One of the original Atlantic R&B stars Ruth Brown has died.
Brown recorded for Atlantic in the 40s and 50s after being signed by label founders Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson in 1948.It was Ertegun who talked the then ballad singer into changing her style to R&B.
The change worked and Ruth soon had her first hits 'So Lonely' and then 'Teardrops From My Eyes' in 1949 and 1950.
By September 1950, Ruth was a star and had her first number one album. This lead to her nickname 'Miss Rhythm'.
Between 1950 and 1960, Brown had a string of Top 40 hits and spent 155 weeks on the R&B chart from 1949 to 1955.
Ruth Brown was Atlantic Records first real star. The label was nicknamed The House That Ruth Built.
She had 16 Top 10 blues hits and 5 number one singles during her day.
In the 60s, Ruth quit showbiz to become a mother and only returned to the stage occasionally. She did have an appearance in the John Waters cult movie 'Hairspray'.
She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and at that time called The Queen Mother of the Blues.
Ruth was heard most recently in a television commercial for Hummer in the United States. Her song 'This Little Girl's Gone Rockin' was used in the H3 commercials.
Ruth Brown died on Friday November 17 after suffering a heart attack in October.
