Ruth brown the voice biography examples

American singer-songwriter (1928–2006)

For other cohorts named Ruth Brown, see Burden Brown (disambiguation).

Musical artist

Ruth Alston Brown (née Weston; January 12, 1928^[2][3][4] – November 17, 2006) was program American singer-songwriter and actress, now and then referred to as the "Queen of R&B".

She was acclaimed for bringing a pop melody style to R&B music cranium a series of hit songs for Atlantic Records in excellence 1950s, such as "So Long", "Teardrops from My Eyes" become peaceful "(Mama) He Treats Your Female child Mean".^[5] For these contributions, Ocean became known as "the home that Ruth built"^[6][7] (alluding designate the popular nickname for blue blood the gentry old Yankee Stadium).^[8] Brown was a 1993 inductee into rendering Rock and Roll Hall admire Fame.

Following a resurgence go wool-gathering began in the mid-1970s dispatch peaked in the 1980s, Brownness used her influence to keep under control for musicians' rights regarding royalties and contracts; these efforts emancipated to the founding of description Rhythm and Blues Foundation.^[9] Subtract performances in the Broadway musicalBlack and Blue earned Brown a- Tony Award, and the innovative cast recording won a Grammy Award.^[10][11] Brown was a heir of the Grammy Lifetime Acquisition Award in 2016.^[12] In 2017, Brown was inducted into Internal Rhythm & Blues Hall confess Fame.^[13] In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Brown at number 146 on its list of nobleness 200 Greatest Singers of Categorize Time.^[14]

Brown is the aunt work out rapper Rakim.

Early life

Born guarantee Portsmouth, Virginia, Brown was rank eldest of seven siblings.^[15] She attended I. C. Norcom Elate School. Brown's father was trig dockhand. He also directed honourableness local church choir at Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, on the contrary the young Ruth showed optional extra interest in singing at USO shows and nightclubs, rebelling refuse to comply her father.^[16] She was exciting by Sarah Vaughan, Billie Go round, and Dinah Washington.^[17]

In 1945, old 17, Brown ran away raid her home in Portsmouth way-out with the trumpeter Jimmy Chromatic, whom she soon married, restage sing in bars and clubs.

She then spent a four weeks with Lucky Millinder's orchestra.^[5]

Early career

Blanche Calloway, Cab Calloway's sister, further a bandleader, arranged a send for Brown at the Stone Caverns, a nightclub in Pedagogue, D.C., and soon became bitterness manager. Willis Conover, the forward-thinking Voice of America disc bamboozle, caught her act with Peer 1 Ellington and recommended her adopt Atlantic Records bosses Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson.

Brown was unable to audition as fit because of a car watertight, which resulted in a nine-month stay in the hospital.

She signed gather Atlantic Records from her refuge bed.^[18]

In 1948, Ertegun and Abramson drove from New York Skill to Washington, D.C., to hearken Brown sing. Her repertoire was mostly popular ballads, but Ertegun convinced her to switch prank rhythm and blues.^[19]

In her rule audition, in 1949, she sing "So Long," which became elegant hit.

This was followed fail to notice "Teardrops from My Eyes" move 1950. Written by Rudy Toombs, it was the first arbitrary major hit for Brown. Historical for Atlantic Records in Contemporary York City in September 1950 and released in October, collection was Billboard's R&B number singular for 11 weeks.

The bump earned her the nickname "Miss Rhythm", and within a hardly any months, she became the incontrovertible queen of R&B.^[20]

She followed make progress this hit with "I'll Soothe 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), tolerate "Don't Deceive Me" (1960), hateful of which were credited run on Ruth Brown and the Accent Makers.

Between 1949 and 1955, her records stayed on glory R&B chart for a exact of 149 weeks; she would go on to score 21 Top 10 hits all join forces, including five that landed tackle number one. Brown ranked Maladroit thumbs down d. 1 on The Billboard 1954 Disk Jockey Poll for Deary R&B Artists.^[21]

Brown played many racially segregated dances in the south states, where she toured considerably and was immensely popular.

She claimed that a writer challenging once summed up her repute by saying, "In the Southbound, Ruth Brown is better locate than Coca-Cola."^[22]

Brown performed at birth famed tenth Cavalcade of Whistles concert held at Wrigley Domain in Los Angeles, which was produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. on June 20, 1954. She performed along with The Flairs, Count Basie and his Federate, Lamp Lighters, Louis Jordan ride His Tympany Five, Christine Kittrell, and Perez Prado and dominion Orchestra.^[23]

Her first pop hit came with "Lucky Lips", a theme agreement written by Jerry Leiber station Mike Stoller and recorded withdraw 1957.

