Ruth Brown

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Ruth Brown, 2005

Ruth Brown (* the thirtieth January 1928 in Portsmouth , Virginia , as Ruth Weston ; † 17th November 2006 in Las Vegas , Nevada ) was one of the most popular American Rhythm 'n' Blues - singers of the 1950s.

Life

Ruth Brown sang in various church choirs at an early age, but then switched to secular music against her father's will. In 1945 she met the trumpeter Jimmy Brown, whom she married a short time later. She was spotted playing a song by Bing Crosby while performing at New York's Apollo Theater . She got an engagement in the band of Lucky Millinder in 1946 , but was later dismissed when she is said to have supplied two musicians with alcohol. However, it was not long before Blanche Calloway , Cab Calloway's sister , took her on and signed her as a solo artist.

Shortly before she should have appeared for the first time in the Apollo Theater, she was hit by a car on October 28, 1948 in Chester ; she broke both legs and multiple ribs and was hospitalized for several months. It wasn't until 1949 that she recorded her first single, So Long, on Atlantic Records , which soon proved to be a success. The song was the signature tune of the Chicago singer Little Miss Cornshucks , whom she described as her greatest role model. With Teardrops from My Eyes , which appeared in 1950, she landed her first number 1 hit in the R&B charts , which was to be followed by more; so z. B. 1952 (Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean . In 1954 she sang Sentimental Journey with the Delta Rhythm Boys . In 1957 she celebrated a major success in the US pop charts for the first time with the Leiber / Stoller song Lucky Lips , which she even surpassed in 1958 with This Little Girl's Gone Rockin ' . She gave up touring around 1960, moved to New York, and worked as a press officer and agent for Dinah Washington .

At the beginning of the 1960s her success decreased noticeably, so that she completely turned her back on the record industry in the middle of the decade. However, she was still invited to all major blues and jazz festivals . It wasn't until the late 1970s that she started recording songs again. She toured with the musical Guys and Dolls , 1982 took the show The Soul Survives and received in the early 1980s for her role in the Broadway -Stück Black and Blue a Tony and an Outer Critics Circle Award . Brown also took a lead role in the off-Broadway -Musical Stagger Lee by Allen Toussaint and worked as an actress in films like Under the Rainbow and Hairspray to see. For her album Blues on Broadway , which was released in 1989 by Fantasy Records , she received a Grammy in the category "Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female". In 1998 she was honored with the Living Blues Award as the best blues artist .

Throughout the 1990s, Brown continued to perform regularly, including at New York's Blue Note and, for the first time since 1968, at the Apollo again. She assisted Bonnie Raitt with her recordings and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. In 1994 she toured Europe with her Ruth Brown Goes to Town program and recorded the album Live in London at Ronnie Scott 's Club in London . She sang with Jon Hendricks in 1995 and signed to Bullseye Blues Records in 1996 . There the album R + B = Ruth Brown was released in 1997 , on which Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Adams , Duke Robillard and Clarence Gatemouth Brown can be heard as guest stars.

In 2002 Brown was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame . The rapper Rakim is her nephew. Ruth Brown died in Las Vegas on November 17, 2006 at the age of 78.

Discography

Studio albums

  • 1957: Rock & Roll ( Atlantic 8004)
  • 1959: Miss Rhythm (Atlantic 8026)
  • 1959: Late Date with Ruth Brown (Atlantic 1308)
  • 1962: Along Comes Ruth ( Philips 200-028)
  • 1962: Gospel Time (Philips 200-055)
  • 1965: Ruth Brown '65 (Mainstream 56034)
  • 1968: The Big Band Sound of Thad Jones, Mel Lewis feat. Miss Ruth Brown (with Thad Jones and Mel Lewis ; Solid State 18041)
  • 1969: Black Is Brown and Brown Is Beautiful ( Skye 13)
  • 1972: The Real Ruth Brown ( Cobblestone 9007)
  • 1978: You Don't Know Me (Dobre 1041)
  • 1982: The Soul Survives (Flair 8201)
  • 1988: Have a Good Time ( Fantasy 9661)
  • 1989: Blues on Broadway ( Grammy (best jazz singer , female) ; Fantasy 9662)
  • 1990: Brown, Black & Beautiful ( Ichiban 4023; released April 25)
  • 1991: Fine and Mellow (Fantasy)
  • 1993: Songs of My Life (Fantasy; release: August 20th)
  • 1997: R + B = Ruth Brown (Bullseye Blues 9583)
  • 1999: A Good Day for the Blues (Bullseye Blues 9612; release: March 2nd)

