Ruth Brown
Ruth Brown, from compilation album of early recordings
Background information
Born	January 12, 1928 Portsmouth, Virginia
Died	November 17, 2006 Henderson, Nevada
Genre(s)	Rhythm and Blues
Instrument(s)	Vocals
Years active	1949 - 1993

Ruth Brown (January 12, 1928–November 17, 2006) was an American R&B singer. Born Ruth Alston Weston in Portsmouth, Virginia, Brown brought a popular music style to rhythm and blues in a series of hit songs for fledgling Atlantic Records in the 1950s. Image File history File links Ruthbrown1. ... January 12 is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Map Political Statistics Founded 1752 County Independent city Mayor Dr. James W. Holley III Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 120. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Henderson is the fastest-growing large city (over 150,000 pop. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... For other uses, see Rhythm and blues (disambiguation). ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... Ercole de Roberti: Concert, c. ... See also: 1948 in music, other events of 1949, 1950 in music and the list of years in music. // Events Mitch Miller begins his career as one of the 20th centurys most successful record producers at Mercury Eddie Fisher signs with RCA Bob Hope suggests that Anthony Benedetto change... See also: 1993 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1993 Record labels established in 1993 other events of 1993 list of years in music 1990s in music // January 8 - The U.S. Postal service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. ... January 12 is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Rhythm and blues (disambiguation). ... Ercole de Roberti: Concert, c. ... Map Political Statistics Founded 1752 County Independent city Mayor Dr. James W. Holley III Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 120. ... Popular music is music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more of the mass media. ... For other uses, see Rhythm and blues (disambiguation). ... Atlantic Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American record label that operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ...

Following a resurgence that began in the mid-1970s and peaked in the eighties, Brown used her influence to press for musicians' rights regarding royalties and contracts. Her performances in the Broadway musical Black and Blue earned Brown a Tony Award, and the original soundtrack won a Grammy Award. A royalty is a sum paid to the creator of performance art for the use of that art. ... Musical theater (or theatre) is a form of theater combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. ... Black and Blue is a musical revue celebrating the black culture of dance and music in Paris between World War I and World War II. Conceived by Hector Orezzoli and Caludio Segovia, it consists of songs by artists such as W. C. Handy, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Eubie... What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ... Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards, commonly abbreviated as the Grammys or GRAMMYs ), presented by the Recording Academy known as NARAS, (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards...

Early life

Ruth Brown's father was a dockhand who directed the local church choir, but the young Ruth showed more of an interest in singing at USO shows and nightclubs. In 1945, Brown ran away from her home in Portsmouth along with a trumpeter, Jimmy Brown, whom she soon married, to sing in bars and clubs. She then spent a month with Lucky Millinder's orchestra, but was fired after she brought drinks to the band for free, and was left stranded in Washington, D.C. A stevedore is a person who works at loading or unloading a ship. ... A church choir is a choir that usually performs at a church. ... The United Service Organizations The United Service Organizations (USO) is a volunteer organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military worldwide. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... See also: 1944 in music, other events of 1945, 1946 in music and the list of years in music. // Events Remo Giazotto reconstructs Tomaso Albinonis Adagio in G Minor from a fragment of a trio sonata he discovers among the ruins of the Dresden State Library. ... Trumpeter redirects to here. ... Jimmy Earle Brown (1926–December 18, 2006) was an American trumpeter, saxophonist and singer who was the first husband of R&B singer Ruth Brown. ... Lucius Venable (Lucky) Millinder (August 8, 1900 – September 28, 1966) was an American rhythm and blues and swing bandleader and singer. ... Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: Federal District District of Columbia Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) City Council Chairperson: Linda W. Cropp (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2: Jack Evans...

