Ruth Brown Ruth Brown Ruth Alston Brown (née Weston, January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes known as the "Queen of R&B". She was noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for Atlantic Records in the 1950s, such as "So Long", "Teardrops from My Eyes" and "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean". For these contributions, Atlantic became known as "the house that Ruth built" (alluding to the popular nickname for the old Yankee Stadium). Following a resurgence that began in the mid-1970s and peaked in the
The House That Jack Built (song) The House That Jack Built (song) "The House That Jack Built" is a song written by Bobby Lance and Fran Robbins and performed by Aretha Franklin. The song reached #2 on the U.S. R&B chart and #7 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 in 1968. The song's B-side, "I Say a Little Prayer", reached #3 on the U.S. R&B chart, #10 on the "Billboard" Hot 100, and #4 in the U.K. in 1968. "The House that Jack Built" was originally recorded by Thelma Jones and released on the Barry label earlier in 1968. That version did not make the U.S. charts.