Ruth Brown | |
|---|---|
 Brown in 1955 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Ruth Alston Weston (1928-01-12)January 12, 1928[1] Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | November 17, 2006(2006-11-17) (aged 78) Henderson, Nevada, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1949–2006 |
| Labels | |
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 apop music style toR&B music in a series of hit songs forAtlantic 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 theold Yankee Stadium).[8] Brown was a 1993 inductee into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Following a resurgence that began in the mid-1970s and peaked in the 1980s, Brown used her influence to press for musicians' rights regardingroyalties and contracts; these efforts led to the founding of theRhythm and Blues Foundation.[9] Her performances in theBroadway musicalBlack and Blue earned Brown aTony Award, and the original cast recording won aGrammy Award.[10][11] Brown was a recipient of theGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.[12] In 2017, Brown was inducted intoNational 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 emceeRakim.
Born inPortsmouth, Virginia, Brown was the eldest of seven siblings.[15] She attendedI. C. Norcom High School. Brown's father was adockhand. He also directed the localchurch choir at Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, but the young Ruth showed more interest in singing atUSO shows andnightclubs, rebelling against her father.[16] She was inspired bySarah Vaughan,Billie Holiday, andDinah Washington.[17]
In 1945, aged 17, Brown ran away from her home in Portsmouth along with the trumpeterJimmy Brown, whom she soon married, to sing in bars and clubs. She then spent a month withLucky Millinder's orchestra.[5]
Blanche Calloway,Cab Calloway's sister, also a bandleader, arranged a gig for Brown at theCrystal Caverns, anightclub in Washington, D.C., and soon became her manager.Willis Conover, the futureVoice of America disc jockey, caught her act withDuke Ellington and recommended her toAtlantic Records bossesAhmet Ertegun andHerb Abramson. Brown was unable to audition as planned because of a car crash, which resulted in a nine-month stay in the hospital. She signed with Atlantic Records from her hospital bed.[18]
In 1948, Ertegun and Abramson drove from New York City to Washington, D.C., to hear Brown sing. Her repertoire was mostly popular ballads, but Ertegun convinced her to switch to rhythm and blues.[19]
In her first audition, in 1949, she sang "So Long," which became a hit. This was followed by "Teardrops from My Eyes" in 1950. Written byRudy Toombs, it was the first upbeat major hit for Brown. Recorded forAtlantic Records in New York City in September 1950 and released in October, it wasBillboard'sR&B number one for 11 weeks. The hit earned her the nickname "Miss Rhythm", and within a few months, she became the acknowledged queen of R&B.[20]
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),[19] "Mambo Baby" (1954), and "Don't Deceive Me" (1960), some of which were credited to Ruth Brown and the Rhythm Makers. Between 1949 and 1955, her records stayed on theR&B chart for a total of 149 weeks; she would go on to score 21 Top 10 hits all together, including five that landed at number one. Brown ranked No. 1 on TheBillboard 1954 Disk Jockey Poll for Favorite R&B Artists.[21]
Brown played manyracially segregated dances in thesouthern states, where she toured extensively and was immensely popular. She claimed that a writer had once summed up her popularity by saying, "In the South, Ruth Brown is better known thanCoca-Cola."[22]
Brown performed at the famed tenth Cavalcade of Jazz concert held atWrigley Field in Los Angeles, which was produced byLeon Hefflin, Sr. on June 20, 1954. She performed along withThe Flairs,Count Basie and his Orchestra, Lamp Lighters,Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five,Christine Kittrell, andPerez Prado and his Orchestra.[23]
Her first pop hit came with "Lucky Lips", a song written byJerry Leiber andMike Stoller and recorded in 1957. The single reached number 6 on the R&B chart and number 25 on the U.S.pop chart.[24] The 1958 follow-up was "This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'", written byBobby Darin andMann Curtis. It reached number 7 on the R&B chart and number 24 on the pop chart.[25]
She had further hits with "I Don't Know" in 1959 and "Don't Deceive Me" in 1960, which were more successful on the R&B chart than on the pop chart. In 1965 she appeared as a guest onTV Gospel Time. During the 1960s, Brown faded from public view and lived as a housewife and mother.
