Ruby Starr at Humpin Hanna's in Milwaukee in 1975.

February 3, 2014

Hi everybody! It's still winter and it's still snowing!

This coming Friday, my new DJ friend Sonia, will have Al Kooper on her radio show on WMSE, 91.7 sometime between 3 and 6pm. Check them out for some good music and fun!

This had me thinking of when I photographed Al Kooper at Humpin Hanna's in 1972. Those photos are here on my site and Al is in a previous blog, #5 and #85 in my archives.

At the 1972 show that Al played, Ruby Starr was the opening act. She was born in Ohio but adopted Milwaukee as her home town in the 1970's.

Born with the name Constance Henrietta Mierzwick, she became Ruby Starr after working with "Jim Dandy" of Black Oak Arkansas. She became the opening act for Black Oak Arkansas for years and had several bands. Grey Star, Lucy Grey and Henrietta Kahn are the bands she had that I know of other than performing as Ruby Starr.

Ruby, played all around the Wisconsin club circuit before heading to Vegas to play clubs there. I believe she had 3 or 4 albums and was taken from us too early at the age of 45 in 1995 from lung cancer.

Miss her and her energy filled shows.

Enjoy these photographs of her from 1975 at Humpin Hanna's. One photo is a fun double exposure on purpose! Do you like it??

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann