Ruby Starr
Encyclopedia
Ruby Starr was born Constance Henrietta Mierzwiak in Toledo, Ohio
. Starr started performing at the age of nine under the stage name Connie Little and later joined Ruby Jones in 1969. In 1971 they were signed to Curtom Records
and recorded their first album, Ruby Jones. Shortly after that album's release, Black Oak Arkansas
lead vocalist Jim "Dandy" Mangrum
saw Starr singing in an Evansville, Indiana
, club and convinced her to join his band. At this point she assumed the stage name of Ruby Starr.
Starr toured with the band for several years at the height of their success and was featured in their Top 30 single " Jim Dandy
". In 1974 she began touring on her own again as Ruby Starr & Grey Ghost (members: Gary Levin, Marius Penczner, David Mayo and Joel Williams) and released a self-titled album in 1975 on Capitol Records
. Her second album, Scene Stealer, also on Capitol Records was released in 1976. During this time she continued to open for Black Oak Arkansas and other acts such as Black Sabbath
and Edgar Winter
. Starr also toured with Blackfoot
from 1977 to 1978. Her third and last album for Capitol, Smoky Places was released in 1977.
By the dawn of the 1980s, Starr had formed a new band called Grey Star by joining with a band that performed in and around Mayville, WI called Lucy Grey. They issued a pair of recordings which included 1981's Grey Star and 1983's Telephone Sex. Starr formed her final road band, Henrietta Kahn, in the late 1980s. In the early 1990s, Starr quit the road and moved to Las Vegas playing at places such as the Riviera and Stardust hotels and several other clubs. After being diagnosed with lung cancer
and a brain tumor Starr returned home to her family in Toledo where she died at age 44.
After her death, several archival releases that featured Starr were issued, including the live Black Oak Arkansas recording, Live On The King Biscuit Flower Hour 1976
, and a reissue of Ruby Jones's debut album, retitled as Stone Junkie.
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
. Starr started performing at the age of nine under the stage name Connie Little and later joined Ruby Jones in 1969. In 1971 they were signed to Curtom Records
Curtom Records
Curtom Records was a record label started by Curtis Mayfield of The Impressions along with Impressions associate Eddie Thomas in 1968 although the name was used as early as 1963. The labels name was a combination of Mayfields first name and Thomas' surname...
and recorded their first album, Ruby Jones. Shortly after that album's release, Black Oak Arkansas
Black Oak Arkansas
Black Oak Arkansas is an American Southern rock band named after the band's hometown of Black Oak, Arkansas. The band reached the height of its fame in the 1970s with ten charting albums released in that decade...
lead vocalist Jim "Dandy" Mangrum
Jim "Dandy" Mangrum
James Mangrum, better known as Jim "Dandy" Mangrum , is the lead singer and frontman for the American Southern rock band Black Oak Arkansas. He is noted for his raspy voice, long hair, and wild, sexually-explicit stage antics which sometimes included miming sex with a washboard which he often uses...
saw Starr singing in an Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
, club and convinced her to join his band. At this point she assumed the stage name of Ruby Starr.
Starr toured with the band for several years at the height of their success and was featured in their Top 30 single " Jim Dandy
Jim Dandy (song)
"Jim Dandy" is a song written by Lincoln Chase, and was first recorded by American R&B singer LaVern Baker in 1956. It reached the top of the R&B chart and #17 on the pop charts in the U.S...
". In 1974 she began touring on her own again as Ruby Starr & Grey Ghost (members: Gary Levin, Marius Penczner, David Mayo and Joel Williams) and released a self-titled album in 1975 on Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. Her second album, Scene Stealer, also on Capitol Records was released in 1976. During this time she continued to open for Black Oak Arkansas and other acts such as Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
and Edgar Winter
Edgar Winter
Edgar Holland Winter is an American musician. He is famous for being a multi-instrumentalist. He is a highly skilled keyboardist, saxophonist and percussionist. He often plays an instrument while singing. He was most successful in the 1970s with his band, The Edgar Winter Group, notably with their...
. Starr also toured with Blackfoot
Blackfoot (band)
Blackfoot is a Southern rock musical ensemble from Jacksonville, Florida organized during 1970. Though they are primarily a Southern rock band, they were known also as a hard rock act....
from 1977 to 1978. Her third and last album for Capitol, Smoky Places was released in 1977.
By the dawn of the 1980s, Starr had formed a new band called Grey Star by joining with a band that performed in and around Mayville, WI called Lucy Grey. They issued a pair of recordings which included 1981's Grey Star and 1983's Telephone Sex. Starr formed her final road band, Henrietta Kahn, in the late 1980s. In the early 1990s, Starr quit the road and moved to Las Vegas playing at places such as the Riviera and Stardust hotels and several other clubs. After being diagnosed with lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
and a brain tumor Starr returned home to her family in Toledo where she died at age 44.
After her death, several archival releases that featured Starr were issued, including the live Black Oak Arkansas recording, Live On The King Biscuit Flower Hour 1976
King Biscuit Flower Hour
The King Biscuit Flower Hour was a syndicated radio show presented by the D.I.R. Radio Network that featured concert performances by various rock artists.-History:...
, and a reissue of Ruby Jones's debut album, retitled as Stone Junkie.
Albums
- Ruby Jones (under the name "Ruby Jones) (Curtom 1971)
- Ruby Starr & Grey Ghost (Capitol 1975)
- Scene Stealer (Capitol 1976)
- Smoky Places (Capitol 1977)
- Grey-Star by Grey-Star featuring Ruby Starr (R&C Emotion Records 1981)
- Telephone Sex by Grey-Star featuring Ruby Starr
- Stone Junkie (Sequel, 2000)(rerelease of 1971 Ruby Jones album)
With Black Oak Arkansas
- High on the HogHigh on the Hog (Black Oak Arkansas album)High on the Hog is the most commercially successful album by the southern rock band Black Oak Arkansas. It is mainly known for its cover of the LaVern Baker song "Jim Dandy", which reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100...
(ATCO - 1973} - Street Party (AtcoAtco RecordsATCO Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMG's Rhino Entertainment.-Beginnings:Atco Records was founded in 1955 as a division of Atlantic Records. It was devised as an outlet for productions by one of Atlantic's founders, Herb Abramson, who...
1974) - Balls Of Fire (MCAMusic Corporation of AmericaMCA, Inc. was an American talent agency. Initially starting in the music business, they would next become a dominant force in the film business, and later expanded into the television business...
1976 - 10 Yr Overnite Succes (1976)
- Live On The King Biscuit Flower Hour 1976 (CapricornCapricorn RecordsCapricorn Records was an independent record label which was launched by Phil Walden, Alan Walden, and Frank Fenter in 1969 in Macon, Georgia.-First Incarnation:...
1998)