Demetri Betts
Demetri Betts | |
|---|---|
 Demetri Betts in May 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Native name | Antonio Demetrius Betts |
| Birth name | Antonio Emanuel Albernathy |
| Born | North Carolina, United States |
| Genres | Pop, Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels | Profimusic Switzerland |
| Website | demetribetts |
Demetri Betts (born April 26, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter,[1] musician,[2] author,[3] dancer, inspirational speaker, philanthropist, model, and former rave and club promoter.[4]
He has maintained a career that began in 1997. During these years, Demetri Betts has published 5 music albums, 2 book series, a magazine, and started the help organization New Chance International. He also created a name for himself with numerous help videos for teenagers on YouTube.[5] Demetri Betts is a Christian artist, but most of his fans are not Christian, and very few of them know that he is a Christian artist. His music, dance style, and outrageous fashion have often led people to call him the Michael Jackson of Christian music.[citation needed]
Discography
Albums
Books
- Dark City trilogy
- Jack Ross series
1973 to 1989: Early life
Born in prison in North Carolina on April 26, 1973, to a mother imprisoned for theft, he was given the name Antonio Emanuel Albernathy. He was raised in foster homes and was adopted at the age of three by Lester and Patricia Betts. On his adoption day into the Betts family, he met his real half-brother Donovan.[9] The Betts family adopted them both, hoping to keep the brothers together. During the adoption, his name was legally changed to Antonio Demetrius Betts, with the nickname Tony.[10] The happy home ended when it transformed into a place of neglect and child abuse. In 1980, when Tony was seven, Child Protective Services removed Donovan from the home and placed him back into the foster care system. It would be years before Tony saw him again, and it was devastating for him. Tony was also removed from the Betts family due to neglect and physical abuse at the age of twelve. Soon after, the Betts family signed away all parental rights over Tony, making him an orphan again and a ward of the state of North Carolina, where he remained until he was 17. In 1989, at age 17, Tony had an encounter with his biological mother, Paulette; she had been searching for him for years. During this meeting, Paulette explained why she could not care for him and asked for forgiveness. She also told him about his half-brother Donovan and that his real father had no idea he existed. At the end of their meeting, she told him she had cancer. Two weeks later, she died. The combination of being an orphan and abused led Tony to street life, where he began drug abuse.
1989 to 1997: Drugs, depression, and homelessness
Tony made the streets his home. Before becoming homeless, Tony had never used illegal drugs, smoked a cigarette, had sex, or drunk alcohol. He remained "innocent" until he was 20 years old. On the streets, he found others like him—people rejected by society or their families. Tony truly loved his street family and thought this life was healthy and positive, though in reality, it was a disaster. His daily drug use increased. He stole to survive. He often "sofa-surfed," sleeping on friends' sofas, but many times he slept on the floor without a pillow or blanket. For him, it was better than the street. During this time, his depression and loneliness also increased. He was very suicidal and thought about ending his life every day. Christmas and his birthday were the hardest times. He had no family to celebrate with and no one cared if he lived or died; thus, his birthday meant nothing. One year, he forgot his own birthday. He found no value in his own life. He made a few suicide attempts but failed. He was in and out of jail and the mental institution, but the mental institution never kept him long or provided much help because he lacked health insurance. He was introduced to the rave scene (a dance club party with electronic music, usually combined with many drugs, especially the love drug ecstasy). Tony became obsessed with ecstasy and rave parties. This rave scene and the drugs gave him a feeling of acceptance and love. He began selling ecstasy, LSD, and marijuana. He was off the street and sharing apartments with his rave and drug friends, whom he called his family.
