Grammy Award soul singer Betty Wright had died at the age of 66.

Betty who passed on today was believed to have been seriously ill and was an icon for soul music.

The news of her death was broken today by her niece but the cause of her death has not been revealed

Betty Wright during her life time was said to have inspired singers like Mary J Blige and The Roots and she was the first black female to have a gold record on her label. She was Beyonce Knowles vocal coach and sang backing vocals for Steve Wonder.

Wright also wrote for Jennifer Lopez, Micheal Jackson and Gloria Estefan