Ruth Brown was born in Portsmouth, VA. She became a major Rhythm and Blues singer in the 1950s. After signing a recording contrat Atlantic Records became known as "the house that Ruth built." In 1975 she won a Tony Award for Black and Blue and a Grammy Award for her album featuring hits from the show. In 1987, she began a fight for musicians' rights and royalties which led to the founding of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. She was inducted as a Pioneer Award recipient in its first year. In 1993 she was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Ruth suffered a major stroke in 2000 which required months of intensive speech therapy, but she returned to the stage in 2004. She died in Las Vegas on November 17, 2006 of complications following a heart attack and stroke.
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