She returned to music in 1975 at the urging of the comedianRedd Foxx, followed by a series of comedic acting jobs. This launched her career in TV, film, and stage. She had a recurring role during the second season of the sitcomHello, Larry as the neighbor, Leona Wilson. She starred as Motormouth Maybelle Stubbs, a friendly and strong-willed record promoter and mother of Seaweed and L'il Inez, in theJohn Waters cult classic filmHairspray. OnBroadway, she starred in productions ofAmen Corner andBlack and Blue. The latter earned her aTony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1989.[26]The New York Times theater criticFrank Rich wrote, "Ruth Brown, the rhythm-and-blues chanteuse, applies sarcastic varnish and two-a-day burlesque timing to the ribald Andy Razaf lyrics of 'If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin' on It.'"[27]
Brown's fight for musicians' rights androyalties in 1987 led to the founding of theRhythm and Blues Foundation in 1988.[28] She was one of the first recipients of the Pioneer Award in 1989.[29] In 1989, she released an album, "Blues and Broadway," which won a Grammy for best jazz vocal performance, female.[27] She was inducted into theOklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in 1992 and theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.[30][31]
Brown recorded and sang with the rhythm-and-blues singerCharles Brown. She also toured withBonnie Raitt in the late 1990s. Her 1995 autobiography,Miss Rhythm,[32] won the Gleason Award for music journalism.[28] She also appeared onBonnie Raitt's 1995 live DVDRoad Tested, singing "Never Make Your Move Too Soon".[33] She was nominated for another Grammy in the Traditional Blues category for her 1997 album,R + B = Ruth Brown. In the 2000 television miniseriesLittle Richard, she was portrayed by singer Tressa Thomas.
She hosted the radio programBlues Stage, carried by more than 200NPR affiliates, for six years, starting in 1989.[34]
Brown was still touring at the age of 78.[18] She had completed preproduction work on theJohn Sayles film,Honeydripper, which she did not live to finish. Still, her recording of "Things About Comin' My Way" was released posthumously on the soundtrack CD. Her last interview was in August 2006.[35]
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 theAbyssinian Baptist Church inHarlem, New York.[37]
Brown is buried at Roosevelt Memorial Park,Chesapeake City, Virginia.[38]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Grammy Award | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | "Yesterday" | Nominated | [11] |
| 1989 | Grammy Award | Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female | Blues on Broadway | Won | |
| Best Traditional Blues Album | "If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin' on It" | Nominated | |||
| Tony Award | Best Actress in a Musical | Black and Blue | Won | [10] | |
| 1990 | Grammy Award | Best Traditional Blues Album | "T'ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do" | Nominated | [11] |
| 1997 | Grammy Award | R + B = Ruth Brown | Nominated | ||
| 1999 | Grammy Award | A Good Day for the Blues | Nominated |
She also received the following honors:
WithThad Jones andMel Lewis
WithBenny Carter
| Year | Titles (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where indicated | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B | US Pop | |||
| 1949 | "So Long" b/w "It's Raining" (non-album track) | 4 | — | Rock & Roll |
| "I'll Get Along Somehow" (Part 1) b/w Part 2 | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| 1950 | "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe" b/w "Love Me Baby" | — | — | |
| "Why" b/w "(I'll Come Back) Someday" | — | — | ||
| "Sentimental Journey" b/w "I Can Dream Can't I" (fromLate Date with Ruth Brown) | — | — | Rock & Roll | |
| The two preceding singles are with theDelta Rhythm Boys. | ||||
| "Where Can I Go" b/w "Dear Little Boy of Mine" | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Teardrops from My Eyes" b/w "Am I Making the Same Mistake Again" (non-album track) | 1 | — | Rock & Roll | |
| 1951 | "I'll Wait for You" b/w "Standing on the Corner" | 3 | — | Non-album tracks |
| "I Know" b/w "Don't Want Nobody (If I Can't Have You)" | 7 | — | ||