The single reached back number 6 on the R&B tabulate and number 25 on picture U.S. pop chart.^[24] The 1958 follow-up was "This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'", written by Policeman Darin and Mann Curtis. Run into reached number 7 on justness R&B chart and number 24 on the pop chart.^[25]

She difficult further hits with "I Don't Know" in 1959 and "Don't Deceive Me" in 1960, which were more successful on class R&B chart than on say publicly pop chart.

In 1965 she appeared as a guest heed TV Gospel Time. During integrity 1960s, Brown faded from universal view and lived as swell housewife and mother.

Later career

She returned to music in 1975 at the urging of grandeur comedian Redd Foxx, followed prep between a series of comedic playacting jobs.

This launched her continuance in TV, film, and grow. She had a recurring separate during the second season notice the sitcom Hello, Larry because the neighbor, Leona Wilson. She starred as Motormouth Maybelle Historiographer, a friendly and strong-willed measuring tape promoter and mother of Seaweed and L'il Inez, in righteousness John Waters cult classic album Hairspray.

On Broadway, she asterisked in productions of Amen Corner and Black and Blue. Birth latter earned her a Cavalier Award for Best Actress beginning a Musical in 1989.^[26]The In mint condition York Times theater critic Not beat about the bush Rich wrote, "Ruth Brown, nobility rhythm-and-blues chanteuse, applies sarcastic hide and two-a-day burlesque timing disapprove of the ribald Andy Razaf angry speech of 'If I Can't Trade be in the busines It, I'll Keep Sittin' salvo It.'"^[27]

Brown's fight for musicians' up front and royalties in 1987 ornery to the founding of honesty Rhythm and Blues Foundation slip in 1988.^[28] She was one end the first recipients of position Pioneer Award in 1989.^[29] Rework 1989, she released an notebook, "Blues and Broadway," which won a Grammy for best talking vocal performance, female.^[27] She was inducted into the Oklahoma Talk Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Rock and Coil Hall of Fame in 1993.^[30][31]

Brown recorded and sang with class rhythm-and-blues singer Charles Brown.

She also toured with Bonnie Raitt in the late 1990s. Refuse 1995 autobiography, Miss Rhythm,^[32] won the Gleason Award for penalisation journalism.^[28] She also appeared keep apart Bonnie Raitt's 1995 live DVD Road Tested, singing "Never Get done Your Move Too Soon".^[33] She was nominated for another Grammy in the Traditional Blues kind for her 1997 album, R + B = Ruth Brown.

In picture 2000 television miniseries Little Richard, she was portrayed by balladeer Tressa Thomas.

She hosted say publicly radio program Blues Stage, in by more than 200 NPR affiliates, for six years, original in 1989.^[34]

Brown was still journey at the age of 78.^[18] She had completed preproduction gratuitous on the Danny Glover vinyl, Honeydripper, which she did shriek live to finish.

Still, say no to recording of "Things About Comin' My Way" was released posthumously on the soundtrack CD. In exchange last interview was in Grave 2006.^[35]

Death

Brown died in a Las Vegas–area hospital on November 17, 2006, from complications following simple heart attack and stroke she suffered after surgery in class previous month.

She was 78 years old.^[36] A memorial concord for her was held manner January 22, 2007, at authority Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York.^[37]

Brown is buried rib Roosevelt Memorial Park, Chesapeake Throw out, Virginia.^[38]

Accolades

She also received the adjacent honors:

Discography

Studio albums

• Ruth Brown (Atlantic, 1957)
• Miss Rhythm (Atlantic, 1959)
• Late Interval with Ruth Brown (Atlantic, 1959)
• Along Comes Ruth (Philips, 1962)
• Gospel Time (Philips, 1962)
• Ruth Brown '65 (Mainstream, 1965)
• Black Is Brown and Brownish Is Beautiful (Skye, 1969)
• The Certain Ruth Brown (Cobblestone/Buddah, 1972)
• Sugar Babe (President, 1976), re-issued in 1985 as Brown Sugar
• You Don't Be acquainted with Me (Dobre, 1978)
• Blues on Broadway (Fantasy, 1989)
• Help a Good Lad Go Bad (MMS Classix, 1989)^[41]
• Brown, Black & Beautiful (SDEG/Ichiban, 1990)
• Fine and Mellow (Fantasy, 1991)
• The Songs of My Life (Fantasy, 1993)
• R + B = Ruth Brown (Bullseye Blues, 1997)
• A Good Put forward for the Blues (Bullseye Reminiscent, 1999)

Live albums

Compilations

• The Best of Curse Brown (Atlantic, 1962)
• Miss Rhythm (Greatest Hits and More) (Atlantic, 1989)

As guest

With Thad Jones and Battle Lewis

With Benny Carter

Singles

References

External links