On display at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music November 6th, 2025 – February 22nd, 2026
Bettye Crutcher was a heavy hitter at Stax Records as their only female songwriter on staff. In 1968, she made history co-writing the platinum-selling hit “Who’s Making Love” for Johnnie Taylor, helping define the sound of Southern soul. As part of the powerhouse songwriting team We Three, alongside Homer Banks and Raymond Jackson, Crutcher brought a vital feminine perspective to the male-dominated R&B industry with lyrics that reflected strength, wit, and deep emotional truth.
Decades later, a chance discovery in a Lexington, Tennessee antique mall unearthed a remarkable piece of her story. A storage bin filled with handwritten lyrics, contracts, photographs, and deeply personal correspondence. Found by collector Patrick Barbour and donated to the Stax Museum, this intimate collection sheds new light on one of Stax Records’ most influential creative voices.
The exhibit features Crutcher’s original lyric sheets, personal letters, rare photos, and items from her home archive, revealing the woman behind the words that helped shape the Memphis sound. Visitors can also hear Bettye’s work on the Museum’s lounge jukebox, featuring selections from the GRAMMY Award-winning compilation Written in Their Souls: The Stax Songwriter Demos.
