Ruby Turner

Francella Ruby Turner MBE (born 22 June 1958) is a British Jamaican R&B and soul 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. Turner performed at the Birmingham Heart Beat 86 concert, which featured George Harrison. She is a regular guest on BBC Television's Jools' Annual Hootenanny, performing every year from 2007 to the present, and she regularly joins Holland and his band on their annual arena tours. She has also appeared as an actress on stage, film and television.

Biography Early years Ruby Turner was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and moved at the age of nine with her family to Handsworth, Birmingham, England, in 1967.

Music career Turner achieved her solo recording contract with Jive Records after singing backing vocals on Culture Club's From Luxury to Heartache. becoming one of the few British artists to top that chart.

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. In 2007, Turner presented a documentary Shout Sister Shout about Sister Rosetta Tharpe for BBC Radio 2. 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.

On 28 October 2009, Turner was presented with a BASCA Gold Badge Award in recognition of her unique contribution to music.

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.

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.

Turner was appointed an MBE in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to music.

Acting As an actress, Turner has appeared in productions of A Streetcar Named Desire, Carmen Jones, and Fame. On 12 October 2007, she appeared as a guest star (as herself) in the BBC One soap opera Doctors.

In 2011, Turner narrated the BBC Four documentary Reggae Britannia, which chronicled the history of British reggae music. In 2012, Turner, along with Ralph Allwood and Manvinder Rattan, was a judge on the BBC Two series The Choir: Sing While You Work. In 2013, Turner was a guest judge on the BBC Songs of Praise gospel choir competition. In 2015, it was announced that she would appear as Mrs. Blip in the made-for-TV movie The Land of Sometimes.

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."

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 US 200 Ruby Turner Live at Glastonbury — — — — 1988 The Motown Songbook 22 111 — — BPI: Silver 1989 Paradise 74 — 194 39 1991 The Other Side — 182 — — 1992 The Best of Ruby Turner (compilation)— — — —1993 Responsible — — — — With Love (compilation)— — — — 1994 Restless Moods — 144 — — 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 (double 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