Ruby Turner
Ruby Turner | |
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Background information | |
Born | Montego Bay, Jamaica | 22 June 1958
Origin | Birmingham, England, United Kingdom |
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | 1983–present |
Labels |
|
Website | Official website |
Francella Ruby Turner
singer, songwriter, and actress.In a music career spanning more than 40 years, Turner is best known for her album and single releases in Europe and North America. She is also known for her work as a session backing vocalist, with artists including Bryan Ferry, UB40, Steel Pulse, Steve Winwood, Jools Holland, and Mick Jagger. She has also written songs that have been covered by musicians including Lulu, Yazz and Maxi Priest.[1]
Turner achieved the rare feat, for a British singer, of reaching No. 1 on the US
Biography
Early years
Ruby Turner was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica,[1] and moved at the age of nine with her family to Handsworth, Birmingham, England, in 1967.[1]
Turner came from a musical family as her grandfather sang the lead in one of Jamaica's gospel groups. In the early 1980s, she worked with Culture Club at the height of their popularity. She received an offer of a solo recording contract soon afterwards and signed to Jive Records, part of the Zomba Group.[4]
Music career
Turner achieved her solo recording contract with Jive Records after singing backing vocals on Culture Club's From Luxury to Heartache.[1] She released four albums and a "Best of" Compilation Album over the next few years. Her first solo album Women Hold Up Half the Sky, was released in 1986 to critical acclaim[1] and produced hit singles such as a cover version of the Staple Singers song "If You're Ready (Come Go with Me)", a duet with Jonathan Butler, and the Etta James standard "I'd Rather Go Blind".[1][2]
In March 1987, Turner sang on the
Turner achieved a no. 1
In 1998, she recorded the album
Turner sang backing vocals on Mick Jagger's 2001 album, Goddess in the Doorway, and performed "Nobody But You" on the 2002 album Jools Holland's Big Band Rhythm & Blues.[8] In 2007, Turner presented a documentary Shout Sister Shout about Sister Rosetta Tharpe for BBC Radio 2.[9] She sang on Seasick Steve's album, I Started Out with Nothin and I Still Got Most of It Left (2008). In September 2009, Turner released her first gospel music album, I'm Travelling On.[9] Her rendition of "Jesus on the Mainline" appears on a compilation CD that accompanied the book British Black Gospel by Steve Alexander Smith.[10]
On 28 October 2009 Turner was presented with a
On 4 June 2012, Turner was one of the performers at the Diamond Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace in London, where she joined Jools Holland on stage.[12]
On 4 June 2022, Turner performed Climb Ev'ry Mountain with Mica Paris and Nicola Roberts at the Platinum Party at the Palace concert to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.[13]
Turner was awarded an
Acting
As an actress, Turner has appeared in productions of
Turner has appeared in a number of films, including
In 2011, Turner narrated the
Personal life
Turner has been engaged twice, but not married and has said "Many women I know, must have a man in their life. ... They seem programmed to find a man and must get married. Marriage is a priority for them. Not for me. I am not built that way. I have never felt I had to have a man in my life, or have to end up married."[19]
Her parents are separated and her father lives in the US. Her mother Violetta lives near Turner and sang on her 2009 album I'm Travelling On.
Discography
Albums
Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications
| ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [2] |
US 200 [6] |
US R&B [6] | |||||
1986 | Women Hold Up Half the Sky | 47 | — | — | |||
Ruby Turner Live at Glastonbury | — | — | — | ||||
1988 | The Motown Songbook | 22 | — | — |
| ||
1989 | Paradise | 74 | 194 | 39 | |||
1991 | The Other Side | — | — | — | |||
1992 | The Best of Ruby Turner (compilation) | — | — | — | |||
1993 | Responsible | — | — | — | |||
With Love (compilation) | — | — | — | ||||
1994 | Restless Moods | — | — | — | |||
1995 | The Best of Ruby Turner (compilation) | — | — | — | |||
1996 | Guilty | — | — | — | |||
1998 | Call Me by My Name | — | — | — | |||
2001 | Live in Bristol | — | — | — | |||
2005 | So Amazing | — | — | — | |||
2007 | Live at Ronnie Scott's ( live album ) |
— | — | — | |||
2008 | The Informer (with Jools Holland) | — | — | — | |||
2009 | I'm Travelling On | — | — | — | |||
2014 | All That I Am | — | — | — | |||
2015 | Jools & Ruby (with Jools Holland) | 39 | — | — | |||
2017 | Livin' a Life of Love - The Jive Anthology 1986–1991 | — | — | — | |||
2018 | That's My Desire | — | — | — | |||
2020 | Love Was Here | — | — | — | |||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. |
Singles
Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK
[22] |
NZ
[23] |
US R&B [6] |
US Dance [6] | ||||
