Al Bettis contemplates going all-in on music
The Detroit singer/songwriter is one of several Michigan musicians of note in The Ark's Live Since ‘65 lineup.
Considering he first decided to pick up a guitar and write a song on his 30th birthday, Al Bettis feels like he’s gotten a late start.
The Detroit singer/songwriter has the chops and the sense of urgency to further explore recording and touring his blend of folk and pop with a soulful delivery in 2025, he just needs time to write and release some songs.
Working a full time job in IT for a Fortune 500 company, Bettis has long had a more practical job to support his daughter, Hannah, he said. With his recent marriage, he and his wife, Ramona, have discussed what it might look like for him to pursue a music career more seriously, a possibility that excites and scares him.
“I've been working since I was 16, so to not have that type of security is scary, because it requires me to believe in myself as much as I believe in the company that's cutting my check right now,” Bettis said. “I think that's the hardest part, because I know people who actually do music full time, and they make it work.”
While he lives in Detroit, Bettis says he’s found a music community of sorts in Ann Arbor, receiving some of his warmest receptions from crowds at The Ark, Top of the Park and Sonic Lunch, helping expose his music to a larger audience while giving him a taste of what playing in front of a bigger crowds is like.
Bettis is one of several intriguing Michigan-based artists performing Friday, Jan. 17 at The Ark in Ann Arbor during a special kickoff to the 48th Ann Arbor Folk Festival called Live Since ‘65, featuring more than a dozen artists performing their own renditions of songs released 60 years ago. Tickets start at $35 online.
Sixty years is how long The Ark has been in existence, supporting local, regional and respected national folk and roots acts from across the globe with the help of sponsors and membership who help pay to put on hundreds of shows a year in the cozy downtown Ann Arbor venue.
Giving artists like Bettis a venue to showcase their talents has long been the mission of The Ark, marketing director Barb Chaffer Authier said, with Michigan artists accounting for around 80 of the venue’s 300 annual performances.
“Since the early days, The Ark has always presented local and regional Michigan-based artists as well as national and international ones. It's an important part of who we are,” she said. “For The Ark's 60th year, we're focusing on a theme of Community, and of course Southeast Michigan's music community is a large part of what makes The Ark's community special. When we centered around the idea of having a number of artists cover songs from 1965, it made perfect sense to turn to the amazing pool of local music talent for the Live Since '65 event.”
While The Ark’s largest annual fundraiser will take place the following weekend, featuring two nights of performances from the likes of Waxahatchee, Josh Ritter and Toad the Wet Sprocket, Bettis sees Live Since ‘65 as a chance to showcase himself alongside a talented set of musicians under the the lofty Folk Festival umbrella.
“I remember the first time I walked in (The Ark) seeing all those different artists on the wall was just amazing,” Bettis said. “There was just really that feeling like there's something sacred about that place. Learning about the Folk Festival, watching the different artists come through there and now just to be a part of this is a bit of a dream come true for me.”
Now 46, Bettis said he feels like he has more to offer among several of his other folkish contemporaries featured in the Live Since ‘65 lineup that includes rising indie folk artist Rabbitology (author of one of Radio Amor’s favorite 50 songs of 2024) and Jeff Daniels and The Daniels Family Singers, along with respected regional artists Andrew Brown & Katie Smith, Annie & Rod Capps, Chris Buhalis, Chris DuPont & Kylee Phillips, Dani Darling, Joe Reilly, Judy Banker, Ki5, Matt Watroba, Peter Madcat Ruth and RFD Boys.
Bettis plans to dust off a Motown class in his tribute 1965 during the performance at The Ark - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles’ Ooo Baby Baby.
“Naturally, I have something that feels a little like soul to my sound, so I was like, ‘Maybe I should go with something that's not so obviously soul,’” Bettis said. “But then I thought, let's definitely bring it, and since I'm from Detroit, let's bring an element of Detroit with me.”
A self-trained acoustic guitarist, Bettis has a hard time pinning down what type of artist he would consider himself, initially leaning into indie folk with a spiritual focus on his Christian faith. He’s since gone on to hone his sound with elements of pop, jazz, folk and soul with the help of two band members — Jorell McNair on percussion and Derrell Cummings on bass — fleshing out his songs about love, heartbreak and redemption.
Grabbing inspiration from everyone from Al Green and Otis Redding to pop artists like Jason Mraz and Ed Sheeran, Bettis is a natural on stage and hasn’t looked out of place opening for some big names like Dionne Warwick, Valerie June, Dwele, Michael McDonald and The War and Treaty.
As he’s immersed himself in folk music in Ann Arbor, Bettis said he’s gained a fuller understanding of the scope of artists that exist, giving him hope that he, too, can take the next step in leveling up his music career. One particular show - a performance by folk artist William Fitzsimmons at The Ark - made Bettis a believer there are more options than just superstar or bust.
“It was something about that moment of watching him play there, and thinking, man, ‘I can actually survive and do what I love to do and not necessarily be a star,’” Bettis said. “It's like, sometimes we think the only options are like, you're either a star or you're working somewhere, you know? There's a lot in between in there that I didn't know existed until I started meeting more people who were doing it.”
Bettis has identified a couple of songs he’s previously written that he’d like to record as singles to support on the road, he said, making 2025 a year for him to lay down a foundation for his next chapter in music.
“I've seen some artists that I like, where instead of dropping a full album, they'll take one or two, maybe even three, really strong songs and develop a good marketing pattern behind those and use that to drum up some buzz,” Bettis said. “I think that's what I want to do this year — to position myself to start taking on more shows I'd like to book throughout the country.”