Family’ s joy as blue plaque is unveiled for Belfast singer Ruby Murray
IN the Donegall Road area, Ruby Murray — arguably the biggest showbiz star to come out of Belfast — is a precious jewel.
And yesterday the velvety-voiced singer’s life was officially commemorated by a prestigious Ulster History Circle Blue Plaque, near her Moltke Street home in the south of the city.
The Softly Softly star’s children, Tim and Julie Burgess, travelled from Devon in England to attend the ceremony and it was clear from the number of people who turned up that Ruby is still fondly remembered.
After unveiling the plaque that highlights the singer’s record of being the first act to have five hit UK Top 20 singles at one time, her daughter Julie (59) said she was proud of her mum, who shot
to fame at 19 and died, aged 61, from liver cancer in 1996.
“When I hear her voice it sends a tingle down my spine, even to this day,” Julie said.
Ruby’s son Tim said it was “a very special day” for himself and his sister and he thanked the Ulster History Circle for honouring their exceptional mother in this “deeply personal” way.
In a short address to fans of the songbird who took the pop world by storm in the 1950s, the 54-year-old paid tribute to his “self-effacing” mother, who “never name-dropped” and was “never boastful about her career”.
“She was the girl who grew up on the streets of Belfast with the values she learned there,” said Tim, himself a singer.
“The girl who never saw herself as special — she just thought she was lucky.
“The woman who taught Julie and I to always see people as our equals and to treat them with kindness and respect.”
He added: “It wasn’t Belfast that made Ruby Murray a star, it was Belfast that ensured that she’d never stick her head where the sun don’t shine.”
In her 1950s heyday, Ruby was one of the biggest recording artists in the UK and Ireland, with her greatest feat coming in March 1955 when she became the first artist to have five songs in the UK Top 20 chart simultaneously.
Tim said they were “here to honour Ruby Murray’s achievements — a success story that de- serves to be celebrated by the people of this city”.
But he said it was just as important to remember that hers is “a human story, a truthful story that shouldn’t be denied but should be embraced”.
“It’s the story of a woman who struggled to cope with life, who grew up like too many people having to normalise violence and discrimination, who turned to alcohol because it was and still is a socially acceptable form of relief,” he said.
“It was also deeply embedded in her cultural DNA and sadly she’s not the first Belfast icon whose life has been cut short by runaway addiction that in no small part was facilitated by the lack of much-needed guidance and support.
“Our hope is that by owning the truth of Ruby Murray’s story, in its entirety, perhaps we can be moved to own our own.
“Perhaps if we have the courage to own our own truth individually and collectively we’ll have more understanding and compassion for each other.
“Perhaps it’s the only way we can avoid repeating history and instead grow and move forward together.”
Among more than 60 fans who turned out for yesterday’s event at the Greater Village Regeneration Trust was DUP leader Arlene Foster, along with party colleagues Emma Pengelly, Pam Cameron and Christopher Stalford. Mrs Foster (below) said she was pleased there was “more of an awareness around Ruby Murray” because “it is important to have role models for people, particularly from working class backgrounds”.
“It’s important to remember people from working class backgrounds who did really well and Ruby Murray was in her day a fabulous icon for a lot of people,” she said.
“Sometimes people feel they wouldn’t be able to do something because they’re just from a certain area, but when you look at what Ruby achieved in the 1950s and 60s anyone can achieve if they really have belief in themselves.”
Mrs Foster added: “It’s very important. And the people of this community should be incredibly proud that she came from here.”
SDLP MLA Claire Hanna was also there with her husband, SDLP councillor Donal Lyons, who gave a short speech on behalf of Belfast City Council.
Such was her fame, that Ruby Murray is still used in Cockney rhyming slang for a ‘curry’ — a reference which even cropped up in an episode of Only Fools and Horses.
A new sell-out play entitled ‘Ruby’ by writer Michael Cameron is currently running at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast. It was Mr Cameron who nominated her for the blue plaque.
❝ When I hear her voice it sends a tingle down my spine, even to this day