Ruth Etting....

Ruth was born on November 23, 1897 in David City, Nebraska.
When Ruth was seventeen, she left her home to attend an art school in Chicago. While in Chicago, she got a job at a local nightclub designing costumes. One night while at the club, the tenor got sick, and she was quickly pulled on being the only one who could sing low enough. Ruth ventured on to dancing in the chorus line, then on to solos. Ruth soon forgot her career in art and costume design.

In 1918 Ruth was the featured vocalist at the club when she met Moe Snyder a.k.a. The Gimp. Moe was a Chicago gangster who married Ruth in 1922. He also managed Ruth's career for the next twenty years. During these years, Ruth made many radio appearances that earned her the name Chicago's Sweetheart.
Ruth was discovered in 1926 and immediately signed to an exclusive contract with Columbia Records, and she gained nation wide exposure. Ruth's delivery on her early records was very straightforward. Ruth stated, "I sounded like a little girl on those records!"
Ruth hit New York in 1927 and was an instant success. In 1927 and 1928 she appeared in the Ziegfield Follies. Ruth was in Whoopee! in 1929 and appeared in Simple Simon 135 times in 1930. Ruth appeared in many movie shorts and three full-length features. In Roman Scandals Ruth appeared with Eddie Cantor and Lucille Ball. She also appeared in Gift of Gab and Hips Hips Hooray.

Ruth was named America's Radio Sweetheart, Sweetheart of Columbia Records, and America's Sweetheart of Song. With Columbia Ruth made hundreds of recordings and had her own radio show. Her voice became recognizable to most Americans. She sang songs composed by the greats: Irving Berlin, Johnny Green, Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart. Some were written especially for her.
Later she experimented with different tempos during her songs, and tempo changes became a trademark. For some reason, her fans just loved it although today it might seem a little schizophrenic to audiences.

In 1926 Ruth made her first record and in 1937 she made her last. Ruth's ego couldn't handle being a performer. She didn't like her early records and wouldn't keep them.

Her marriage to Moe fell apart in Hollywood, and Ruth fell for her accompanist, Myrl Alderman. Moe wanted to end the relationship and shot Myrl in cold blood. Myrl survived and Moe went to jail. Ruth later divorced Moe and married Mryl. There was a movie made about Ruth's relationship troubles in 1955, Love Me or Leave Me, starring Doris Day and James Cagney.

Ruth was a very beautiful woman who influenced the way people dressed during her time. Mae West said this about Ruth: "The curtains opened, and here was this girl. Not what you'd call a classic beauty--but unusual. She had a sex quality that seemed to mesmerize the audience. And when she finished singing, they just kind of went crazy." It is rumored that Ruth, during the 1940s, destroyed all her records and attempted a comeback. She wouldn't listen to any of her old music for many years.
Ruth died on September 24, 1978, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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