When you have Lucky Lips, you tell Mama if your man treats her daughter mean

Ruth Brown (1928-2006) was known as the Queen of Rhythm and Blues and The Voice. Her instrument was rich and expressive, confident, energetic and brimming with exuberance. She was the first great female vocalist to emerge from Atlantic records in the early Fifties and along with Big Joe (Shake, Rattle and Roll) Turner, kept the label afloat until Ray Charles, The Drifters, Coasters et al. found their stride and the label became the rock giant it remains today.

Lucky Lips

 As the decade waned, Ruth was forgotten and reduced to working as a domestic (for all the deserved accolades to the Ertegun Brothers who built Atlantic, stories like this always make me wonder what happened to those royalty checks). She later returned to recording and, while she never topped the charts again, developed a devoted following and, not incidentally, led a long struggle through the courts on behalf of herself and others to recover those unpaid royalties.

All that aside, she was a wonderful singer. Have a listen.

Mama he treats your daughter mean