Ruth Brown is gone

Ruth Brown has died, at age 78, of complications following a heart attack and a stroke. When I was a child, Brown and the great LaVern Baker were two of my favorite singers. "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" still plays in my head sometimes. Brown's career was a long one. She did film and Broadway work, winning a Tony for her role in Black and Blue (she was replaced by Baker when she left the cast), and played clubs until she became too ill to work.

Known as "Miss Rhythm," Brown was a major spokeswoman for the many musicians of her generation who were manipulated out of their rightful earnings by record companies and managers that did not pay them their royalties. Brown recorded songs for the film, Honeydripper, and was on her way to Alabama to act in the film when she became ill. She was a musical treasure.