Friday, November 17, 2006

Ruth Brown Dies at 78

The legendary R&B singer Ruth Brown died Friday in Las Vegas. She was 78.

"She was one of the original divas," said the singer Bonnie Raitt, who worked with Brown to improve royalties for rhythm-and-blues performers. "I can’t really say that I’ve heard anyone that sounds like Ruth, before or after. She was a combination of sass and innocence, and she was extremely funky. She could really put it right on the beat, and the tone of her voice was just mighty. And she had a great heart."

"What I loved about her," Raitt added, "was her combination of vulnerability and resilience and fighting spirit. It was not arrogance, but she was just really not going to lay down and roll over for anyone."

Brown's voice was unforgettable, but it's her delightful role as Motormouth Maybelle in John Waters' classic 1988 film, "Hairspray," that I will always remember most. Rest in peace. (NYT)

2 comments:

Blobby said...

Oh Papatooney we got a looney!

Mark LeGault said...

"We are gonna teach the white children how to do THE BIRD!"