Miss Rhythm

by Ruth Brown, Andrew Yule, Maurice J.E. Brown

Before Etta James, Aretha Franklin, and Tina Turner, there was Ruth Brown, the legendary rhythm and blues singer best known for her hits "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean," "Teardrops from My Eyes," and "5-10-15 Hours." Her powerhouse voice and sassy squeal brought worldwide success to the Atlantic label in the 1950s. But it took a decades-long battle with Atlantic to receive her full royalties, which inspired the creation of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.In Miss Rhythm, the singer shares candid the early days of R&B; the racism she endured on the road; and her abusive husbands and lovers. In the '80s and '90s, Brown earned a Tony and Grammy Award and a role as Motormouth Maybelle in John Water's cult film Hairspray. Miss Rhythm is a story of trial and triumph, and of chart-topping success despite seemingly impossible odds.

Genres: Music, Memoir, Biography

360 pages, Paperback

First published February 22, 1996

Reviews

[Steve Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruth Brown was an early star of 1940s and '50s rhythm & blues with hits like "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" and "Teardrops From My Eyes." Miss Rhythm (her nickname) tells the story of Brown's early childhood growing up poor, working on her grandmother's farm, and eventually developing a singing act that led her to larger and larger opportunities until she was signed by fledgling independent record label, Atlantic Records. Yes, THAT Atlantic Records, but in those days they only had a few artists, and the stars were Ray Charles, LaVerne Baker and Ruth Brown. But all was not roses. Ruth was constantly hooking up with men who let her down, and she even had reason to believe Atlantic was shortchanging her and her fellow artists. When the direction of the label changed in the 1960s, Brown and her fellow R&B stars (with the exception of Ray Charles) fell onto hard, hard times. Typically that's the end of a story like this - rags to riches and back to rags - but Brown didn't give up and not only revived her performing career but also became a tireless champion on behalf of early R&B recording artists for restitution of unpaid sales royalties they were entitled to. This was a rags to riches to rags and back to the top story in every sense of the word.

[Christopher D.]

great history and I know one of the people in the book

[Chi Chi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book starts off a fairly standard musician autobiography, then about through it turns into a story about struggling to resolve royalty issues for the R&B pioneers on Atlantic Records. It will definitely make you respect Ahmet Ertegun a lot less.

[Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far I love this book!

[Naomi Krokowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent account of a heroine who battled to get black pioneering artists their due from unscrupulous white owned record companies. What an amazing survivor she was!