{{Short description|American musical duo}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Sam & Ruby | image = | caption = | image_size = | alias = | origin = Nashville, Tennessee, <br />United States | instrument = | genre = Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter | occupation = | years_active = 2005–2010 | label = Ryko | website = | current_members = Sam Brooker and Ruby Amanfu | past_members = }}

'''Sam & Ruby''' were an American musical duo composed of Sam Brooker and Ruby Amanfu. Sam & Ruby were based in Nashville and recorded two EPs and one full-length record.

They were signed to the Rykodisc record label.<ref name="RykoBio">{{cite web |url=http://www.rykodisc.com/samruby/bio/ |title=Sam & Ruby bio |work=Rykodisc |accessdate=28 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725160346/http://www.rykodisc.com/samruby/bio/ |archivedate=25 July 2011 }}</ref> Their song "Heaven's My Home" was featured on the movie and soundtrack ''The Secret Life of Bees''.<ref name="imdb-Bees">{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416212/soundtrack |title=Soundtrack: The Secret Life of Bees |year=2008 |work=IMDb |accessdate=28 May 2011 }}</ref> They were both members of the A Capella group The Collective featured on Season 3 of NBC's The Sing-Off.

==History==

===Early years=== Brooker and Amanfu first met in 1999 in Nashville, where both were currently living at the time.<ref name="RykoBio"/><ref name="APBio">{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32501204 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001185439/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32501204/ns/today-today_entertainment/t/sam-ruby-match-made-sweet-music/ |url-status=live |archive-date=1 October 2012 |title=Sam & Ruby is a match made in sweet music |date=20 August 2009 |work=The Associated Press |access-date=29 May 2011 }}</ref> Brooker was originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin and moved to Nashville after college to work as a genetic researcher, playing and writing music in his off time.<ref name="APBio"/> Amanfu was born in Ghana, West Africa and moved with her family to Nashville when she was 3, where she grew up.<ref name="APBio"/><ref name="Essence">{{cite web |url=http://www1.essence.com/news_entertainment/entertainment/articles/sam__ruby_make_color__blind_music_together |title=Sam & Ruby Are Musically Color Blind |author=Kenya N. Byrd |date=14 August 2009 |work=Essence |accessdate=28 May 2011 }}</ref> The two met when Brooker was performing in an in the round, which led them to become friends.<ref name="WPLN">{{cite web |url=http://wpln.org/?p=11903 |title=WPLN News Feature Transcript |author=Craig Havighurst |date=7 October 2009 |work=Nashville Public Radio |accessdate=28 May 2011 }}</ref> Brooker then moved to New York City to pursue music<ref name="ThinkTank">{{cite web |url=http://www.thinktankmktg.com/news/987-rykodisc-s-sam-ruby-features-for-associated-press-+-essence-com |title=Sam & Ruby TT Bio |work=Think Tank Digital |accessdate=28 May 2011 }}</ref> and Amanfu went on to releasing a solo album in the UK in 2003.<ref name="AmazonS&H">{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Honey-Ruby-Amanfu/dp/B00008CGT5 |title=Smoke & Honey CD |work=Amazon.com |accessdate=28 May 2011 }}</ref>

The two later reconnected in Nashville and began collaborating on music, writing the song "The Here and The Now" together.<ref name="RykoBio"/><ref name="APBio"/> Performing together at shows, they eventually became a duo in 2005.<ref name="APBio"/> and worked on the song "Heaven's My Home" which was featured in the 2008 film ''The Secret Life of Bees''. In 2008 they released a six-song EP entitled ''Sam & Ruby'' that was recorded in Brooker's apartment,<ref name="ThinkTank"/><ref name="ArtRev">{{cite web |url=http://www.artistrevolution.net/samandruby/ |title=Sam & Ruby EP |work=Artist Revolution |accessdate=29 May 2011 }}</ref> which would later catch the attention of record label Rykodisc.

===The Here And The Now=== Rykodisc signed Sam & Ruby and later released their debut album, ''The Here And The Now'' in August, 2009. The album would later be named "Album of the Year" by the Associated Press in their top ten albums of the year list.<ref name="AlbumOfTheYear">{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna34364094 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001185449/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34364094/ns/today-entertainment/t/best-albums/ |url-status=live |archive-date=2012-10-01 |title=AP: The 10 best albums of 2009 |date=December 2009 |work=The Associated Press |access-date=29 May 2011 }}</ref>

Sam & Ruby would later go on to release a six-song EP entitled ''Press On'' in February, 2010.

==Discography== * ''Sam & Ruby [EP]'' (2008) * ''The Here And The Now'' (2009) * ''Press On - EP'' (2010)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{official website|http://www.samandrubymusic.com}} *{{YouTube|user = samandrubymusic|Sam & Ruby}} *[https://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=3&islist=true&id=46&d=08-13-2009 NPR Studio Sessions: Sam & Ruby]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sam and Ruby}} Category:Rykodisc artists Category:Musical duos from Tennessee Category:Musical groups established in 2005