R&B Artists

Born Ruth Alston Weston, ‘Miss Rhythm’ is perhaps best known by younger audiences through her role as DJ Motormouth Mabel in the John Waters film Hairspray; in the 1950s however, it’s not too extreme a position to suggest that the wonderful Atlantic Records label was built almost entirely around her early R&B successes. From around 1949 through to the end of the 1950s, Ruth had a string of R&B successes, although when the hits tried up in the early 60s, the industry was quick to forget about her as she worked as a domestic to make ends meet. Through Hairspray, her role in the Broadway revue Black and Blue and various appearances in TV sitcoms (yes really!) she gradually got herself back to the top of her profession, her status as a pioneer assured and acknowledged, not to mention her work advocating the rights and royalties of her musical friends and colleagues.

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Included as one of the great pioneers, a man who took control of his own career, wrote much of his own material and paved the way for those who followed. He was also undeniably a superb vocalist and a forerunner for many of the talents for whom he both set the standard and broke down the boundaries of a still white dominated record business.

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Although Shirley has produced some wonderful material over the years, you sort of get the feeling that it’s is a career that perhaps should have reached greater heights. Early on, her talent and vocal prowess had been favourably compared to Aretha and, although that’s perhaps a little audacious, only a cursory listen to some of her material will indicate why some commentators got a little excited. Certainly, her range, raw power and accuracy don’t suffer in the comparison.

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A man who played the blues with flair, sophistication, technical brilliance and a sense of humour, Aaron Thibeaux Walker was born in Linden, Cass County, of Cherokee Indian descent. His trademark was the cool, telling West Coast licks which emanated from his guitar – there have been few who have done the job better. Throughout his career, he was backed by bands of excellent quality, bands which included players of the stature of tenor Original Sourceplayers ‘Bumps’ Meyers and Jack McVea and the bassist Billy Hadnott, who was good enough to tutor Mingus.

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