(January 3, 2018) We are extremely sad to inform SoulTrackers that 60s soul singer Betty Willis was killed on the morning of New Year’s Day in Santa Ana, California. 22 year old Rosendo Xo Pec has been charged with murder and sexual assault, after he allegedly attacked Willis in a shopping mall parking lot, killing her. Willis was 76, and was reportedly homeless, living on the streets of Santa Ana.
After she left the music business, Ms. Willis worked for several years for the US Postal Service in Santa Ana.
It is a tragic event ending the life of a talented singer who had several modest hits in the 1960s, including “Take Your Heart,” “Act Naturally” and “Ain’t Gonna Do You No Good.”
We send our prayers along to Ms. Willis’s family and share the grief of fans for this inexplicable, senseless taking of her life.
