Ruth Etting | Blog

New book on Ruth Etting to be published this fall

noreply@blogger.com (cheryl) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:17:00 +0000

I received an email yesterday from one of the authors of a new book on Ruth Etting, coming out this fall. Ruth Etting: America's Forgotten Sweetheart, by Kenneth Irwin and Charles O. Lloyd will be published by Scarecrow Press and is the first full-length biography of her life.

As excited as I am about the book, I'm maybe even more excited about the photo on the cover! It's an image I've never seen before, and it features the pearls-around-her-upper-arm-look that I love - and in fact, the dress has strings of pearls hanging down her back, and off one hip. Ruth Etting wore pearls like no one else! Check out these images for further proof! 1, 2, and 3

More on the book...

"In Ruth Etting: America's Forgotten Sweetheart, authors Kenneth Irwin and Charles Lloyd provide the first full-length biography of this ground-breaking artist. This book recounts Etting's early hears as a pioneering radio performer who quickly attained national celebrity, her recording career as "Sweetheart of Columbia Records," and her innovative work in early short subjects. The authors detail Etting's unhappy marriage to her husband-manager, Martin (Moe "The Gimp") Snyder, her second marriage to pianist arranger Myrl Alderman, and her Colorado Springs retirement. They also examine Etting's place in the history of American entertainment, specifically her trend-setting vocal style and her innovative work in phonograph recordings and radio performance--as well as her enormous popularity throughout the 1930s and beyond."

For more on the book and more on the authors, check out their website!

Who's Dated Who?

noreply@blogger.com (cheryl) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:30:00 +0000

Okay, this cracks me up! There's a site called Who's Dated Who, that details which celebrities have connected personally. It's just a fun, fluffy, gossipy site. But I never expected to find Ruth Etting listed on it? I was searching on Google, and there was a link...

But the best part is that they list Humphrey Bogart as one of three men she dated - the only others being her two husbands.

Ruth Etting and Humphrey Bogart did make a short film together in 1930 - Broadway's Like That. It was Bogart's very first film role! But in 1930 Ruth was still married to Moe Snyder, so it's seems a little unlikely that she ever dated Bogart? But even if it's not true, it's kind of a fun little rumor, and it's even more fun to find her listed on a gossip site alongside Britney Spears and Brad Pitt!

Buster Crabbe and a Swimming Lesson

noreply@blogger.com (cheryl) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 18:55:00 +0000

There's an interesting photo available on eBay right now - it's of Buster Crabbe giving Ruth Etting a swimming lesson on September 3, 1935. Buster was a former Olympian - in 1928 he won the bronze medal for the 1,500 meter freestyle, and 1932, he won the gold medal for the 400 meter freestyle. He also starred in the 1933 Tarzan serial Tarzan the Fearless, and went on to make over 100 movies.

Wikipedia states "Crabbe is the only actor who played Tarzan, Flash Gordon, and Buck Rogers — the top three comic strip heroes of the 1930s."

This photo was taken after Buster had appeared as Tarzan, and before Flash Gordon, so right at the start of the peak of his career. Ruth on the other hand had appeared in 3 full-length movies in the two years before the photo was taken, and had no more major movies on the horizon - so it was slightly after her peak in Hollywood. So the question is, who was more famous at the time this photo was staged? Who did it help more? The Olympian who had one hit serial? Or the torch singer who had starred on Broadway, had dozens of hit records, and starred in three movies, but whose popularity might be waning a bit? It's an interesting question.

Another question is did he really teach her anything? Did they actually get wet? Did she really need swimming lessons? If so, the photos from that part of the lesson might have been even more interesting!

The photo is currently listed at $179.99 on eBay, so if you're interested, here's the link!

Ruth Etting by Edward Thayer Monroe, 1932

noreply@blogger.com (cheryl) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 19:54:00 +0000

The image above is available on eBay right now for $749.99 - only the version on eBay in not signed. The listing says it's 8 7/16" by 11 13/16" and printed on thick paper - an art print.

It lovely and I hope it finds a good home!

Half Fairy Tale

noreply@blogger.com (cheryl) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 04:25:00 +0000

Every once in a while a new fact, or photo, or song, or quote becomes available. I found this on IMDB today...

Ruth Etting on the movie, Love Me or Leave Me (1955):
"It was half fairy tale. It's a shame that the most beautiful part of my life, my twenty-eight year marriage to [Myrl] was left out completely because that was the real highlight of my life story".

