Ruth Brown, the Original Queen of R&B and Royalty Reform Pioneer, Dies at 78

eJazzNews reported the death of singer Ruth Brown, who died on November 17, 2006, in a hospital near Las Vegas after complications from a stroke and a heart attack. The announcement came from her friend and legal representative Howell Begle.

The article recalled her nicknames, among them "Miss Rhythm," and her place as the first star of Atlantic Records, whose run of hits from 1949 through the 1950s earned the label the name "The House That Ruth Built." It also noted her long campaign for royalty reform for R&B artists.

This page summarizes an article from the original eJazzNews archive (2001 to 2018). The original text is not republished here. You can read the original as it appeared on eJazzNews via the Internet Archive.
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