Born Ruth Alston Weston on 30th January 1928 in Portsmouth, Virginia, she attended I. C. Norcom High School, a historically black high school. Brown's father was a dockhand who directed the local church choir, but the young Ruth showed more of an interest in singing at USO shows and nightclubs. She was inspired by Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington. In 1945, Brown ran away from her home in Portsmouth along with a trumpeter, Jimmy Brown, whom she soon married, to sing in bars and clubs. She then spent a month with Lucky Millinder's orchestra, but was fired after she brought drinks to the band for free, and was left stranded in Washington, D.C.
Blanche Calloway, Cab Calloway's sister, also a bandleader, arranged a gig for Brown at a Washington nightclub called Crystal Caverns and soon became her manager. Willis Conover, a Voice of America disc jockey, caught her act and recommended her to Atlantic Records bosses, Ahmet Ertegün and Herb Abramson. Brown was unable to audition as planned though, because of a serious car accident that resulted in a nine-month hospital stay. In 1948, however, Ertegün and Abramson drove to Washington from New York City to hear her sing in the club. Although her repertoire was mostly popular ballads, Ertegün convinced her to switch to rhythm and blues. His productions for her, however, retained her pop style, with clean, fresh arrangements and the singing spot on the beat with little of the usual blues singer's embroidery.
In her first audition, in 1949, she sang "So Long", which became a hit. This was followed by "Teardrops from My Eyes" in 1950; written by Rudy Toombs, it was the first upbeat major hit for Ruth Brown, establishing her as an important figure in R&B. Recorded for Atlantic Records in New York City in September 1950, and released in October, it was on Billboard's List of number-one R&B hits (United States) for eleven weeks. The huge hit earned her the nickname "Miss Rhythm", and within a few months Ruth Brown became the acknowledged queen of R&B.
She followed up this hit with "I'll Wait for You" (1951), "I Know" (1951), "5-10-15 Hours" (1953), "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" (1953), "Oh What a Dream" (1954), "Mambo Baby" (1954), and "Don't Deceive Me" (1960). She also became known as "Little Miss Rhythm" and "the girl with the teardrop in her voice". In all, she was on the R&B charts for 149 weeks from 1949 to 1955, with sixteen top-ten blues records including five number ones, and became Atlantic's most popular artist, earning Atlantic records the proper name of "The House that Ruth Built".
During the 1960s, Brown faded from public view to become a housewife and mother, and only returned to music in 1975 at the urging of Redd Foxx, followed by a series of comic acting gigs, including roles in the sitcom Hello, Larry and the John Waters film Hairspray as local DJ Motormouth Maybelle, as well as Broadway appearances in Amen Corner and Black and Blue, which earned her a Tony Award for her performance and a Grammy award for her album Blues on Broadway, featuring hits from the show.
Brown's fight for musicians' rights and royalties in 1987 led to the founding of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. She was inducted as a Pioneer Award recipient in its first year, 1989. In 1993, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as "The Queen Mother of the Blues".
She has become an iconic symbol to many black women for later generations, where she is also a favourite artist and inspiration for later blues artists such as Bonnie Raitt. Brown recorded and sang along with fellow rhythm and blues performer Charles Brown, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and toured with Raitt on Raitt's tour in the late 1990s, "Road Tested". Her 1995 autobiography, Miss Rhythm, won the Gleason Award for music journalism.
Brown died in a Las Vegas-area hospital on 17th November 2006, from complications following a heart attack and stroke she suffered after surgery in October 2006. A memorial concert for her was held on 22nd January 2007 at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York.
Dear Little Boy Of Mine
Ruth Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Boy of mine, boy of mine, although my heart was aching,
I seem to know that you'd want to go,
Pride in your manhood waking,
I'll be here, waiting, dear,
Till at the glad dawn breaking,
I'll hear you say you're home to stay,
Dear little boy of mine (mine), dear little boy of mine. (boy of mine)
I'll hear you say you're home to stay,
Dear little boy of mine(mine), dear little boy of mine
(dear little boy of mine)
The song "Dear Little Boy Of Mine" by Ruth Brown is a heartfelt tribute to a young man who has left his mother's embrace to become a man on his own. The lyrics offer a glimpse into the emotional turmoil of a mother who has to let go of her beloved son, knowing that he needs to spread his wings and fly. The opening lines "Boy of mine, boy of mine, although my heart was aching, I seem to know that you'd want to go" convey a sense of sadness and vulnerability, suggesting that the mother is struggling to cope with the reality of her son's departure. However, as the song progresses, the lyrics reveal a deep love and understanding between the mother and son. The line "Pride in your manhood waking" suggests that the mother is proud of her son's decision to leave and become a man in his own right.
Despite the pain of separation, the mother offers unwavering support and infinite love, promising to be there for him no matter what. The line "I'll be here, waiting, dear, Till at the glad dawn breaking" conveys a sense of steadfastness and loyalty, suggesting that the mother is willing to wait for her son's return, no matter how long it takes. The final lines "I'll hear you say you're home to stay, Dear little boy of mine" encapsulate the core message of the song - that the bond between a mother and son is unbreakable, even in the face of distance and time.
Overall, "Dear Little Boy Of Mine" is a touching tribute to the powerful bond between a mother and her son, a relationship that transcends space and time. Through her heartfelt lyrics and powerful vocals, Ruth Brown captures the essence of this eternal bond, reminding us that no matter how far we go, we can always come back to the love of our mothers.
Line by Line Meaning
Boy of mine, boy of mine, although my heart was aching,
My beloved son, despite the pain in my heart,
I seem to know that you'd want to go,
I understand that you feel the need to leave,
Pride in your manhood waking,
Your sense of pride and responsibility as a man has awoken,
I'll be here, waiting, dear,
But know that I'll always be waiting for you, my dear,
Till at the glad dawn breaking,
I'll wait for you until the dawn breaks with joy,
I'll hear you say you're home to stay,
And when you return, I'll hear you say that you've come back for good,
Dear little boy of mine (mine), dear little boy of mine. (boy of mine)
My precious son, my dear little boy, you'll always have my love and support.
(Boy of mine, boy of mine, although my heart was breaking,)
(My beloved son, even though my heart was in pain,)
I'll hear you say you're home to stay,
I'll hear you say that you've come back home for good,
Dear little boy of mine(mine), dear little boy of mine
My dear and precious son, you'll always have a home with me and my love.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ERNEST R. BALL, J. KEIRN BRENNAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wilmamatthews527
I am 80 years old, I first got to know of Ruth Brown from her song “Mama he treats your daughter mean”.I was around eight or nine years old. I loved that song. She was sooo cute. Bless her heart 💜
@barbierosman6050
Ruth Brown makes me so happy, just hearing her voice, singing her songs. She is amazing, and is most definitely not noticed enough.
@abiliooliveiragoisgois1762
Muito Obrigado!!
@Maynke
I'm so jealous of anyone who saw Ms Brown perform live. What.A.VOICE!
@killerdillr
Saw her, met her, and later on aquired her autograph - 30 years ago
@sydneymatterson408
Ruth Brown is amazing ♥️
@misterlanton3470
Miss rhythm so great and underrated!
@misterlanton3470
Ruth is most underrated artist
@JoGarcia
I knew her from a documentary called "Deep Soul".
@itimesdigital7812
Absolutely!