Sam Bettens is a Belgian musician and the lead singer of the Belgian band K's Choice. He is known for his enigmatic, husky voice. Sam is a transgender man; he started transitioning in 2019, and was formerly known as Sarah Bettens.
Bettens' first solo effort was a mini-album called Go. His first full-length solo album, Scream, was released in Europe on 14 March 2005, and in the USA on 23 August 2005. In March 2007, Bettens released an EP through online music label Fuzz. His second full-length album, Shine, including new mixes of the tracks from the Fuzz EP, was released in 2007. It was produced by Brad Wood. The full CD was distributed for free with 13 October edition of the Flemish newspaper De Morgen in Belgium, which sold 180,000 copies. In 2007, Bettens won an EBBA Award. Every year, the European Border Breakers Awards recognize the success of ten emerging artists or groups who reached audiences outside their own countries with their first internationally released album in the past year. In late 2008, Bettens released the album Never Say Goodbye, consisting of recordings of live performances of K's Choice and solo songs, covers, and new songs which had been played during previous tours. The album was only available at concerts and from his online shop. There were plans to license the single "Come Over Here" from his LP Scream for episode 409 of the American series The L Word. However, the plans fell through due to problems involving the song's co-writer and record label. The song also appears on the premier Music With a Twist compilation. After having played Michigan Womyn's Music Festival in 2006 solo, Bettens organized a band which, at the time, was identified as all-female, for a performance there in 2007. In June 2012, he worked as a firefighter for a year in the Johnson City Fire Department. Bettens has provided vocals for movie soundtracks, including Underworld, Wild Things, Zus and Zo, and Leef!
Rex Rebel
In 2018, Sam decides to start a new adventure with the new music group Rex Rebel. They release their album in February, 2020
Personal life
On 17 May 2019 Bettens came out to the public as a transgender man and had his name changed to Sam. In a YouTube video, Bettens said, "being transgender is not a choice. I always have been, I just didn't know it until now." He said he is taking hormone replacement therapy and noted that this would affect his voice and singing, and that he was working with a voice coach. Before coming out as trans, there was a period where he publicly identified as a lesbian, and he has had a large lesbian fanbase since the beginning of his career with K's Choice in the 90s. Sam Bettens was born in Kapellen, Belgium. He currently lives in Palm Desert, California, having moved there from Johnson City, Tennessee in 2017, with his partner, two step-children, and two adopted children.
