Ruby Johnson

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Ruby Johnson (b 1936, Elizabeth City, North Carolina – d 19 April 1999) was an American soul singer.

She first recorded for the V-Tone and Nebs labels in the early 1960s, before being signed to Stax/Volt in Memphis in 1965. There, she recorded a handful of classic soul records with the writing and production team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter, and backing musicians including Steve Cropper, "Duck" Dunn and Al Jackson. These included “I’ll Run Your Hurt Away”, a minor R&B hit, and “If I Ever Needed Love”, both staples of subsequent soul compilations such as those by Dave Godin.

Despite the quality of her records, they met with little success, and in the early 1970s she returned to a quiet life outside the music business. A compilation CD, including many previously unissued tracks, was issued in 1993.