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SPEAKER_04: This year, Hyundai features their all electric Hyundai IONIQ lineup as a proud sponsor of the I Heart Radio Music Festival in Las Vegas with two high tech models. The IONIQ 5 can take you an EPA estimated 303 miles on a single charge and has available two way charging for electronic equipment inside and outside the car. The IONIQ 6 boasts a mind blowing range of up to 360 miles and can deliver up to an 80% charge in just 18 minutes with its 800 volt DC ultra fast charger. Check out Hyundai at the I Heart Radio Music Festival in Las Vegas as their all star IONIQ lineup hits the stage like you've never seen before. Hyundai, it's your journey.
SPEAKER_02: This episode of Encyclopedia Wamanica is brought to you by Care Of. If you've been listening, you know that I've been on a bit of a Care Of journey. I first took their five minute quiz to figure out what vitamins and supplements I need. It was quick and easy. Then I got my order in the mail, everything delightfully well packaged, including collagen powder, a variety of vitamins, and extra batteries, which are on the go energy support. Last time I told you about my experience thus far with the collagen powder, which I'm a big fan of. This time I wanna tell you about the extra batteries. I was initially pretty skeptical of the extra batteries concept, but I have to tell you that I'm pretty obsessed. You just open the little stick, empty the contents directly into your mouth, and let it dissolve for a few seconds. I was worried that it would taste bad or that it wouldn't really work, but I have to say the formula really does taste like oranges and it dissolves really quickly right into your mouth. More importantly, the extra batteries actually work. I really did feel like I was paying better attention to what I was doing. I had an increased level of focus and I had more mental energy. Care Of's products are formulated with good-for-you clean ingredients that are backed by science. They're super transparent about the research and sourcing behind every product. Use the code ENCYCLOPEDIA for 50% off your first Care Of order. Go to takecareof.com. Again, that's takecareof.com, and use code ENCYCLOPEDIA for half off your first order. Stay tuned for more on my Care Of journey. Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Encyclopaedia Wamanica. All month, we're talking about musicians, women whose talents shaped history and the music industry. Today we're looking back at the self-titled Miss Rhythm, an R&B's first star. While better known for her work later in life, her songs built a record empire and laid the foundation for a generation of musicians. Let's talk about Ruth Brown.
SPEAKER_08: Should I let myself go?
SPEAKER_04: In his direction,
SPEAKER_00: is his love strong enough?
SPEAKER_02: Ruth was born in 1928 in Portsmouth, Virginia. She grew up singing in her father's church choir, and by the age of 17, started sneaking out of the house to sing to soldiers at USO clubs. There, she met her first husband, a trumpeter. The couple ran away together, first to Detroit and later to Washington, DC, where Ruth landed a gig singing at Blanche Calloway's nightclub, the Crystal Caverns. Soon after, she was offered a recording contract with Atlantic Records and the opportunity for a debut concert at the Apollo in New York City. Tragically, a serious car accident kept her from performing in that show. Ruth spent nearly a year in the hospital recovering, and during that time, Ruth's husband abandoned her. But these setbacks wouldn't keep Ruth down for long. In 1949, Ruth recorded the track So Long for Atlantic, which reached number four on the R&B charts. Her second hit came just a year later, when in 1950, she released Teardrops From My Eyes at number one on the charts.
SPEAKER_00: Every time it rains, I think of you.
SPEAKER_02: Teardrops From My Eyes quickly became her signature song due to the squeak heard in her voice on her high notes, an effect that made it sound as if her voice was breaking from emotion. Little Richard would go on to use a similar affectation. Ruth quickly became the best-selling black singer of the 1950s. She toured relentlessly through the South and was celebrated for her expressive smile and vibrant stage presence. She had dozens of chart-topping singles, including This Little Girl's Gone Rockin' and Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean. Riding on the coattails of Ruth's success, Atlantic Records became known as The House That Ruth Built. While she may have built Atlantic Records, the wealth certainly was not shared. Ruth was required to pay for all of her own touring and recording costs. And when Atlantic Records ended their professional relationship in the early 1960s, Ruth was left without any savings to fall back on. In order to make ends meet, she moved to Long Island, New York, and worked a series of low-paying jobs. Her records fell into obscurity. In 1976, at the age of 48, Ruth's career had a resurgence. The legendary comedian, Red Fox, cast her as Mahalia Jackson in his production of the musical Selma. From there on out, she was on a roll. She dazzled as DJ Motormouth Maybel in the 1988 film Hairspray, won a Tony Award for her performance in Black and Blue,
SPEAKER_00: and won a Grammy for her 1990 album,
SPEAKER_02: Blues on Broadway. She also hosted the NPR show, Blues Stage. Those who were familiar with Ruth's music most likely discovered her during this era. She finally received the latent appreciation she deserved for her earlier pioneering work as an R&B artist. She used her newfound fame as leverage against Atlantic Records. The deal she ultimately struck with the label allowed her and dozens of other musicians to recoup back royalties. In 1988, she also helped found the Rhythm and Blues Foundation to preserve the legacy of R&B artists. In 1993, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
SPEAKER_00: For a lifetime of great lessons and unforgettable music, ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honor to be able to stand here and induct my friend, Ruth Brown, Miss Rhythm, into the Hall of Fame.
SPEAKER_02: Ruth's biography, entitled Miss Rhythm, won the Ralph Gleason Award for Music Journalism in 1996. A decade later, in 2006, Ruth died at the age of 78. Ruth Brown was a musical pioneer. The fact that her early work fell into obscurity is a direct reflection of the racial, genre, and sexist double standards she faced in the music industry. Before Ruth's music debuted, Billboard had named the Rhythm and Blues chart Race Music, denoting that this was thought of as music only for and by Black people. But covers of Ruth's songs, like Patty Page's rendition of What a Dream, had no problem reaching number 10 on the pop charts. Despite Ruth's crossover appeal with rock and roll, it wouldn't be until 1962 that a solo Black female artist, Motown's Mary Wells, would break into that chart's top 10. So while Ruth's later career of jazz, blues, and show tunes may have eclipsed her early hits, the depth of Miss Rhythm's massive contribution to American popular music should not be forgotten.
SPEAKER_04: Hey, whoa!
SPEAKER_07: So if I can't sell it, I'm gonna keep sippin' on it.
SPEAKER_04: I ain't about to give it away.
SPEAKER_02: All month, we're talking about musicians. For more on why we're doing what we're doing, check out our newsletter, Womanica Weekly. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Encyclopedia Womanica, and you can follow me directly on Twitter at Jenny M. Kaplan. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow.
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SPEAKER_04: Check out Hyundai at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas as their all-star IONIQ lineup hits the stage like you've never seen before. Hyundai, it's your journey.
