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.
GROSS: We're listening back to my 1997 interview with Ruth Brown. We'll hear more of it after a break. This is FRESH AIR. (SOUNDBITE OF RAY CHARLES' "THE RAY") GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. Let's get back ...
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.