Monday, April 09, 2007

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day


Artist:Ruth Brown

Song:Lucky Lips

Album:Miss Rhythm:Greatest Hits And More





Ruth Brown is one of the all time greats of R & B and was the artist that put Atlantic Records on the map. She was born Ruth Weston Jan. 12, 1928 in Portsmouth, VA. Ruth's early influences were jazz singers like Billie Holiday. She left home in 1945 and married trumpeter Jimmy Brown. Cab Calloway's sister Blanche owned the Crystal Caverns nightclub in New York and she managed Ruth's career. DJ Herb Conover liked her and brought her to the attention of Atlantic Records owners Ahmet Ertegun & Herb Abramson. Her first hit was 1949's So Long and she had tons of hits through the 50s. Lucky Lips was just one of them and was written and produced by Jerry Lieber & Mike Stoller. Her big voice and energetic delivery were very popular. This 2CD comp has all of her hits. Ruth Brown left the music business in the early 60s to raise her family. She returned in the mid 70s and won a Tony award for the 1989 show Black And Blue. She returned to recording in the 90s and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993. Ruth Brown suffered a heart attack & stroke and died on Nov. 17, 2006 at age 78. Ruth Brown was one of the pioneers of R & B and was largely responsible for Atlantic Records being called The House That Ruth Built. Here's Ruth Brown in her prime performing Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean at the Apollo in 1955.

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