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.
Ruth Brown. 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.”
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.)
Location. 36° 50.288′ N, 76° 18.323′ W. Marker is in Portsmouth, Virginia. It is in Olde Towne. Marker is at the intersection of North 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.
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
2. North & Green Streets
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 588 times since then and 109 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on May 31, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