Live albums

  • 1988: Have a Good Time (Fantasy)
  • 1996: Live in London (Jazz House 042; release: January 23)

Compilations

  • 1962: The Best of Ruth Brown (Atlantic 8080)
  • 1989: Miss Rhythm, Greatest Hits and More (2 CDs; Atlantic 7 82061-2)
  • 1996: Rockin 'in Rhythm: The Best of Ruth Brown ( Rhino 72450)
  • 2003: The Essentials (Atlantic 76162)
  • 2004: A Proper Introduction to Ruth Brown: Teardrops from My Eyes (Proper 2067)
  • 2006: Wild Wild Women ( split album with LaVern Baker ; Rev-Ola 149)
  • 2007: The Platinum Collection ( Warner Platinum 8122-79995-7)
  • 2007: The Definitive Soul Collection (2 CDs; Rhino 122684)
  • 2009: Ms. B's Blues: Essential Recordings: The Best of Rounder Records (Rounder)
  • 2016: Say It Again: Ruth Brown in the '60s (28 mp3 files; Jasmine Records)

Singles

year Title
album 		Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
US US R&B R&B
1949 So long
rock and roll 		- R&B4 (10 weeks)
R&B
First published: September 1949
with Eddie Condon's NBC Television Orchestra
Authors: Remus Harris, Russ Morgan , Irving Melsher
Original: Johnny Moore's Three Blazers , 1946
1950 Teardrops from My Eyes
Rock & Roll 		- R&B1 (25 weeks)
R&B
First published: October 1950
with Budd Johnson's Orchestra
Author: Rudolph Toombs
1951 I'll wait for you
 - R&B3 (4 weeks)
R&B
First published: March 1951
with Budd Johnson's Orchestra
Author: Rudolph Toombs
I know
 - R&B7 (4 weeks)
R&B
First published: July 1951
with Budd Johnson's Orchestra
Authors: Rudolph Toombs, Ahmet Ertegün , Harold Abramson
1952 5-10-15 hours of
rock & roll 		- R&B1 (16 weeks)
R&B
First published: March 1952
with Orchestra
non-certified million seller
Author: Rudolph Toombs
Daddy daddy
rock and roll 		- R&B3 (9 weeks)
R&B
First publication: August 1952
with Orchestra
Author: Rudolph Toombs
1953 (Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean
Rock & Roll 		- R&B1 (16 weeks)
R&B
First published: January 1953
with Orchestra
Authors: Johnny Wallace, Herbert J. Lance
Wild Wild Young Men
Rock & Roll 		- R&B3 (10 weeks)
R&B
First publication: April 1953
with Orchestra
Author: Ahmet Ertegün
Mend your ways
 - R&B7 (2 weeks)
R&B
B-side of Wild Wild Young Men
with Orchestra
Authors: Leroy Kirkland , Lincoln Chase
1954 Oh what a dream
rock & roll 		- R&B1 (17 weeks)
R&B
First published: July 1954
with Her Rhythmakers with Orchestra
Author: Chuck Willis
Mambo Baby
Rock & Roll 		- R&B1 (12 weeks)
R&B
First published: October 1954
with Her Rhythmakers with Orchestra
Authors: Charles Singleton, Rose Marie McCoy
Bye Bye Young Men
The Best of Ruth Brown 		- R&B13 (1 week)
R&B
First published: December 1954
with Her Rhythmakers
Authors: Dossie Terry
1955 I Can See Everybody's Baby
Miss Rhythm 		- R&B4 (8 weeks)
R&B
First published: April 1955
with Her Rhythmakers with Orchestra
Authors: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
As Long as I'm Moving
Rock & Roll 		- R&B7 (7 weeks)
R&B
B-side of I Can See Everybody's Baby
with Her Rhythmakers with Orchestra
Author: Charles Calhoun
It's Love Baby (24 Hours of the Day)
Rock & Roll 		- R&B4 (7 weeks)
R&B
First published: August 1955
Author: Ted Jarrett
Love Has Joined Us Together
Love Ballads 		- R&B8 (3 weeks)
R&B
First published: November 1955
with Clyde McPhatter and Orchstra
Authors: Billy Dawn Smith, Dick Smith, Marguerite James
I want to do more
 - R&B3 (7 weeks)
R&B
First published: December 1955
with Her Rhythmakers with Orchestra
Authors: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
1956 Sweet Baby of Mine
 - R&B10 (1 week)
R&B
First published: March 1956
with Orchestra
Author: Bobby Sharp
1957 Lucky Lips
Rock & Roll 		US26 (9 weeks)
US 		R&B6 (10 weeks)
R&B
First publication: January 1957
non-certified million seller
Authors: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
1958 This Little Girl's Gone Rockin '
Miss Rhythm 		US24 (10 weeks)
US 		R&B7 (4 weeks)
R&B
First published: August 1958
with Orchestra Howard Biggs.
Saxophone solo: King Curtis
Authors: Bobby Darin , King Curtis
Why Me
Miss Rhythm 		- R&B17 (5 weeks)
R&B
B-side of This Little Girl's Gone Rockin '
with Orchestra Howard Biggs
Authors: Belford Hendricks, Brook Benton , Ronnie Mack
1959 Jack O'Diamonds
Miss Rhythm 		US96 (2 weeks)
US 		R&B23 (2 weeks)
R&B
First published: May 1959
Authors: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
I Don't Know
The Best of Ruth Brown 		US64 (6 weeks)
US 		R&B5 (11 weeks)
R&B
First published: August 1959
Authors: Bobby Stevenson, Brook Benton
1960 Don't Deceive Me
 US62 (8 weeks)
US 		R&B10 (5 weeks)
R&B
First published: February 1960
Arranger and conductor: Richard Wess
Original / author: Chuck Willis (1953)
1962 Shake a Hand
Along Comes Ruth 		US97 (2 weeks)
US 		-
First published: May 1962
Arranger and conductor: Chuck Sagle
Author: Joe Morris
Original: Faye Adams , 1953
Mama (He Treats Your Daughter Mean)
Along Comes Ruth 		US99 (1 week)
US 		-
First published: July 1962
Re-recording, with The Milestones Singers

