Editing Ruth Brown (section)

==Later career==
[[File:Ruth Brown 1996.jpg|thumb|Brown in 1996]]
She returned to music in 1975 at the urging of the comedian [[Redd Foxx]], followed by a series of comedic acting jobs. This launched her career in TV, film, and stage. She had a recurring role during the second season of the sitcom ''[[Hello, Larry]]'' as the neighbor, Leona Wilson. She starred as Motormouth Maybelle Stubbs, a friendly and strong-willed record promoter and mother of Seaweed and L'il Inez, in the [[John Waters (filmmaker)|John Waters]] cult classic film ''[[Hairspray (1988 film)|Hairspray]]''. On [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], she starred in productions of ''[[Amen Corner (musical)|Amen Corner]]'' and ''[[Black and Blue (musical)|Black and Blue]]''. The latter earned her a [[Tony Award]] for Best Actress in a Musical in 1989.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.broadway.com/buzz/96094/tony-winner-and-rb-pioneer-ruth-brown-dies-at-age-78/|title=Tony Winner and R&B; Pioneer Ruth Brown Dies at Age 78|website=Broadway.com|access-date=July 22, 2021}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' theater critic [[Frank Rich]] wrote, "Ruth Brown, the rhythm-and-blues chanteuse, applies sarcastic varnish and two-a-day burlesque timing to the ribald Andy Razaf lyrics of 'If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin' on It.'"<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|title=Playbill|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/ruth-brown-tony-winner-for-black-and-blue-is-dead-at-78-com-136512|last=Simonson|first=Robert|date=November 20, 2006|website=Playbill.com}}</ref>

Brown's fight for musicians' rights and [[royalties]] in 1987 led to the founding of the [[Rhythm and Blues Foundation]] in 1988.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=Forebears: Ruth Brown, The Fabulous Miss Rhythm|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/10/23/559070707/forebears-ruth-brown-the-fabulous-miss-rhythm|last=Selke|first=Lori|date=October 23, 2017|website=NPR}}</ref> She was one of the first recipients of the Pioneer Award in 1989.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news|last=Morris|first=Chris|date=November 20, 2006|title='Miss Rhythm' Ruth Brown dies|work=The Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/miss-rhythm-ruth-brown-dies-143775}}</ref> In 1989, she released an album, "Blues and Broadway," which won a Grammy for best jazz vocal performance, female.<ref name=":6" /> She was inducted into the [[Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame]] in 1992 and the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1993.<ref>{{cite web|title=Inductees|url=http://www.okjazz.org/index.cfm?id=5|website=Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame|access-date=May 20, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Ruth Brown|url=https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/ruth-brown|year=1993|website=rockhall.com|publisher=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame|access-date=May 20, 2020}}</ref>

Brown recorded and sang with the rhythm-and-blues singer [[Charles Brown (musician)|Charles Brown]]. She also toured with [[Bonnie Raitt]] in the late 1990s. Her 1995 autobiography, ''Miss Rhythm'',<ref>Brown, Ruth; Yule, Andrew (1996). ''Miss Rhythm''.</ref> won the Gleason Award for music journalism.<ref name=":4" /> She also appeared on [[Bonnie Raitt]]'s 1995 live DVD ''Road Tested'', singing "Never Make Your Move Too Soon".<ref>{{cite web|title=Road Tested&nbsp;– Bonnie Raitt: Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/road-tested-mw0000173671|last=Ruhlmann|first=William|date=November 7, 1995|website=AllMusic|access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref> She was nominated for another Grammy in the Traditional Blues category for her 1997 album, ''R&nbsp;+ B&nbsp;= Ruth Brown''. In the 2000 television miniseries ''[[Little Richard (film)|Little Richard]]'', she was portrayed by singer Tressa Thomas.

She hosted the radio program ''Blues Stage'', carried by more than 200 [[NPR]] affiliates, for six years, starting in 1989.<ref>{{cite web|title=Felix Hernandez|url=http://www.wbgo.org/profile/fhernandez|publisher=Wbgo.org|access-date=September 7, 2015|archive-date=September 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907184406/https://www.wbgo.org/profile/fhernandez|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Brown was still touring at the age of 78.<ref name=" Quatro" /> She had completed preproduction work on the [[John Sayles]] film, ''[[Honeydripper (film)|Honeydripper]]'', which she did not live to finish. Still, her recording of "Things About Comin' My Way" was released posthumously on the soundtrack CD. Her last interview was in August 2006.<ref>{{cite web|title=Interview: Miss Ruth Brown: Better Late, Than Never|url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Interview-Miss-Ruth-Brown-Better-Late-Than-Never-20060829|author=Rice, Randy|date=August 29, 2006|publisher=broadwayworld.com|access-date=August 20, 2013}}</ref>