| "Shine On (Big Bright Moon, Shine On)" b/w "Without My Love" (non-album track) | — | — | The Best of Ruth Brown | |
| 1952 | "5-10-15 Hours" b/w "Be Anything (But Be Mine)" (non-album track) | 1 | — | Rock & Roll |
| "Daddy Daddy" b/w "Have a Good Time" (non-album track) | 3 | — | ||
| "Good for Nothin' Joe" b/w "Three Letters" | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| 1953 | "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" b/w "R. B. Blues" (non-album track) | 1 | 23 | Rock & Roll |
| "Wild Wild Young Men" / | 3 | — | ||
| "Mend Your Ways" | 7 | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "The Tears Keep Tumbling Down" b/w "I Would If I Could" | — | — | ||
| 1954 | "Love Contest" b/w "If You Don't Want Me" | — | — | |
| "Sentimental Journey" b/w "It's All in Your Mind" (both sides with the Delta Rhythm Boys) | — | — | ||
| "Hello Little Boy" b/w "If I Had Any Sense" | — | — | ||
| "Oh What a Dream" b/w "Please Don't Freeze" (fromThe Best of Ruth Brown) | 1 | — | Rock & Roll | |
| "Mambo Baby" b/w "Somebody Touched Me" (fromMiss Rhythm) | 1 | — | ||
| 1955 | "Bye Bye Young Men" b/w "Ever Since My Baby's Been Gone" (non-album track) | 13 | — | The Best of Ruth Brown |
| "As Long As I'm Moving" / | 4 | — | Rock & Roll | |
| "I Can See Everybody's Baby" | 7 | — | Miss Rhythm | |
| The preceding five singles are with the Rhythmakers (theDrifters). | ||||
| "It's Love Baby (24 Hours of the Day)" b/w "What'd I Say" (non-album track) | 4 | — | Rock & Roll | |
| "Love Has Joined Us Together" b/w "I Gotta Have You" (both sides withClyde McPhatter) | 8 | — | Non-album tracks | |
| 1956 | "I Want to Do More" b/w "Old Man River" (fromRock & Roll) (both sides with the Rhythmakers [the Drifters]) | 3 | — | |
| "Sweet Baby of Mine" b/w "I'm Getting Right" | 10 | — | ||
| "Mom Oh Mom" b/w "I Want to Be Loved" | — | — | ||
| "I Still Love You" b/w "Smooth Operator" | — | — | ||
| 1957 | "Lucky Lips" b/w "My Heart Is Breaking Over You" (non-album track) | 6 | 25 | Rock & Roll |
| "One More Time" b/w "When I Get You Baby" | — | — | Miss Rhythm | |
| "Show Me" b/w "I Hope We Meet (On the Road Someday)" | — | — | ||
| "A New Love" b/w "Look Me Up" | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| 1958 | "Just Too Much b/w "Book of Lies" | — | — | Miss Rhythm |
| "This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'" / | 7 | 24 | ||
| "Why Me" | 17 | — | ||
| "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" b/w "I'll Step Aside" (non-album track) | — | — | (these are re-makes) | |
| 1959 | "5-10-15 Hours" b/w "Itty Bitty Girl" (non-album track) | — | — | |
| "Jack O'Diamonds" b/w "I Can't Hear a Word You Say" | 23 | 96 | Miss Rhythm | |
| "I Don't Know" b/w "Papa Daddy" (non-album track) | 5 | 64 | The Best of Ruth Brown | |
| "Don't Deceive Me" b/w "I Burned Your Letter" | 10 | 62 | Non-album tracks | |
| "What I Wouldn't Give" b/w "The Door Is Still Open" | — | — | ||
| 1960 | "Taking Care of Business" b/w "Honey Boy" (non-album track) | — | — | The Best of Ruth Brown |
| "Sure 'Nuff" b/w "Here He Comes" | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| 1961 | "Anyone But You" b/w "It Tears Me All to Pieces" | — | — | |
| "Walkin' and Talkin'" b/w "Hoopa-Loopa-Doopa" (shown as by "Venus") | — | — | ||
| 1962 | "Shake a Hand" b/w "Say It Again" (non-album track) | — | 97 | Along Comes Ruth |
| "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean" b/w "Hold My Hand" (non-album track) | — | 99 | ||
| "He Tells Me with His Eyes" b/w "If You Don't Tell Nobody" | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| 1963 | "Secret Love" b/w "Time After Time" | — | — | |
| 1964 | "What Happened to You" b/w "Yes Sir That's My Baby" | — | — | |
| "I Love Him and I Know It" b/w "Come a Little Closer" | — | — | ||
| "Hurry On Down" b/w "On the Good Ship Lollipop" | — | — | Ruth Brown '65 | |
| 1968 | "You're a Stone Groovy Thing" b/w "Someday (I Know, I Know) | — | — | Non-album tracks |
| 1969 | "Yesterday" b/w "Try Me and See" | — | — | Black Is Brown and Brown Is Beautiful |
| 1989 | "If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin' on It" b/w "Good Morning Heartache" | — | — | Blues on Broadway |
