Ruby Starr, born Constance Henrietta Mierzwiak (November 30, 1949 – January 14, 1995),[1] was an American rock singer and recording artist who attained national prominence in the 1970s and 1980s, notably for her work with Black Oak Arkansas.
[2] Shortly after that album's release, Black Oak Arkansas lead vocalist Jim "Dandy" Mangrum was partying after a concert in Evansville, Indiana, at a club called the Golden Record,[citation needed] where she was performing.
In 1974, she began touring on her own again as 'Ruby Starr & Grey Ghost' (members: Gary Levin, Marius Penczner, David Mayo, and Joel Williams) and released an eponymous album in 1975, on Capitol Records.
British band Sons of Liberty recorded a track on their Aces and Eights album appropriately called "Ruby Starr".
[7] In the early 1990s, Starr quit the road and moved to Las Vegas, playing at casino/hotels on the Strip such as the Riviera and the Stardust as well as local clubs.
During this period, The Ruby Star Band also performed as the opening act for Kansas, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and April Wine.
[5] After being diagnosed with lung cancer and a brain tumor, Starr returned home to her family in Toledo, where she died at age 45.