Reclusive rock guitarist Bill Bartlett struck gold twice: In 1968 as a
Lemon Piper when "Green Tambourine" topped the charts, and, in 1977, when his band Ram Jam recorded "Black Betty," among the most covered songs in rock history. For many years, Bartlett has lived quietly outside the college town of Oxford, Ohio, and has rarely played in public. In fact, he hadn't sung "Black Betty" in decades when he appeared at Cincinnati's "Summer of Love" music festival on August 15, 2009 to deliver a blistering version of his classic. "Everybody wants to know who Black Betty is," Bartlett yelled from the stage. "I think she's Bettie Page, with that black hair and those straight bangs. If you never heard of her, go to Google."
Lemon Piper when "Green Tambourine" topped the charts, and, in 1977, when his band Ram Jam recorded "Black Betty," among the most covered songs in rock history. For many years, Bartlett has lived quietly outside the college town of Oxford, Ohio, and has rarely played in public. In fact, he hadn't sung "Black Betty" in decades when he appeared at Cincinnati's "Summer of Love" music festival on August 15, 2009 to deliver a blistering version of his classic. "Everybody wants to know who Black Betty is," Bartlett yelled from the stage. "I think she's Bettie Page, with that black hair and those straight bangs. If you never heard of her, go to Google."
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