

Bertha thank you for the part you played in bringing the Velvelettes together.

RIP Bertha

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Edited by David Meikle
photo added

The Velvelettes are on their own real outstanding. To my ears and in my book since a teen they were always holding a special place. Later collecting such or such press of each of their releases proved not the easiest thing to gather.

Expectedly to careless punters they might be just the other 'Motown' (West to that) act lost in the who's who of Motown that of which they're suffering from (I've witnessed that occasionally) just as they gained from that back then.

R.I.P. Bertha Barbee-McNeal. We're forever grateful for these uplifting hymns we love to hum and gitty-up to. Throw A Farewell Kiss... +

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Edited by Tlscapital

    • Up vote 3
    4 hours ago, Soul Shrews said:

    One I never tire of.

    Farewell Bertha

    Cheers Paul

    One of the best i've ever had the pleasure of owning

    R.I.P

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