Career

Blanche Calloway, Cab Calloway's sister, also a bandleader, arranged a gig for Brown at a Washington nightclub called Crystal Caverns and soon became her manager. Willis Conover, a local DJ, caught her act and recommended her to Atlantic Records bosses, Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Brown was unable to audition as planned though, because of a serious car accident that resulted in a nine-month hospital visit. In 1948, however, Ertegun and Abramson drove to Washington from New York City to hear her sing in the club. Although her repertoire was mostly popular ballads, Ertegun convinced her to switch to rhythm and blues. His productions for her, however, retained her "pop" style, with clean, fresh arrangements and the singing spot on the beat with little of the usual blues singer's embroidery. Jazz singer, bandleader, and composer Blanche Calloway (February 9, 1904 - December 16, 1978) is not as well known as her younger brother Cab Calloway, but she may have been the first woman to lead an all male orchestra. ... Cab Calloway, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1933 Cab Calloway (December 25, 1907–November 18, 1994) was a famous American jazz singer and bandleader. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Willis Conover (1920-May 17, 1996) was a jazz producer and broadcaster on the Voice of America for over forty years. ... DJ or dj may stand for Disc jockey, dinner jacket The DeadJournal website, or Djibouti. ... The Ertegun brothers, Ahmet Ertegun (1923) and Nesuhi Ertegun (1917–1989) are co-founders of Atlantic Records. ... Herb Abramson (1916-1999) was a record company executive and producer. ... See also: 1947 in music, other events of 1948, 1949 in music and the list of years in music. // Events Aldeburgh Festival is founded by Benjamin Britten, Eric Crozier and Peter Pears. ... Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1613 Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ...

In her first audition, in 1949, she sang "So Long", which ended up becoming a hit. This was followed by Teardrops from My Eyes in 1950. Written by Rudy Toombs, it was the first upbeat major hit for Ruth Brown, establishing her as an important figure in R&B. Recorded for Atlantic Records in New York City in September 1950, and released in October, it was on Billboard's List of number-one R&B hits (United States) for 11 weeks. The huge hit earned her the nickname "Miss Rhythm" and within a few months Ruth Brown became the acknowledged queen of R&B.^[1] See also: 1948 in music, other events of 1949, 1950 in music and the list of years in music. // Events Mitch Miller begins his career as one of the 20th centurys most successful record producers at Mercury Eddie Fisher signs with RCA Bob Hope suggests that Anthony Benedetto change... Teardrops from My Eyes, written by Rudy Toombs, was the first upbeat major hit for Ruth Brown, establishing her as an important figure in rhythm and blues. ... See also: 1949 in music, other events of 1950, 1951 in music, 1950s in music and the list of years in music // Events Malcolm Sargent becomes chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. ... Rudy Toombs was a black songwriter who wrote Teardrops from My Eyes, Ruth Browns first number one R&B hit song. ... Atlantic Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American record label that operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ... On January 4, 1936, Billboard magazine published its first music hit parade and on July 20, 1940 the first Music Popularity Chart was calculated. ... This article needs to be wikified. ...

She followed up this hit with "I'll Wait for You" (1951), "I Know" (1951), "5-10-15 Hours" (1953), "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" (1953), "Oh What a Dream" (1954), "Mambo Baby" (1954) and "Don't Deceive Me" (1960). She also became known as Little Miss Rhythm and the girl with the teardrop in her voice. In all, she was on the R&B charts for 149 weeks from 1949 to 1955, with 16 top 10 blues records including 5 number ones, and became Atlantic's most popular artist, earning Atlantic records the proper name of "The House that Ruth Built." See also: 1950 in music, other events of 1951, 1952 in music, 1950s in music and the list of years in music // Events Johnnie Ray has his first hit record with Cry. ... See also: 1952 in music, other events of 1953, 1954 in music, 1950s in music and the list of years in music // Events Arthur Bliss replaces Arnold Bax as Master of the Queens Musick. ... See also: 1953 in music, other events of 1954, 1955 in music, 1950s in music and the list of years in music // Events Frank Sinatra wins the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in From Here To Eternity, 1953; resuscitating his singing career in the process Bing Crosby received a... See also: 1959 in music, other events of 1960, 1961 in music, 1960s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 14 - Elvis Presley is promoted to Sergeant in the U.S. Army February 6 - Songwriter Jesse Belvin dies in an automobile accident in Los Angeles, California. ... A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... See also: 1954 in music, other events of 1955, 1956 in music, 1950s in music and the list of years in music // January 1 - RCA victor announces a marketing plan called Operation TNT. The label drops the list price on LPs from $5. ...

