Ruth Brown (Born Ruth Weston)
January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2007
Ruth Brown was an R&B singer who, like her idols, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington and Billie Holiday became one of popular music’s most important vocalists of her generation. So vital was she, that her young label at the time, Atlantic Records, would come to be known as “The House That Ruth Built.” After running away from home with trumpeter and future husband, Jimmy Brown, in 1945, Brown began singing in clubs in the Washington DC area. A local disc jockey caught her act and recommended her to Ahmet Ertegun at Atlantic. She soon signed to the fledgling label and began releasing a string of R&B hits that included “Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean,” “So Long,” “Oh What a Dream” and “I’ll Wait For You.” Brown stepped away from the business to raise her family during the ’60s, but came back strong during the mid ’70s when she starred in a Broadway musical, Black and Blue, which won her an Tony and a Grammy for the soundtrack. She also had a role on the sitcom, Hello Larry and in the John Waters film, Hairspray. Brown became and advocate for musicians’ rights during the late ’80s, and in 1993, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On November 17, 2006, Ruth Brown, 78, died of complications from a stroke and heart attack she had suffered the previous month.
What You Should Own
When I met Ruth we were both appearing on the Dennis Bono Show. She was gracious and funny and I could tell she was ‘bawdy’ in her day. She was a special person and it was such a joy to listen to her sing even when she had to sit in the chair on stage due to weakness. I was happy that they did the tribute to her in Nashville, cause as she told the story she had been performed once when she was a lot younger. Years later, after her show, a couple of women approached her for an autograph. They pulled out a cd that referenced her performances in Nashville. She said I never even knew that record had been made! Apparently it was made without her permission or knowledge and released in Europe. “That’s the way the music business goes”, she said, “You never know who’s making money off you even if it ain’t you!” Then she told me, “Keep singing. Do what you love and don’t worry about what anyone else does. Just keep doing what you love, ‘cuz that’s the only thing that really matters in the end.”
I saw Ruth perform a few more times after that at the Bootlegger. She sat in the chair most of the performance, but when she sang, the whole room knew who was in charge. We miss you, Ruth.
Sandy Kastel, Recording Artist and Author, Life Choices: Navigating Difficult Paths ‘Detours’
Sandy Kastel, Recording Artist