W&L Presents ‘Putting Soul Back into Fashion’ with Blues Singer Bette Smith In addition to her Jan. 15 performance, Smith will host a “listening party” and a blues theme dinner on Jan. 14.

Editor’s note: The following release was written by Allison Munck ’27 for W&L’s Lenfest Center for the Arts.

The Lenfest Center at Washington and Lee University presents a performance by blues singer Bette Smith at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in the Keller Theatre.

Tickets are required and available online or in person at the Lenfest Center box office.

In addition to her Jan. 15 performance, Smith will host a “listening party” as part of the Lenfest Center’s Table Talks series at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 14, and she’ll be featured in a soul, rock and blues theme dinner at the Marketplace at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 14.

A gospel, soul, rock and blues artist of Trinidadian descent, Smith is a New York Blues Hall of Fame inductee and has worked with Jimbo Mathis, Kirk Fletcher, Luther Dickinson, Patterson Hood and Jimmy Hogarth. She can trace her music back to the core elements of her childhood in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. From summer block party bands to the gospel music she heard in church, her music is a living celebration of culture and history.

Smith brings both gritty energy and heartfelt storytelling to the stage, fusing soul, rock and roll, funk, blues and gospel music into original work. She has toured the world, shaking stages from Switzerland to London to New York City, and her work has been highlighted and reviewed across major music publications, with Rolling Stone magazine describing her as an artist who “puts soul back into fashion.”

Table Talks at Kamen Gallery: Art, Insight & Lunch

Join Smith at noon on Jan. 14 in the Stan Kamen Gallery for a shared meal and “listening party” that celebrates Smith’s music and emphasizes opportunities for meaningful connections. The Table Talks series fosters inclusive dialogue, collaborative decision-making and a spirit of shared exploration. Tickets are free but required, and lunch will be provided.

During the listening party, Smith will share music selections and provide insights into her creative process and discuss the inspiration behind her artistic journey. Smith’s listening session playlist includes her own song “Tennessee Whiskey,” in addition to “Ain’t No Way” by Aretha Franklin, “I Wish” by Stevie Wonder, “But You Know I Love You” by Dolly Parton, “Astral Plane” by Valerie June and “Mileage” by Ruthie Foster.

Smith will also be featured in a soul, rock and blues dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 14 at the Marketplace. The themed dinner will celebrate Smith’s near-Southern roots with a down-home cooking feast complete with buttermilk fried chicken, mashed potatoes and collard greens with ham. Dry rubbed beef ribs, blackened catfish, vegetarian gumbo and red beans with rice will also be available.

Order your tickets online today, or call the Lenfest Center box office at 540-458-8000 for ticket information. Box office hours are 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The cost is $35 for adults, $32 for seniors, $29 for W&L faculty and staff and $8 for students.

This performance is sponsored in part by the Class of 1964 Performing Arts Fund.

For a full list of performances, visit the Lenfest Center’s website.

The Lenfest Center for the Arts, home of the Department of Theater, Dance, and Film Studies, the Department of Music and Department of Art and Art History is a multi-use facility designed and equipped to accommodate a broad spectrum of the performing arts, including theater, musical theater, opera and operetta, choral and band music, dance and performance art in one energizing complex.