Ruth Brown

Ruth Alston Brown (January 12, 1928 - November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes known as the "Queen of Rhythm & Blues". In 1945, aged 17, Brown ran away from her home in Portsmouth, Virginia to sing in bars and clubs. Blanche Calloway, Cab Calloway's sister, also a bandleader, arranged a gig for Brown at the Crystal Cavern, a club in Washington D.C., and soon became her manager.

In her first audition for Atlantic Records in 1949, she sang "So Long", which became a hit. This was followed by "Teardrops from my Eyes" in 1950. Recorded in New York City in September 1950 and released in October, it was Billboard's R&B number one for 11 weeks. The hit earned her the nickname "Miss Rhythm", and within a few months, she became the acknowledged queen of R&B.

She followed up this hit with "I'll Wait for You" (1951), "I Know" (1951), "5-10-15 Hours" (1953), "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" (1953), "Oh What A Dream" (1954), "Mamabo Baby" (1954), and "Don't Deceive Me" (1960), some of which were credited to Ruth Brown and the Rhythm Makers. Between 1949 and 1955, her records stayed on the R&B chart for a total of 149 weeks; she would go on to score 21 Top 10 hits altogether, including five that landed at number one. Brown played many segregated dances in the southern states, where she toured extensively and was immensely popular.

She returned to music in 1975 at the urging of the comedian Redd Foxx, followed by a series of comedic acting jobs. Brown's fight for musicians' rights and royalties in 1987 led to the founding of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. She was inducted as a recipient of the Pioneer Award in its first year, 1989. She was also inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. 

Brown died in a Las Vegas–area hospital on November 17, 2006, from complications following a heart attack and stroke she suffered after surgery in the previous month. She was 78 years old.