Olde Towne in Portsmouth, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Ruth Brown

(1928-2006)

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 30, 2015

1. Ruth Brown Marker

Inscription. Portsmouth native Ruth Brown was the best-selling African American female recording artist early in the 1950s. Her two dozen hits established Atlantic Records as “The House That Ruth Built.” Brown also helped to usher in the rock’n’roll genre during the 1950s when promoter Alan Freed introduced America to her vocal style in 1956. She enjoyed her first crossover hit, “Lucky Lips,” in 1957. Among other honors, she won a Tony Award for her performance in the musical Black and Blue in 1989. Brown was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 as “the Queen Mother of the Blues.”

Erected 2006 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number Q 8-u.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Women. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1956.

Location. 36° 50.288′ N, 76° 18.323′ W. Marker is in Portsmouth, Virginia. It is in Olde Towne. It is at the intersection of North

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Street and Green Street, on the right when traveling east on North Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Portsmouth VA 23704, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Hampton Roads,

specifically in Coastal Virginia,

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Emanuel A.M.E. Church (here, next to this marker); Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones (here, next to this marker); Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (within shouting distance of this marker); Lincolnsville (within shouting distance of this marker); Birthplace of Dr. James W. Holley III

North & Green Streets image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 30, 2015

2. North & Green Streets

(within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Emanuel A.M.E. Church (within shouting distance of this marker); Richard Dale, U.S.N. (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); St. John's Church (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Portsmouth.

Also see . . .
1. Ruth Brown. Wikipedia (Submitted on June 1, 2015.)

2. Ruth Brown. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Submitted on June 1, 2015.)

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 30, 2015

3. Ruth Brown Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,198 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 31, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.