Ruby stood only 5 feet tall.  She was small in size but a“giant in eyes of the Baltimore jazz community. 

I remember the first time I met Ruby.  It was February 2003.  I was hired to teach an African American Studies course at Sojourner-Douglass College in East Baltimore. At our faculty meeting, I immediately noticed that Ruby was surrounded by faculty and staff.  So many people inside the school wanted a piece of Ruby.  She was just that type of person.  When I finally got “my turn” to talk with her, I saw a woman of great strength, character, and intellect.  We became friends from that day on.

Ruby was a guest professor in my classroom regularly during the 3 years that I taught at the college.  I was a guest speaker in her class for 4 years.  She was surprised of my knowledge about Baltimore’s African American musicians and recording artists (past and present) and insisted that I visit her class on a continuous basis.  She also demanded that her students (who loved her dearly) attend our Center’s cultural events throughout the year.

Ruby was a warm, giving and caring Sista.  She knew that it was more of a blessing to give than to receive.  Ruby had a kind heart and a giving spirit.  She always had a kind word to say.  She gave people the assurance that in tough times, things would be okay and she would be there if it wasn’t.  Ruby encouraged me to continue to “do what I do,” which is educate people about Baltimore’s African American music, history, and culture.  She reminded me on many occasions, that my work was important and that it had a positive impact on many people. 

When I think about Ruby, I will always remember the time that she visited my house and vice versa.  It was truly an honor.  We talked about so much.  She was a great person to talk too.  Ruby loved people and people loved her, I do know that.

One of my fondest memories of Ruby is when she performed at the 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Left Bank Jazz Society in 2004.  That night, she was so upbeat; so energetic.  Her performance as well as her students’ performance was nothing short of marvelous. 

She was surrounded by some of Baltimore’s best jazz musicians which included the late Chico Johnson on keyboard and Harold Adams on tenor saxophone. We all marveled at her passion for singing that music she/we love so much called jazz.  That night we also presented Ruby with an outstanding performance award/plaque in recognition of 50 years of outstanding service in the Baltimore jazz community.  It was an enriching experience for all who attended. Ruby’s daughter, Ira, told me later, that her mom was on “Cloud 9” for 2 days.

Ruby enjoyed reminiscing about Pennsylvania Avenue as documented by Carl Schuetter in the Baltimore Sun paper, Art & Society section, December 8, 2002, an article entitled “When Jazz Still Echoes.”  In this full-page article, Ruby speaks passionately about Pennsylvania Avenue in its heyday and the jazz clubs that surrounded it.  Two nightspots that brought back a lot of memories for her was the old Royal Theater and the Tijuana Club.  During Ruby’s time, the Tijuana Club was a top-rated jazz club on the upper part of “the Avenue” where she performed.  People always wanted to hear Ruby sing and scat as evident on her rendition of “God Bless the Child” which she recorded in 2000, as a tribute to her idols, the late Billie Holiday.

On the eve of Ruby’s passing, a good friend called to share the sad news with me.  She said that she “felt cheated” that Ruby was gone & no longer with us.  I reminded her that Ruby was a blessing to everyone who crossed her path.  She passed away doing exactly what she loved—singing jazz.

Ruby would have turned 78 on December 6th.  Let’s thank the creator for allowing Ruby to be a part of our life. 

The Center for Cultural Education is dedicated to educating, promoting and preserving Baltimore’s African American music, history and cultural heritage.

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Other View of Ms. Ruby Glover

Jazz singer Ruby Glover died Saturday (20 October 2007), a day after collapsing onstage during a performance at the Creative Alliance in East Baltimore.  The house was packed and the 77-year-old was thrilled at the turnout for the House of Ruth Benefit. She was introduced by local TV personality Stan Stovall. The audience gave her a thrilling welcome. With her silver cropped hair she was her usually radiant and polished self on stage. Ruby sang two standards, backed by the Tom Reyes Trio, and was unable to make it through a third. Confused she turned her back to the audience and collapsed

She died the next afternoon at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center of a stroke.

Her mother and her mother’s friends who filled her house in the early mornings influenced Ruby to become a jazz singer. She was well-known in the jazz clubs on Pennsylvania Avenue in the 1940s and 1950s, when the 24-block center of Black Baltimore pulsed with the vibrancy of jazz life. She was a wondrous musical element of  Baltimore jazz for more than 50 years as a performer, organizer, and lecturer.

Ms. Glover was a resident of Stirling Street in the Oldtown neighborhood and lived not too far from where she was born at Dallas and Monument streets. She helped for many years to stage the annual Billie Holiday competition for young vocalists. Her own voice has been described as smoky with bluesy overtones, and compared favorably to the vocals of Billie Holiday.

Growing up in East Baltimore, she attended Dunbar High School, where she began singing at dances and talent contests, after which she became a local favorite in Pennsylvania Avenue's jazz clubs.

An evening of celebration of Ruby Glover's life was held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday at Sojourner- Douglass College, 200 N. Central Ave. in Baltimore. For more information, call 410-276-0306.

Source: Baltimore Sun   

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