It's interesting to read Ruth's own words, about her life. The quotes in various magazines and newspaper articles from early in her career all seem carefully worded for the press - it's like she was saying what she ought to say, and what the public wanted to read - but who knows how she really felt. Was she ambitious? Or was her entry into show business really as unintended as she made it sound? Did she really just want to design costumes, and was she really pulled up onstage to do a solo because there was no one else? And if at the start it was all just luck, was there a point, where she got ambitious? Or did the ambition and push to succeed come from her first husband? The movie, Love Me or Leave Me, obviously "answered" all those questions - but how much is true and how much is fairy tale? it's hard to know, but calling her marriage to Myrl, after her career was effectively finished, the real highlight of her life, is perhaps more telling than anything in the movie.

From Chicago to New York City, 1927

noreply@blogger.com (cheryl) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:02:00 +0000

This is a fun image to share! I paid more for this print than I've ever paid before or after - over $400 - but it was worth it! It's not dated, but if you look at the photographer's imprint in the bottom right corner it reads "Paul Stone Raymor, LTO, Chicago"

Chicago! So it most likely was shot before she left for New York in 1927. And on the back of the print there are a couple of stamps - one says "Culver Service, 205 East 42" and the other says "Ruth Etting, Sweetheart of Columbia Records" - so that must mean this print was distributed after she signed her record deal in 1926 - and while there may be a 42nd Street in Chicago too, the 42nd Street in NYC is the heart of Broadway. Ruth came to New York to appear in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1927 at the New Amsterdam Theatre, on Forty-Second Street. So it seems pretty clear that this image was shot sometime between 1926-1927 in Chicago, and was used to promote Ruth once she arrived in New York, for her first show on Broadway.

For many years this was my favorite image of Ruth Etting - I loved the pearls and the feathers! It's a very famous image of her, and used on a record album cover released in the 1980's, as well as elsewhere. So when I saw the image posted above, I had to have it! I've never seen it anywhere else, but the pearls wrapped around her upper arm are the same, and there are enough other similarities that it makes me think it may have been shot during the same session, or soon after.

It's not an art print - it's printed on thin paper and feels like a promo piece that was probably reproduced many many times - but that doesn't mean any of the other prints have survived. I was grateful to see this one, and grateful to be able to purchase it, and now I'm happy to share it with all of you!

I would say that my three favorite Ruth Etting images, are this one, the sister image I linked to above, and this shot from 1925, with pearls wrapped around her head. Evidently Ruth had a thing for pearls!

And finally, here's a closeup of the pearls wrapped around her upper arm - the way the pearls glow, and the delicacy of the netting - it's just a beautiful print!

No One's Fool, 1921

noreply@blogger.com (cheryl) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 05:44:00 +0000

There's a lot of sheet music out there with Ruth Etting on the cover. Some of the songs she recorded, some she never recorded but sang on the radio, and others she may never have sung at all - but the publishers knew her face on the cover, might help sell more copies of the song! Most of what's available was published in the late 1920's and early 1930's, during the peak of her career.

But what about her early years in Chicago? She came to Chicago in 1914 at the age of seventeen to study art, got a job designing costumes at a night club called the Marigold Gardens, and by 1918 was the featured vocalist. In 1926 she signed a record deal with Columbia Records, that led to nation-wide exposure. So for eight years, from 1918-1926, she worked mostly in Chicago - appearing live and on local radio. It was during that time that she was known as Chicago's Sweetheart.

So the sheet music above for No One's Fool is particularly interesting because it's dated 1921. So she may not have had a big record deal yet, and she may not have had a lot of national exposure, but she had some! And only three years into her career.

The photograph on the cover is one of very few images from the beginning of her career - and may be the oldest image from that time in her life in existence. There are baby pictures that show up on eBay occasionally, but I've never seen a photo of Ruth as a young girl, or from before 1921. The same photograph was used in 1926 on the cover of What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry? - and it wasn't out of the ordinary for the same photos to be reused, but since this sheet music is from 1921, we know this particular photograph was shot sometime before that - so she was probably around 24, or maybe a little younger.

Ziegfeld Follies of 1931

noreply@blogger.com (cheryl) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:14:00 +0000

I'm planning to use this blog to share some of the images in my collection that haven't been seen before - and this is the first! It's a beautiful print in person, and the largest vintage print I own - just over nine by twelve inches.

But this isn't just a pretty photo - it also has some marks on the back...

There are three things stamped on the back - in black ink is stamped Ziegfeld Follies, and in red ink is stamped July 2, 1931 - that just happens to be the day after the show opened. And then in very very pale magenta-colored ink, a fancier stamp is partially cut off - but it looks like it says Herald-Tribune. Then in pencil at the bottom someone has scribbled "The Tribune" and in another place, "lead cut" and "Humor and Drama Review" and "9:30 Tonight" and finally "1 col - 2" x 3 1/4" So it seems pretty clear that this was the image that ran in the newspaper with the review of the show. How cool is that?

