Editing Ruth Brown (section)

==Early life==
Born in [[Portsmouth, Virginia]], Brown was the eldest of seven siblings.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/17/AR2006111701411_2.html|title=Ruth Brown, 78; R&B Singer Championed Musicians' Rights|date=November 18, 2006|last=Bernstein|first=Adam|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=March 9, 2013}}</ref> She attended [[I. C. Norcom High School]]. Brown's father was a [[stevedore|dockhand]]. He also directed the local [[church choir]] at Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, but the young Ruth showed more interest in singing at [[United Service Organizations|USO]] shows and [[nightclub]]s, rebelling against her father.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.biography.com/people/ruth-brown-17172326|title=Ruth Brown – Singer, Theater Actress|access-date=February 10, 2019|archive-date=January 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108211443/https://www.biography.com/people/ruth-brown-17172326|url-status=dead}}</ref> She was inspired by [[Sarah Vaughan]], [[Billie Holiday]], and [[Dinah Washington]].<ref>Bogdanov, et al. ''All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues'' p. 79. Backbeat Books. {{ISBN|0-87930-736-6}}.</ref>

In 1945, aged 17, Brown ran away from her home in Portsmouth along with the trumpeter [[Jimmy Brown (musician)|Jimmy Brown]], whom she soon married, to sing in bars and clubs. She then spent a month with [[Lucky Millinder]]'s orchestra.<ref name="Russell"/>