Ruth Brown
Ruth Alston Brown (née Weston; January 12, 1928[2][3][4] – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes referred to as the "Queen of R&B". She was noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for Atlantic Records in the 1950s, such as "So Long", "Teardrops from My Eyes" and "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean".[5] For these contributions, Atlantic became known as "the house that Ruth built"[6][7] (alluding to the popular nickname for the old Yankee Stadium).[8] Brown was a 1993 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
For other people named Ruth Brown, see Ruth Brown (disambiguation).
Following a resurgence that began in the mid-1970s and peaked in the 1980s, Brown used her influence to press for musicians' rights regarding royalties and contracts; these efforts led to the founding of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.[9] Her performances in the Broadway musical Black and Blue earned Brown a Tony Award, and the original cast recording won a Grammy Award.[10][11] Brown was a recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.[12] In 2017, Brown was inducted into National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.[13] In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Brown at number 146 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[14]
Brown is the aunt of rapper Rakim.
Early life[edit]
Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, Brown was the eldest of seven siblings.[15] She attended I. C. Norcom High School. Brown's father was a dockhand. He also directed the local church choir at Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, but the young Ruth showed more interest in singing at USO shows and nightclubs, rebelling against her father.[16] She was inspired by Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, and Dinah Washington.[17]
In 1945, aged 17, Brown ran away from her home in Portsmouth along with the trumpeter Jimmy Brown, whom she soon married, to sing in bars and clubs. She then spent a month with Lucky Millinder's orchestra.[5]
Death[edit]
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 the previous month. She was 78 years old.[36] A memorial concert for her was held on January 22, 2007, at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York.[37]
Brown is buried at Roosevelt Memorial Park, Chesapeake City, Virginia.[38]
She also received the following honors: