05/22/2026
RUTH BROWN was born Ruth Alston Weston, January 12, 1928 in Portsmouth, VA, the daughter of a dock worker who moonlighted as a choir director. At the Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Ruth showed poise as a lead vocalist, but preferred singing in nightclubs and left home at 17.
Heading to DC, she earned gigs with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, before signing to Atlantic Records in 1949 at 19 years old. Ray Charles collaborator Rudy Toombs penned “Teardrops In My Eyes”, which Brown took to #1 on the Billboard R&B charts for 11 weeks. In total, her records charted another 138 weeks from 1945 to 1955, with 21 Top 10 hits and 5 Number 1 hits. She would continue to chart with an amazing catalog including “(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean”, “Mambo Baby”, “Lucky Lips” and “This Little Girl’s Gone Rockin’”.
Later in her career, Ruth led initiatives securing musician’s publishing royalties and performance fees, something that eluded too many artists of color for generations. The Rhythm and Blue Foundation has helped hundreds of artists receive financial support, medical assistance and offered educational outreach, awarding grants to artists from the 1940s through the 1970s.
Ruth Brown is a staple of our monthly events, with her 1962 version of “Mama…” on Philips and mid-1950s Atlantic cuts “Here He Comes” and “Please Don’t Freeze” all being favorites.
Here these and more, in two little weeks as Baltimore’s biggest soul night and dancing party returns to Lithuanian Hall