1980 | "Separate Ways" (Ruby Turner Band) | — | — | — | — | Singles only | |
1983 | "Every Soul" | — | — | — | — | ||
1986 | "If You're Ready (Come Go with Me)" (feat. Jonathan Butler) | 30 | 3 | 58 | — | Women Hold Up Half the Sky | |
"I'm in Love" | 61 | 9 | — | — | |||
"Bye Baby" | 52 | 10 | — | — | |||
1987 | "I'd Rather Go Blind" | 24 | 21 | — | — | ||
"I'm in Love" (UK re-issue) | 57 | — | — | — | |||
"In My Life (It's Better to Be in Love)" (UK only) | 95 | — | — | — | |||
1988 | "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" | 77 | 8 | — | — | The Motown Song Book | |
"What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" (feat. Jimmy Ruffin) | 87 | 41 | — | — | |||
"Nowhere to Run (Nowhere to Hide)" (US only) | — | — | — | — | |||
"Soul Set (Baby I Need Your Loving)" | — | — | — | — | |||
1990 | "It's Gonna Be Alright" | 57 | 39 | 1 | 5 | Paradise | |
"Paradise" (feat. Ecstasy of Whodini) | — | 36 | 22 | — | |||
"It's a Crying Shame" | — | — | 29 | — | |||
1991 | "The Other Side" (US only) | — | — | 34 | — | The Other Side | |
"The Vibe Is Right" (UK/Europe only) | — | — | — | — | |||
"Rumours" | — | — | 80 | — | |||
1992 | "Good Love" (Que featuring Ruby Turner) | — | — | — | — | Singles only | |
1993 | "Lysander's Theme (Lovers After All)" (Ruby Turner & Junior Giscombe) | — | — | — | — | ||
1994 | "Stay with Me" | 39 | — | — | — | Restless Moods | |
"Living for the City" | 92 | 28 | — | — | Responsible | ||
1995 | "Never Ever Gonna Give You Up" | — | — | — | — | Restless Moods | |
"The Club Diamonds EP" (Lead track "Change") | 84 | — | — | — | |||
Walk On By (The Cartell featuring Ruby Turner)
|
— | — | — | — | Single only | ||
1998 | "Reassure Me" | — | — | — | — | Call Me by My Name | |
"We Got It Going On" (Mover featuring Ruby Turner) | 93 | — | — | — | Mover (Mover) | ||
2000 | "Chinese Whispers" (Full Flava featuring Ruby Turner) | — | — | — | — | Chinese Whispers (Full Flava) | |
"Pokeball" (Corfu featuring Ruby Turner and Michael Dread with The Children of Wraxall C.E.V.A School) | — | — | — | — | Single only | ||
2009 | "This Train (Ash Howes Radio Mix 2009)" | — | — | — | — | I'm Travelling On | |
2011 | "Leaves in the Wind" | — | — | — | — | Paradise | |
2014 | "Move On" | — | — | — | — | All That I Am | |
2015 | "Putting You First" | — | — | — | — | ||
"Peace in the Valley" (Jools Holland and Ruby Turner) | — | — | — | — | Jools & Ruby (Jools & Ruby and the Rhythm and Blues Orchestra) | ||
2017 | "Deeper in Love" (Tilt featuring Ruby Turner) | — | — | — | — | Single only | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. |
See also
- R&B number-one hits of 1990 (USA)
- List of artists who reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Eder, Bruce. "Ruby Turner | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
- ^ ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "Film & TV Database | HEART BEAT 86 (1986)". BFI. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 30 January 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
- ^ "» Biography". Rubyturner.com. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 454.
- ^ a b c d e f "Ruby Turner | Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
- ^ a b Lewis, Pete (April 2008). "Ruby Turner: Ruby, Ruby, Ruby". Blues & Soul.
- ^ Richie Unterberger (8 January 2002). "Jools Holland's Big Band Rhythm & Blues – Jools Holland". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
- ^ a b c "Ruby Turner biography". Rubyturner.com. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
- ^ British Black Gospel: The Foundations of This Vibrant UK Sound: Amazon.co.uk: Noel Robinson, Steve Alexander Smith: Books. ASIN 1854248960.
- ^ Topping, Alexandra (28 October 2009). "Gold Badge awards shine light on music's unsung heroes". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
- ^ "The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert", Joolsholland.com, retrieved 9 September 2015
- WalesOnline. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ "No. 61608". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 2016. p. B24.
- ^ Waistell, Joe (25 December 2006). "Little Britain: Little Britain Abroad (1) Episode Summary". Tv.com. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
- ^ "Ruby Turner, Film and TV credits". IMDb. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
- ^ Butcher, David (September 2012). "The Choir: Sing While You Work: Series 1 Episode 5". Radio Times. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
- ^ "Ruby Turner : Biography". Rubyturner.com. 4 June 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
- ^ "Ruby Turner: Fame's Not the Turner Prize". Bluesandsoul.com. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
- ^ "Ruby Turner - Women Hold Up Half the Sky". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
- ^ "Ruby Turner - The Motown Songbook". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
- ^ "RUBY TURNER | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "Ruby Turner – New Zealand Chart". charts.nz. Retrieved 8 December 2013.