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.
Jack o' Diamonds
Ruth Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jack O'Diamonds, one-eyed knave
On the move, hits the street
Bumps his head, on the ground
Well, he's a scout, you're born to lose
Shouldn't stay
Jack O'Diamonds, yeah Jack O'Diamonds
This one-eyed prince, wears a ?single love?
Oh sure, he's not that lovely
Jack O'Diamonds broke my hand
Left me here to stand
Jack O'Diamonds is a hard card to land
Jack O'Diamonds is a hard card
Jack O'Diamonds is a high card
Jack O'Diamonds is a hard card
But it ain't hard enough
Jack O'Diamonds can open for riches
Jack O'Diamonds but then it switches
Colour by picture but it's only a ten
Jack O'Diamonds, yeah Jack O'Diamonds
Jack O'Diamonds is a hard card to play
Jack O'Diamonds, yeah Jack O'Diamonds
This one-eyed prince, wears a single love
Oh sure, he's not that lovely
Jack O'Diamonds broke my hand
Left me here to stand
Jack O'Diamonds is a hard card to play
Jack O'Diamonds is a hard card
Jack O'Diamonds is a high card
Jack O'Diamonds is a hard card
But it ain't hard enough
Jack O'Diamonds can open for riches
Jack O'Diamonds but then it switches
Colour by picture but it's only a ten
Jack O'Diamonds
The lyrics of Ruth Brown's song Jack O'Diamonds speak about a card player named Jack O'Diamonds, described as a one-eyed knave who is always on the move, hitting the street. He's portrayed as a scout that is born to lose, and the singer is warned not to stay around him too long. Jack O'Diamonds is a hard card to play, as it can open for riches, but then it switches, colour by picture, but it's only a ten. In other words, Jack O'Diamonds is a risky bet- it can lead to great success, but can also result in a hard loss.
The singer also expresses her personal experience with Jack O'Diamonds, telling the audience that he broke her hand and left her standing there alone. She warns others that Jack O'Diamonds is not that lovely, even though he wears a "single love" (which is unclear what it means- it could be a reference to a love interest or some sort of jewelry). In summary, the song is about a gambler that is always on the move, taking risks and attracting others with his charm, but ultimately is difficult to handle.
Line by Line Meaning
Jack O'Diamonds, on the move
Jack O'Diamonds is traveling or changing location
Jack O'Diamonds, one-eyed knave
Jack O'Diamonds is a deceitful person with one eye, possibly referencing the idea that he only sees things his way
On the move, hits the street
Jack O'Diamonds is physically moving and hits the pavement, potentially indicating a rough time or struggle
Bumps his head, on the ground
Jack O'Diamonds hits his head on the ground, suggesting a fall or failure
Well, he's a scout, you're born to lose
Jack O'Diamonds is a risk-taker, but others are doomed to fail when they follow his lead
Shouldn't stay
It's not wise to stick around when Jack O'Diamonds is around
Jack O'Diamonds is a hard card to play
Figuratively, Jack O'Diamonds is difficult to deal with or handle
Jack O'Diamonds, yeah Jack O'Diamonds
A repetition of the name, possibly emphasizing the importance or significance of Jack O'Diamonds
This one-eyed prince, wears a ?single love?
Jack O'Diamonds is referred to as a prince, but he is not charming or attractive. The ?single love? part is unclear, but it may suggest that he does not truly care or love anyone
Oh sure, he's not that lovely
Reiterates that Jack O'Diamonds is not a good person or worth being around
Jack O'Diamonds broke my hand
Jack O'Diamonds hurt the singer physically, possibly indicating that he has caused harm or pain in the past
Left me here to stand
Jack O'Diamonds has left the artist in a difficult situation without assistance or support
Jack O'Diamonds is a hard card to land
The line can be interpreted in different ways, but it suggests that dealing with Jack O'Diamonds is not easy and may lead to negative consequences
Jack O'Diamonds is a hard card
Repeats that Jack O'Diamonds is difficult to handle, possibly referencing the game of cards and the value of a diamond
Jack O'Diamonds is a high card
Affirms that Jack O'Diamonds is valuable but also difficult to manage
But it ain't hard enough
Despite his value and difficulty, Jack O'Diamonds is not invincible or unbeatable
Jack O'Diamonds can open for riches
Jack O'Diamonds can lead to wealth or fortune, referring to the game of cards and the value of a diamond
Jack O'Diamonds but then it switches
Jack O'Diamonds' value or status can change quickly or unexpectedly
Colour by picture but it's only a ten
A reference to the fact that a ten of diamonds may be colored or designed like a face card, but it's still just a ten. Jack O'Diamonds may seem valuable or important, but he's not as great as he appears to be
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JERRY LEIBER, MIKE STOLLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
onthegoldenline
Sounds like Curtis Ouseley on tenor.