Betty Mann Doutt: January 14, 1932 – January 10, 2025

Betty (Bachman) Mann Doutt passed away on January 10, 2025, in Santa Barbara, California.

Betty was born in Lewistown, Montana, on January 14, 1932. After her graduation from Fergus High in 1950 she married Peter Aycrigg and moved to Berkeley, California to attend UC Berkeley, remaining in the Bay Area until 1969.

During the 1950s, as Betty Montana she pursued a career as a country-western singer in the San Francisco Bay Area, later changing her name to Betty Mann. In the early 1960s she toured nationally as a member of the Gateway Trio, appearing in college and civic concerts, nightclubs, and fairs across the U.S. and Canada. The Trio recorded for Capital Records and co-starred in the MGM movie Hootenanny Hoot and ABC-TV’s Hootenanny show.

After the Gateway Trio broke up in the 1970s, Betty moved to Hollywood, where she developed a country-western act which took her on tours of the U.S. and the Far East. Later she toured extensively in Japan with the Montie Montana Wild West Show. 

She moved to Santa Barbara in 1976, and in 1979 married Richard L. Doutt, Entomologist and Environmental Attorney. For ten years Betty bred and raised almost every bird imaginable and became quite skilled at rehabbing California quail. She and her husband were also active members of the Farmers Market.

Betty loved the production side of show business almost as much as she enjoyed performing, and spent nearly half of her creative life in the public relations/promotion/marketing field. As a founding member of the Santa Barbara Songwriters Guild, she also handled their publicity. In addition to performing with the Santa Barbara Treble Clef Chorus, she handled all their press. She was a board member of the Santa Barbara Ad Club and was also a longtime member of the Parkinson’s Association and handled all their press as well.

From 1992 through 2001, Betty performed regularly with the Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera, and is perhaps best remembered for her roles as Aunt Eller in Oklahoma! and the comic maid with the crazy vacuum in No, No, Nanette. She also appeared locally with many other theatrical groups and local radio and TV commercials.

Betty’s role as publicist and marketer for the Santa Barbara Songwriters Guild soon enough blossomed into yet another facet of her creativity. As she took up writing in earnest, Betty worked away on a memoir of her touring days with the Gateway Trio and spent much creative ink on her beloved birds and the animal kingdom in general – pouring her heart into a written expressionism to match her vocal chops and stagecraft. Betty overflowed with creative feeling and took immense joy in colorfully conveying her art spirit through the written word. 

Betty is preceded in death by her parents, her first husband Peter Aycrigg, brother Donald, sister Mary, her second husband of 32 years Richard L. Doutt, and stepson Jeff Doutt. 

She is survived by Richard “Rick” Doutt, four grandchildren, Jason; Amy Carolus (Adam); Joseph (Gina); Jonathan; four great-grandchildren, and many half brothers and sisters, as well as many cousins, nieces,
and nephews.

Betty’s ashes will be buried in Lewistown, Montana. No local services are planned.