Ruth Brown

Ruth Brown
Brown performing at the 2005 Bull Durham Blues Festival
Background information
Birth name	Ruth Alston Weston
Born	(1928-01-12)January 12, 1928 Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.
Died	November 17, 2006(2006-11-17) (aged 78) Henderson, Nevada, U.S.
Genres	Pop, R&B, jazz, soul, gospel, funk
Occupation(s)	Actress, singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, piano, keyboards
Years active	1949–2006
Labels	Atlantic, Philips, Fantasy

Ruth Alston Brown (née Weston, January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes known 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". For these contributions, Atlantic became known as "the house that Ruth built" (alluding to the popular nickname for the old Yankee Stadium).

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. Her performances in the Broadway musical Black and Blue earned Brown a Tony Award, and the original cast recording won a Grammy Award.

Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, Brown was the eldest of seven siblings. She attended I. C. Norcom High School, which was then legally segregated. Brown's father was a dockhand. He also directed the local church choir, but the young Ruth showed more interest in singing at USO shows and nightclubs. She was inspired by Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, and Dinah Washington.