Tony Award Winner Ruth Brown Dies at 78

Legendary R&B singer Ruth Brown, who won a Tony Award as Best Actress in a Musical in 1989 for the revue Black & Blue, died today in Nevada at age 78. The cause was complications from a stroke and a heart attack.

Brown, who was born in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1928, was one of the most popular vocalists of the 1950s, known for such hits as “(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean,” “Lucky Lips,” and “Teardrops in My Eyes.” Eventually, she became equally well known as a jazz singer, winning a Grammy Award for the album Blues on Broadway. She was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

In addition to Black & Blue, which co-starred Linda Hopkins and Carrie Smith, she appeared on Broadway in Amen Corner. In recent years, she returned to the cabaret scene and had sold-out engagements at Le Jazz Au Bar in New York CIty.

Brown also worked sporadically in television and film, most notably playing the role of Motormouth Maybelle in John Waters’ Hairspray. She also guest-starred on the sitcoms Hello, Larry and The Jeffersons.