Mouth of the Tyne Festival 2019 presents Ruby Turner
For many years Ruby Turner has been regarded as having one of the greatest voices the UK has ever produced. Ruby can breathe life and meaning into a song whether it is a passionate soaring ballad or a soulful up-tempo groove. Her career to date has been sensational with major tours, film, TV and theatre appearances.
Born in Jamaica, Ruby moved to England when she was nineand her major break came when she was taken under the wings of British blues legend, the late Alexis Korner.
Her first album, "Women Hold Up Half The Sky" was released to critical acclaim in 1986. This period spawned the hits 'If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)” and 'I'd Rather Go Blind' and, in the American R'n'B chart, the number 1 hit single 'It's Gonna Be Alright' - one of less than ten British records to achieve this! Later she released the hit album 'The Motown Songbook' on which she performed with some of the great stars of that era - The Four Tops, The Temptations, Jimmy Ruffin etc. From this album she also released the smash single ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’.
In 2009 Ruby released “I’m Travelling On” – a brand new album of vintage gospel with the single “This Train” receiving a considerable amount of radio airplay. In the summer of 2014 Ruby released her latest album, “All That I Am”.
On 4th December 2015, East West Records (Warner Music) released a new album of 22 classic collaborations of Ruby Turner & Jools Holland, entitled “Jools & Ruby”.
During the autumn & early winter of 2018, Ruby will be touring the U.K. & Ireland with Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra before going out on the road again in the U.K. with her own band in the early part of 2019.
A very prolific songwriter, many of Ruby’s songs have been covered by artists such as Lulu, Yazz and Maxi Priest, while her vocal prowess has been employed to good effect by Brian Ferry, Mick Jagger, Steve Winwood, and Jools Holland.
Described as truly the genuine article and blessed with a voice that has been likened to Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin, Ruby continues to win the hearts and minds of an ever growing and diverse fan base.