1997 to 1999: Diva CoCo Brown
Tony changed his nickname from Tony to Demetri, taken from Demetrius, his legal middle name, during the years 1997 to 1999. He was discovered in a gay disco by a man who told him he was pretty enough to be a Drag queen. This was extremely strange for Demetri because he had never considered himself attractive or pretty. As a child, he was teased about his thin body and big lips, and the cloud of rejection haunted him. That night, he was introduced to a drag queen who later became his drag mother and taught him how to walk, talk, and look like a woman. Demetri always had a desire to sing. As a child, singing gave him comfort, and when homeless on the street, he sang to ease his pain. He also wrote a great deal. His two biggest dreams were singing and writing. As a drag queen, you traditionally lip-sync songs. Demetri did this and won competitions for his performances, but his biggest desire was to use his own voice. Demetri had never considered himself gay. He had always had girlfriends, but during this time period as Diva CoCo Brown (his stage name as a drag queen), he lived a bisexual lifestyle. Diva CoCo Brown quickly became popular and a local celebrity in the gay and rave scene. She began to promote and create her own rave parties and also perform as a drag queen in local clubs. She also had a drug business on the side that sold almost every legal and illegal drug available during that time period.
1999 to the present
Demetri Betts says he had an encounter with God that changed him. Rival drug dealers threw a bomb at his house, and he lost everything but his life. He went to his "family" friends to ask for a place to stay. Everyone turned him down. Diva CoCo Brown was homeless. All the feelings of rejection, depression, and loneliness returned. Demetri decided once again to take his own life. In the middle of his suicide attempt, Demetri says God revealed himself at a time when he did not believe in God. Demetri says God told him that he had a plan for him and that he was always loved and was never alone. He believed these words were spoken into his heart. Moments later, a woman came to Demetri and asked him if he had a place to live. She then directed him to a church where he could sleep for the night. Demetri slept there for many nights. He was discovered by the pastor, and the church helped him get his own place. Demetri decided to do one last show as Diva CoCo Brown. He wanted to "save" the rave scene from drug abuse. The event was totally full, with everyone waiting for the return of Diva CoCo Brown to come on stage. But she didn't come. Demetri came on stage, and as they booed him and yelled at him, he began to tell them about God and how bad drugs are and that ecstasy was not real love. After his short speech, he ran off stage. The DJ began to play. The dance continued. In his dressing room, he began to doubt his actions. He got a knock on his door. It was the club manager. He told him someone wanted to talk with him. Demetri opened his door and saw many people with tears in their eyes. One girl told Demetri: "I can't believe God found me here". This was the first day of his future. Or as he says, his destiny. Demetri began working many jobs. At one point, he had three jobs, one being a Burger King shift manager. He used his money to write, record music, and give to help organizations.[11]
Present day
Demetri Betts has started a drug rehab, numerous help organizations, a magazine called Fabulous, and a YouTube show called Don't give up and Behind the Scenes with Demetri Betts. He has released 5 CD recordings under Profimusic Switzerland: Phenomenal, Candy World, Sideways, and I Believe. He has been featured in countless TV programs, newspapers, and magazine articles. He married the bestselling author Damaris Kofmehl in 2002, who wrote two books about his life, Tony Brown and Tödliche Schuld, which remain bestsellers. They have written 7 published books together: the Dark City trilogy, the Jack Ross series, and a new series is planned. Together they created the help organization New Chance International.[12] Demetri Betts can be found today touring year-round with his music and inspirational speaking in schools, prisons, orphanages, churches, and, of course, in the middle of his concerts.
References
- ↑ "Demetri Betts" (in German). Sound 7. Retrieved April 9, 2013.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
- ↑ "Raving in the House of God". Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
- ↑ "Amazon.com: Demetri Betts: Books". Amazon. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
- ↑ "Demetri Betts". Allmusic. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
- ↑ "Demetri Betts on YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
- ↑ "Demetri Betts – Phenomenal". profimusic.ch. Retrieved April 9, 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "Sideways". Allmusic. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
- ↑ "Demetri Betts". MTV. Archived from the original on November 25, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
- ↑ "About". adrialdesigns.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
- ↑ "Demetri Betts" (in German). venyoo.de. Retrieved April 9, 2013.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
- ↑ "Demetri Betts – ein Portrait" (in German). newchanceinternational.com. Retrieved April 9, 2013.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
- ↑ "New Chance International" (in German). newchanceinternational.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved May 4, 2013.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
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