The Black Music business started for me with Big Dee Irvin and Ray Charles. Writing for and with the Genius, I got a top 20 hit with “I Can Make It Thru the Days” and a friend for life in Ray. Then, I teamed up with David Oliver writing most of the songs on his album Jamerican Man, and the top 20 hit, “Ms.”
Twisted out of my royalties, I had the choice to smack somebody in the neck or take my words elsewhere. Ten years as Music Editor at The Hollywood Reporter. Suzanne de Passe asked if I wanted to write a TV Show. Yes. Over the next 30 years, we worked on over 200 hours of TV specials, awards shows and series –“Motown 25,” to President Obama’s Inaugural Ball.
During that same time, I spent 10 years as Black Radio Exclusive’s Editor in Chief and produced Smokey Robinson’s radio show for three years. True love came in writing and producing documentaries-including “TV in Black,” “Oscar’s Black Odyssey” and more.
Then ten years as curator at the California African American Museum. These kinds of jobs all required some re-inventing of my words: TV is not the printed page, radio is different from books, and museum life is way different.
My inspirational song is “Dancing in the Street”, the party song that turned into an anthem for civil disobedience, written by my friend Mickey Stevenson, Marvin Gaye and Ivy Hunter.
Knee deep now on two documentaries, I’m asked when I’ll stop working. I quote from the Ray Charles songbook, “Baby, when they pry my cold, dead fingers off my keyboard.” That’s right Ray.
Contact me: Ruthywords@gmail.com or on Facebook