Career
She died after being crushed by a runaway cab on the steps of the Limelight club in New New York "A driver for a car service has been charged with running a red light after his vehicle collided with a taxicab that spun out of control, struck and killed a woman in front of the Limelight discotheque in Chelsea, the police said yesterday. The victim, who was killed instantly Sunday night when the cab pinned her against the front of the building at 47 West 20th Street, was identified yesterday as Ruth Polsky of 90 West Houston Street, according to a police spokesman, Officer Joseph McConville",New York Times September 9, 1986
During the period 1979 until her death, Ruth was talent buyer at Hurrah and then Danceteria in New York, also promoting shows at The Ritz and booking bands out across the country.
She worked closely with Shirley O"Loughlin at Rough Trade to bring in The Raincoats, Delta 5, Young Marble Giants, Cabaret Voltaire, The Go-Betweens, The Slits and The People’s Group for their United States debuts.
Ruth booked the Joy Division United States of America tour in May 1980, which was canceled after Ian Curtis" death. Other bands that got their first United States of America break via Ruth are A Certain Ratio, Echo & the Bunnymen, Simple Minds, The Teardrop Explodes, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and Gene Loves Jezebel.
