« Back to Artists

Ruth Brown

Ruth Brown was one of the first female rhythm-and-blues singers, with a powerful delivery that combined jazz, blues and gospel roots with a strong rhythm. She had a series of hits in the 1950s, including her million-selling "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean", "5-10-15 Hours", "Teardrops From My Eyes" and "So Long". She left music scene in the 1960's, but relaunched her career in the mid-1970's, when she acted in various shows and movies such as the comedy "Hairspray".

Ruth Alison Weston was born in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1928. In 1945 she ran away from home with trumpeter Jimmy Brown, who became her first husband, and began singing popular ballads in bars and clubs. In 1948 she was persuaded to change to Rhythm & Blues but she retained her straightforward pop singing style.

In 1949 she recorded "So Long" for Atlantic records, followed by "Teardrops From My Eyes", a huge hit that earned her the nickname "Miss Rhythm". In the next few years she recorded 16 records that reached the top 10 on the R&B charts, including "I'll Wait for You", "Oh What A Dream" and "Don't Deceive Me". "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean" reached #23 on the pop chart.

After a temporary retirement between 1961 and 1975, Ruth Brown returned to the entertainment scene and played in a series of TV, movies and stage shows. These included the sitcom "Hello, Larry", the movie "Hairspray" and the Broadway show "Black And Blue", for which she won a Tony award.

Ruth Brown fought for musicians rights, leading to the creation of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation in 1987. Artists such as Little Richard and Bonnie Raitt have acknowledged the influence that Ruth Brown had on their singing style.

Ruth Brown died in 2006, aged 78.

Videos from YouTube ...