Ruth Brown: The Queen of R&B Before Aretha, before Etta, there was Ruth Brown—the original Queen of R&B. With a voice that could shake the rafters and a style that mixed gospel, blues, and swing, Ruth Brown didn’t just sing—she commanded the stage. She was a powerhouse in the 1950s, defining the sound of Atlantic Records, which became known as “The House That Ruth Built” because of her massive success. Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, in 1928, Ruth’s career started in clubs, but she didn’t stay sma