Ruth Alston Brown (née Weston) Ruth was born on January 12, 1928. She died on November 17, 2006. Ruth was an American singer-songwriter and actress.
Who is the queen of R&B?
Brown was frequently referred to as the “Queen of R&B.” She is credited for introducing a pop music aesthetic to R&B music in the 1950s with songs like “So Long,” “Teardrops from My Eyes,” and “(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean.” Atlantic earned the nickname “the home that Ruth built” as a result of her efforts (alluding to the popular nickname for the old Yankee Stadium). In 1993, Brown became a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
After a rebirth that began in the middle of the 1970s and reached its zenith in the 1980s, Brown used her influence to lobby for musicians’ rights regarding royalties and contracts; as a result of her work, the Rhythm and Blues Foundation was established.
Brown won a Tony Award for her work in the Broadway production of Black and Blue, and the original cast album took home a Grammy. In 2016, Brown received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Brown was admitted to the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2017. She is also the famed hip-hop artist Rakim’s aunt.
