Years before Aretha Franklin was crowned Queen of Soul, Ruth Brown reigned as the Original Queen of R&B. She achieved a distinct style, sassy and streetwise, which made her one of the more influential ...

This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross. Today we continue our archive series R&B, rockabilly and early rock 'n' roll with the late R&B singer Ruth Brown. She was one of Atlantic Records' first hitmakers.

Brown started out in the '40s and influenced a host of singers, including Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin. Her hits include "Teardrops from My Eyes." She died in 2006. Originally broadcast in 1997.

I'm Terry Gross. Today we continue our archive series R&B, rockabilly and early rock 'n' roll with the late R&B singer Ruth Brown. She was one of Atlantic Records' first hitmakers. In the '50s, she ...