| B i o g r a p h y |
Hurricane Ruth
is The Ultimate Blues Rock Experience! Hurricane Ruth originates from
central/southern Illinois, packing venues throughout the region. Critics
and fans hail their shows as powerful, raw, emotional and dynamic. The
band’s contagious energy is evident in their live shows. The center of
this energy is Hurricane Ruth herself. Ruth is a captivating performer,
who will grab your attention from note one and never let you go! Willie
Dixon once told Ruth “You’re the only hurricane I can appreciate”.
Hurricane Ruth LaMaster started performing professionally in
1979, and found instant success. She acquired the name Hurricane Ruth
from the fact that no one believed that such a large sound could come
out of such a small woman! Ruth has performed with Maynard Ferguson and
his orchestra, Adrian Belew, and Louis Belson. Ruth has opened for John
Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Willie Dixon, Taj Mahal, Ramsey Lewis Trio, Sam
& Dave, Fenton Robinson, and most recently; Kenny Wayne Shepherd,
Royal Southern Brotherhood, and Ronnie Baker Brooks. Ruth’s vocals are
deeply rooted in traditional blues, but make no mistake, she can rock
the house! Ruth has opened for renowned rockers: Heart, Judas Priest,
Joan Jett and The Blackhearts & Steppenwolf, just to name a few.
Ruth is the total vocal package! Ruth is joined by: David Lumsden (lead guitar), Gary Davis (bass guitar), and Jim Engel (drums). These three excellent musicians perfectly complement Ruth’s vocals.
Born on the River, Hurricane Ruth’s 2nd album is an eclectic group of
eleven original songs that was released in September 2014. The title
track and a few of the other songs were inspired by Ruth’s hometown of
Beardstown, Illinois. Born on the River is intense and heavy with the
same energy as a live Hurricane Ruth performance. It is receiving
international acclaim, and has been nominated for the IBC Best
Self-Produced CD 2014. Born on the River has consistently ranked on The
Roots Music Report.
Their 1st album, The Power of the Blues… Feels like a Hurricane, was
released in 2012, and was nominated for the IBC Best Self-Produced CD
2013. It finished in the top 10 of Germany’s Wasser-Prawda magazine’s
“Reader’s Poll for Best Blues Rock CD” of 2012. The CD placed 11th on
WEFT’s (Champaign, IL) Top 50 Blues CDs for 2012 (ranked by number of
spins). They were a 2012 International Blues Challenge participant.