From:   Flippar
Date:  Tue Jan 29, 2002  7:14 pm
Subject:  Born To Be With You - Ruth Brown
 
RUTH BROWN

Born Ruth Weston on January 30th 1928 in Portsmouth Virginia.

Started singing gospel in her father's church choir. By 1948 she was singing
in her husband's band in Washington when Ahmet Ertegun signed her to the
newly formed Atlantic Records. She was hospitalised by a car crash on the way
to sing at the Apollo in Harlem and Atlantic paid her hospital bills. She
rewarded them many times over following her early hits like Teardrops from My
Eyes in 1950, 5-10-15 Hours in 52 and Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean in
53.

She was Atlantic's first major star and ironically recalling her later fight
for royalties (and founding the R&B Foundationfor other mistreated artists)
the label was called "The House That RuthBuilt"

By 1955 she'd had 5 number one R&B hits and had spent 129 weeks on the
charts. She bridged the gap between early R&B and rock n roll, just like
fellow label star Big Joe Turner. She played on the big Alan Freed shows and
had top 40 pop hits in 57 with Leiber and Stoller`s Lucky Lips (later a hit
for quivering Cliff) and the belting This Little Girl's Gone Rocking` in 58.

She left Atlantic in 1961 and joined Phillips but no major hits followed and
for a while she followed her jazz leanings before resurfacing as a
successful actress in the 70s, she appeared in a TV sitcom, starred in John
Water's 60s styled dance movie send up Hairspray, and has won a prestigious
Tony Award on Broadway for Black and Blue. She recorded again on Fantasy
and has been elected in the R n R Hall Of Fame, all thanks to the quality of
those superfine Atlantic 45s from the 50s.

Recommended reading
Miss Rhythm - Ruth Brown & A Yule
Recommended Listening
Miss Rhythm, Greatest Hits and More 2cd Rhino/Atlantic/Sequel
Miss Rhythm Sequel
Also on US Collectable cd reissues