Saturday, January 22, 2011

A TALE OF ROCK AND ROLL INJUSTICE


Rock and Roll sometimes does talent an injustice and passes an individual by. So is the case for this young lady who had one of the most powerful voices in rock. You do not see much on the web about her..... Her music is hard to find..... She passed away too soon....Another injustice! So here you have the beginnings of a fantastic female vocalist and a tribute to her because I believe she deserved more than what she got. I guess that being in rock and roll is like playing poker... you have to know when you play the right cards.

Born Constance Henrietta Mierzwiak in Toledo, OH, in 1949, the future rock singer got her start at the age of nine (performing renditions of Brenda Lee songs) before changing her stage name to Connie Little and forming the Phil Spector-esque Connie & the Blu-Beats. Following stints in such obscure outfits as the Downtowners and the Blue Grange Ramblers (aka BGR), the latter of which mutated into the outfit Ruby Jones (a name that the singer was going by at the time). Signed to Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label, the recording of Ruby Jones' 1971 self-titled was even supervised by Mayfield. A very good lp that shows off the potential of this young lady.
...... She shows that she is equal in vocal talent to Janis Joplin, funky, raucous, wild...

Ruby Jones - Stone Junkie (1971)

99, 000 Times
Looking Out at Tomorrow
46th Street
Have No Witness
Freely Away
Oh Baby
Tightrope
Bicycle Built For Everyone
Stone Junkie
You Better Run

1 comments:

Unknown said...

I've read through all your posts on Ruby Starr. You've done a nice job of summarizing her career. Particularly like the track listings. Her YouTube stuff is great but I think I'll have to reconnect my old turntable and listen to some of the vinyl.

Have you been able to find out who she married? Her death certificate lists her as "divorced" at time of death. I've found one comment on a YouTube video that says she married Fred Hodnik of Grey-Star, but I can't find any solid evidence of that. You can reach me at tweedle.dee105@gmail.com.

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