Which artist had a crossover hit titled 'Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean'?

• A. Ruth Brown
• B. Etta James
• C. Aretha Franklin
• D. Diana Ross

Answer: (A)

This question is about an early rhythm and blues crossover hit, where a song from the R&B world breaks into the mainstream pop charts. Ruth Brown’s version of “Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean” fits this pattern perfectly. Her performance, released in the early 1950s on Atlantic, connected with broader audiences beyond just R&B listeners, helping the song climb the pop charts as well. This kind of cross-chart appeal was a key way that labels like Atlantic demonstrated that R&B could reach a wider, more diverse audience, and Ruth Brown became a leading figure in making that happen. While the other artists are known for major hits in their own right, this particular track is strongly associated with Ruth Brown, making her the best answer.