Ruth Brown | |
---|---|
![]() Brown in 1955 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Ruth Alston Weston |
Born | [1] Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S. | January 12, 1928
Died | November 17, 2006 Henderson, Nevada, U.S. | (aged 78)
Genres | |
Occupations |
|
Instruments |
|
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 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.
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.
© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search