Later life

Cover of 1993 album

During the 1960s, Brown faded from public view to become a housewife and mother, and only returned to music in 1975 at the urging of Redd Foxx, followed by a series of comedic acting gigs, including a role in sitcom Hello, Larry and the John Waters film Hairspray as local DJ Motormouth Maybelle, as well as earning a Tony Award for her Broadway performance of Black and Blue and a Grammy award for her album Blues on Broadway, featuring hits from the show. Image File history File links Ruthbrown2. ... Image File history File links Ruthbrown2. ... See also: 1974 in music, other events of 1975, 1976 in music, 1970s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 2 - New York City U.S. District Court Judge Richard Owen rules that former Beatle John Lennon and his lawyers can have access to Department of... Foxx on The Dean Martin Shows Dean Martin Celebrity Roast. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... Hello, Larry was a 1970s sitcom starring McLean Stevenson. ... John Waters (born April 22, 1946, Baltimore, Maryland) is an American filmmaker, who became well known in the early 1970s for his intentionally transgressive comedies. ... It has been suggested that Tracy Turnblad be merged into this article or section. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ... Broadway theatre[1] is often considered the highest professional form of theatre in the United States. ... Black and Blue is a musical revue celebrating the black culture of dance and music in Paris between World War I and World War II. Conceived by Hector Orezzoli and Caludio Segovia, it consists of songs by artists such as W. C. Handy, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Eubie... Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards, commonly abbreviated as the Grammys or GRAMMYs ), presented by the Recording Academy known as NARAS, (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards...

Brown's fight for musicians' rights and royalties in 1987 led to the founding of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. She was inducted as a Pioneer Award recipient in its first year, 1989. In 1993, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as The Queen Mother of the Blues. A royalty is a sum paid to the creator of performance art for the use of that art. ... The Rhythm and Blues Foundation is an independent American nonprofit organization dedicated to the historical and cultural preservation of rhythm and blues music. ... See also: 1993 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1993 Record labels established in 1993 other events of 1993 list of years in music 1990s in music // January 8 - The U.S. Postal service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. ... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at sunset. ...

She has become an iconic symbol to many black women for later generations, where she is also a favorite artist and inspiration for later blues artists such as Bonnie Raitt. Brown recorded and sang along with fellow rhythm and blues performer Charles Brown, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and toured with Raitt on Raitt's tour in the late 1990s, "Road Tested". Her 1995 autobiography, Miss Rhythm, won the Gleason Award for music journalism. Bonnie Raitt, (born November 8, 1949) is an American Blues-R&B singer, songwriter, and guitarist who was born in Burbank, California, the daughter of Broadway musical star John Raitt. ... Charles Brown (September 13, 1922 – January 21, 1999) was an American blues singer and pianist, originally a member of The Blazers. ... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at sunset. ... Cover of An autobiography, from the Greek auton, self, bios, life and graphein, write, is a biography written by the subject or composed conjointly with a collaborative writer (styled as told to or with). The term dates from the late eighteenth century, but the form is much older. ...

In 2006, Hummer used her song "This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'" in one of their H3 commercials. 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Current Hummer logo. ... This Little Girls Gone Rockin was a 1958 rhythm and blues single performed by Ruth Brown and released on Atlantic Records as Atlantic 1197 the week of August 25. ... H3 is a pyrotechnic composition consisting of: KClO3 (Potassium Chlorate) - 77 Charcoal - 23 Dextrin +2 It is mostly used as burst charge. ...

Family life

• Oldest of seven children ^[2]
• Husband Jimmy Brown (trumpeter): he was already married
• Earl Swanson (saxophonist), married in 1955
• Bill Blunt (police officer), married three years
• She had a son with Clyde McPhatter of the Drifters.
• Her nephew Rakim is considered one of the most influential rappers in the history of the genre.

Clyde McPhatter (November 15, 1932 _ June 13, 1972) was an influential American R&B singer, born in Durham, North Carolina. ... The Drifters are a long-lived American doo wop/R&B band, originally formed by Clyde McPhatter (of Billy Ward & the Dominoes) in 1953. ... Rakim (full name Rakim Allah, born William Michael Griffin on January 28, 1968 in Wyandanch, Long Island, New York) is an African-American rapper. ...

Death

Ruth Brown died in a Las Vegas-area hospital on November 17, 2006, from complications following a heart attack and stroke she suffered after surgery in October 2006. ^[3]

Discography

Hit Singles

For other uses, see Rhythm and blues (disambiguation). ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jack of Diamonds (a. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ...

References

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External links

• Ruth Brown via Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• Ruth Brown at the Internet Movie Database
• Ruth Brown biography via VH1
• Ruth Brown via Richard De La Font Agency