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Ruth Brown(1928-2006)

  • Actress
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Ruth Brown
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:10
Hairspray (1988)
1 Video
3 Photos
Ruth Brown was born on 12 January 1928 in Portsmouth, Virginia, USA. She was an actress, known for Hairspray (1988), The Hurricane (1999) and My Blueberry Nights (2007). She was married to Earl Swanson, Jimmy Brown, Bill Blunt, Willis 'Gator Tail' Jackson and Jimmy Brown. She died on 17 November 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
BornJanuary 12, 1928
DiedNovember 17, 2006(78)
BornJanuary 12, 1928
DiedNovember 17, 2006(78)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Awards
    • 2 wins & 5 nominations

Photos

View Poster
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Known for

Hairspray (1988)
Hairspray
7.0
  • Motormouth Maybelle
  • 1988
Denzel Washington in The Hurricane (1999)
The Hurricane
7.6
  • Soundtrack("I Don't Know")
  • 1999
Natalie Portman, Rachel Weisz, and Norah Jones in My Blueberry Nights (2007)
My Blueberry Nights
6.6
  • Soundtrack("Looking Back")
  • 2007
Moritz Bleibtreu, Adam Bousdoukos, Birol Ünel, Pheline Roggan, and Anna Bederke in Soul Kitchen (2009)
Soul Kitchen
7.2
  • Soundtrack("I DON'T KNOW")
  • 2009

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actress

  • Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1995)
    Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
    6.8
    TV Series
    • Ant
    • Tortoise (voice)
    • 2000
  • Salma Hayek and Antonio Sabato Jr. in Rebel Highway (1994)
    Rebel Highway
    5.5
    TV Series
    • Ella Baldwin
    • 1994
  • Renée Zellweger in Shake, Rattle and Rock! (1994)
    Shake, Rattle and Rock!
    5.2
    TV Movie
    • Ella
    • 1994
  • American Playhouse (1980)
    American Playhouse
    7.3
    TV Series
    • Mrs. Sherman
    • 1993
  • Great Performances (1971)
    Great Performances
    7.9
    TV Series
    • 1993
  • True Identity (1991)
    True Identity
    5.1
    • Martha
    • 1991
  • Hairspray (1988)
    Hairspray
    7.0
    • Motormouth Maybelle
    • 1988
  • Under the Rainbow (1981)
    Under the Rainbow
    5.3
    • Cleaning Woman
    • 1981
  • Marla Gibbs in Checking In (1981)
    Checking In
    6.2
    TV Series
    • Betty
    • 1981
  • Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford in The Jeffersons (1975)
    The Jeffersons
    7.5
    TV Series
    • Betty
    • 1981
  • McLean Stevenson in Hello, Larry (1979)
    Hello, Larry
    5.7
    TV Series
    • Leona Wilson
    • 1979

Soundtrack

  • Show Time at the Apollo
    • performer: "Have a Good Time", performer: "Raining Teardrops from My Eyes", performer: "Oh What a Dream", performer: "Goodbye", performer: "Hey Momma, He Treats You Daughter Mean"
    • Released
    • TV Series
    • 1955
  • Michelle Yeoh, Sam Song Li, and Justin Chien in The Brothers Sun (2024)
    The Brothers Sun
    7.6
    TV Series
    • performer: "I Can Dream, Can't It"
    • 2024
  • Colman Domingo in Rustin (2023)
    Rustin
    6.5
    • performer: "I Don't Know"
    • 2023
  • Harry Styles and Florence Pugh in Don't Worry Darling (2022)
    Don't Worry Darling
    6.3
    • performer: "5-10-15 Hours", "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home to"
    • 2022
  • Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre in Genius (2017)
    Genius
    8.2
    TV Series
    • performer: "Wild Wild Young Men" (uncredited)
    • 2021
  • Ellie Kemper in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015)
    Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
    7.5
    TV Series
    • performer: "As Long As I'm Moving" (uncredited)
    • 2017
  • Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Mahershala Ali, Glen Powell, Jim Parsons, and Janelle Monáe in Hidden Figures (2016)
    Hidden Figures
    7.8
    • performer: "Have a Good Time"
    • 2016
  • Bobby Cannavale in Vinyl (2016)
    Vinyl
    7.7
    TV Series
    • performer: "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean"
    • 2016
  • Gotham (2014)
    Gotham
    7.8
    TV Series
    • performer: "Oh What A Dream" (uncredited)
    • 2014
  • Seek (2014)
    Seek
    4.3
    • performer: "If I Can't Sell It I'll Keep Sittin' On It"
    • 2014
  • Caroline and Jackie (2012)
    Caroline and Jackie
    5.8
    • performer: "Hurry On Down"
    • 2012
  • Moritz Bleibtreu, Adam Bousdoukos, Birol Ünel, Pheline Roggan, and Anna Bederke in Soul Kitchen (2009)
    Soul Kitchen
    7.2
    • performer: "I DON'T KNOW"
    • 2009
  • Will Smith in Seven Pounds (2008)
    Seven Pounds
    7.6
    • performer: "I Don't Know"
    • 2008
  • Cold Case (2003)
    Cold Case
    7.6
    TV Series
    • performer: "I'll Wait For You"
    • 2008
  • Richard Gere and Diane Lane in Nights in Rodanthe (2008)
    Nights in Rodanthe
    6.0
    • performer: "Mama (He Treats Your Daughter Mean)"
    • 2008
  • Eric Roberts, Tori Spelling, Reginald VelJohnson, Alfonso Ribeiro, Anna Delvey Sorokin, Joey Graziadei, Ilona Maher, Jenn Tran, Stephen Nedoroscik, Dwight Howard, Julianne Hough, Phaedra Parks, Chandler Kinney, Danny Amendola, and Brooks Nader in Dancing with the Stars (2005)
    Dancing with the Stars
    4.9
    TV Series
    • performer: "Mambo Baby" (uncredited)
    • 2007

Videos1

Hairspray
Trailer 2:10
Hairspray

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Last.fm
    • SoundCloud
  • Born
    • January 12, 1928
    • Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
  • Died
    • November 17, 2006
    • Las Vegas, Nevada, USA(heart attack)
  • Spouses
      Earl Swanson1955 - ? (divorced, 1 child)
  • Other works
    Stage: Appeared on Broadway in the musical "Black and Blue".
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Biographical Movie
    • 3 Articles
    • 1 Pictorial

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Her fight for musicians' rights and royalties in 1987 led to the founding of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. She was inducted as a Pioneer Award recipient in its first year, 1989. In 1993, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as "The Queen Mother of the Blues".
  • Nicknames
    • Miss Rhythm
    • The Queen of R&B
    • The Queen Mother of the Blues
    • The Girl with the Tear in Her Voice

FAQ11

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  • How did Ruth Brown die?
  • How old was Ruth Brown when she died?

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