Ruth Brown

In the 1950s observers referred to Atlantic Records as “the house that Ruth built,” a nod unrelated to the famed Sultan of Swat. Ruth Brown’s commanding succession of hits between 1949 and the decade’s close played a decisive part in securing the New York label’s leading position in rhythm and blues. Although the industry largely overlooked her afterward—she even spent time working as domestic help—she later reclaimed prominence, her stature as a postwar R&B trailblazer and her persistent campaign for fair treatment and royalties for fellow artists gaining international recognition.

As a teenager, Ruth Weston drew early motivation from the vocal styles of jazz singers Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, and Dinah Washington. In 1945 she left her Portsmouth residence to travel with trumpeter Jimmy Brown, whom she soon wed. Her brief 1947 stint with bandleader Lucky Millinder’s orchestra concluded suddenly in Washington, D.C., after she was dismissed for serving refreshments to band members. Cab Calloway’s sister Blanche then booked her at the Crystal Caverns nightclub and took on a managerial role in the young performer’s affairs. Broadcaster Willis Conover, impressed by Brown’s performances, directed Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson—heads of the fledgling Atlantic imprint—to her. A severe automobile collision on the way to New York, which damaged her leg, postponed her first Atlantic session by nine months in a hospital. When the date finally occurred in May 1949, she recorded the torch ballad “So Long,” accompanied by guitarist Eddie Condon’s ensemble, and it became her initial success.

Brown’s expressive delivery distinguished several Atlantic successes: the 1950 chart-topping “Teardrops from My Eyes,” which held the R&B summit for eleven weeks; the 1951 releases “I’ll Wait for You” and “I Know”; the 1952 number-one rocker “5-10-15 Hours”; the pivotal 1953 track “(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean”; and the following year’s “Oh What a Dream,” written by Chuck Willis, along with “Mambo Baby.” During a Philadelphia engagement, Frankie Laine bestowed the nickname “Miss Rhythm.” In 1955 she performed a selection of her hits on the pioneering television program Showtime at the Apollo, displaying sharp comedic timing in exchanges with MC Willie Bryant—ironically, her former husband Jimmy Brown played in the show’s house band.

After twenty-four R&B chart entries for Atlantic, the last being 1960’s “Don’t Deceive Me”—many featuring prominent tenor saxophone work by Willis “Gator” Jackson, whom some incorrectly assumed to be her spouse—Brown receded from the spotlight. Following the upbringing of her two sons and a conventional workday routine, she resumed her musical path in the mid-1970s. Her comedic instincts proved valuable in a television sitcom role alongside MacLean Stevenson on Hello, Larry, a substantial part in director John Waters’ 1985 sock-hop satire Hairspray, and her starring appearance in the 1989 Broadway production Black and Blue, for which she received a Tony Award.

Additional recordings appeared on Fantasy during the 1980s and 1990s, notably the lively 1991 album Fine and Mellow, while she maintained an extended role hosting National Public Radio’s Harlem Hit Parade and BluesStage. Her nine-year struggle to recover royalties from her Atlantic catalog directly prompted the creation of the nonprofit Rhythm & Blues Foundation, an entity formed to assist other artists facing similar difficulties. Brown entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, and 1995 brought the publication of her autobiography, Miss Rhythm. After undergoing surgery in October 2006 she experienced a heart attack and stroke from which she did not fully recover, passing away on November 17, 2006.