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Ruby Turner (born 22 June 1958 in Montego Bay, Jamaica) is a Jamaican R&B and soul singer, songwriter and actress. In 1967, she relocated with her family to Handsworth, Birmingham, England at the age of nine. She is best known for her albums and single releases on both sides of the Atlantic, and has sung backing vocals for others such as Bryan Ferry, UB40, Steel Pulse, Steve Winwood, Jools Holland and Mick Jagger, as well as writing songs that have been covered by many artists including Lulu, Yazz and Maxi Priest. She achieved the rare feat, for a British singer, of reaching #1 on the US R&B chart, with "It's Gonna Be Alright" in February 1990.
Between 1986 and 1995, eight of her singles appeared in the UK Singles Chart with "I'd Rather Go Blind" being the most successful reaching #24 in 1987. Turner performed at the Birmingham Heart Beat 86 concert, which featured George Harrison; and sang on BBC Television's Jools Holland's Hootenanny, in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. She has also appeared as an actress on stage, film and television.
In the early 1980s Turner worked with Alexis Korner. In 1983, she recorded with UB40. She achieved a solo recording contract with Jive Records after singing backing vocals on Culture Club's From Luxury to Heartache.
Her first album Women Hold Up Half The Sky, was released in 1986 to critical acclaim. and produced hit singles such as a cover version of the Staple Singers song,"If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)", a duet with Jonathan Butler, and the Etta James standard "I'd Rather Go Blind".
In March 1987, Turner sang on the Ferry Aid single, "Let It Be". Around this time she also released the album, The Motown Songbook, on which she performed with Motown others including The Four Tops, The Temptations and Jimmy Ruffin. Turner appeared on Corey Hart's album, Young Man Running (1988), on the duet "Spot You in a Coalmine".
Turner achieved a #1 R&B chart success in the US in February 1990 with "It's Gonna Be Alright", becoming one of the few British artists to top that chart. Four other US R&B chart entries followed in 1990 and 1991, including "Paradise" from the movie Dancin' thru the Dark.
In 1998 she recorded the album, Call Me By My Name, with British rhythm and blues luminaries Boz Burrell, Zoot Money, Bobby Tench and Stan Webb. On New Year's Eve 1999, she sang the National Anthem for Queen Elizabeth II, Prime minister Tony Blair and other dignitaries, at the opening of the Millennium Dome in London.
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.
In 2011, Turner narrated the BBC Four documentary Reggae Britannia, which chronicled the history of British reggae music.
On 4 June 2012, Turner was one of the performers at the Diamond Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace in London, when she joined Jools Holland on stage.
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