More singles

  • 1949: I'll Get Along Somehow
  • 1952: Three Letters (release: October)
  • 1953: The Tears Keep Tumbling Down (released September)
  • 1954: Love Contest (release: January)
  • 1954: If I Had Any Sense (released April)
  • 1956: I Want to Be Loved (release: August)
  • 1956: Smooth Operator (release: October)
  • 1957: When I Get You Baby (released May)
  • 1957: Show Me (release: September)
  • 1957: A New Love (released November)
  • 1958: Just Too Much (release: March)
  • 1958: Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean (released November)
  • 1960: The Door Is Still Open (release: June)
  • 1960: Taking Care of Business (release: September)
  • 1961: Sure 'Nuff (released January)
  • 1961: Anyone but You (released May)
  • 1962: He Tells Me with His Eyes (released December)
  • 1963: Satisfied (release: July)
  • 1964: Secret Love (release: February)
  • 1964: Yes Sir That's My Baby (released February)
  • 1964: Come a Little Closer (released June)
  • 1965: Hurry on Down (March release)
  • 1968: Someday (I Know, I Know) (Release: December)
  • 1969: Yesterday
  • 1989: If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin 'on It

Filmography

  • 1979–1980: Hello, Larry (TV series)
  • 1981: Checking In (TV series)
  • 1981: Hollywood secret mission
  • 1988: Hairspray
  • 1991: The tall blonde with the black foot
  • 1993: Great Performances (TV series)
  • 1993: American Playhouse (TV series)
  • 1994: Rebel Highway (TV series)
  • 1994: Glory Days (TV movie)
  • 2000: Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (TV series)

swell

  1. ↑ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ruth Brown in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
  2. ↑ Chart sources: Billboard Hot 100 / Joel Whitburn : Hot R&B Songs 1942–2010: 6th Edition, ISBN 978-0-89820-186-4 .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Brown, Ruth
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Weston, Ruth (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American rhythm 'n' blues singer
DATE OF BIRTH January 30, 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH Portsmouth , Virginia , United States
DATE OF DEATH November 17, 2006
Place of death Las Vegas , Nevada , United States