I can't figure out why they'd give a photo this large to a newspaper, when most papers would most likely be running it small anyway? Maybe the print was produced this large for some other purpose? Or maybe there was always the hope that it would get a full page at some point?

It's printed on a nice thick paper - and none of the ink has bled through - thankfully! It's just a beautiful, beautiful print. The details are crisp and the field of focus falls off quickly, into creamy beautiful blur.

I wish I knew who the photographer was?

Ruth Etting's Bible

noreply@blogger.com (cheryl) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 01:39:00 +0000

Believe it or not, Ruth's bible is up for auction on eBay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ruth-Etting-Bible-Signed_W0QQitemZ280191166436QQihZ018QQ

The bible is signed "Ruth Etting Alderman" in red pencil, in the front, and photo they show is blurry, but it looks like her signature - and there are other existing instances where she used a red pencil to sign her name. The description states the bible came from her assistant, before she died, in Colorado.

The bible looks just like my Grandma's bible - also the King James version. Very much a 1970's version!

The auction ends January 17, 2008 at 09:36:18 PST.

Update on 1/18/2008 - it sold for $81.00 to someone with a username of biblicalarchives. Sounds like a good home for it!

Ruth Etting Guestbook!

noreply@blogger.com (cheryl) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:56:00 +0000

We'd like to know what you think about the Ruth Etting web site. The submission of additional information and documentation on her life and career is particularly encouraged and greatly appreciated!

I've copied the entries from the old guestbook below. To add new comments, please scroll to the bottom of this post!

6/9/1998 2:52:05 AM

name: Cheryl Spelts
location: Fallbrook, California
comments: Welcome to the Ruth Etting web site! My grandfather, Byron Spelts, was her cousin and I'm hoping this web site will allow me to reach people who knew Ruth Etting and are willing to provide me with information on her life and career. The movie about her life, "Love Me or Leave Me" with Doris Day, has been acknowledged as mostly fictional, and that's understandable, considering it was made in Hollywood and the idea was to entertain and sell tickets. But the truth has got to be just as compelling! She had a remarkable, albeit brief career. If you knew her or have any stories to tell about her, please don't hesitate to write to me.

11/13/1998 8:01:10 PM

name: Mike Cotsman
location: Cleveland OH
comments: Saw Ruth on TMC one reelers. Liked the way she looked and sang. Wish we had these type singers today.

11/16/1998 3:38:56 PM

name: Laura F. Lee
location: Broadus, MT
comments: Thanks for the informative page. I was doing some research for my mom who loves the movie "Love Me or Leave Me." I was thrilled to find the history of Ruth Etting in such a concise manner. She was a unique person!

11/17/1998 4:59:11 AM

name: Chuck & Lisa
location: The Silver State!
comments: The page is very well done. Just purchased the movie "Love Me or Leave Me" (Great Movie!) and had to find out who Ruth Etting was.

12/3/1998 1:29:29 PM

name: Bengt Landgren
location: Sweden
comments: Do I like her and her songs!

12/9/1998 4:37:32 PM

name: Rebecca Koblick
location: New York City, via Chicago and California
comments: Wonderful site!! Now we need a Helen Morgan site!

12/28/1998 10:54:48 AM

name: Ken Toops
location: Ohio
comments: This is a great site! I've been a fan of Ruth Etting ever since I found her recordings of "Deed I Do" and "A Cottage For Sale" at our local library. Now I have 45 Ruth Etting songs in my collection, and now thanks to you and your site I'll be able to add more!Thank you very much!

12/28/1998 7:53:28 PM

name: Carole
location: New York City
comments: I absolutely love Ruth Etting! She had such a wonderful voice, I can never get enough of her! Her music is reaching a whole ner generation, I am 14 years old, and a few of my friends that are also teenagers also love her music. My favorite Ruth Etting songs are "Keep Sweeping The Cobwebs Off The Moon", "It All Belongs To Me", "When We Build A Little Home" and plenty of others.... I'd love to hear from other Ruth Etting fans as well as fans of other music fromt he 20's and 30's, please e-mail me at GYPSY63635@aol.com

1/8/1999 1:57:48 PM

name: Jim Hunsberger
location: Elkhart, Indiana
comments: Great website for a great star! I'll be back!

1/28/1999 9:27:39 PM

name: Joe Rockey
location: Highwood, Illinois
comments: Great Website for a GREAT LADY! However, it is too brief. You need much more information about Ruth. How about a complete discography? Also, I adore the photos, but I wish they were much bigger (like big enough for a screen saver). Do I love Ruth? - AND HOW!!!!

1/31/1999 7:36:47 AM

name: Rob Spencer
location: Culver City, CA
comments: I found you via a link from the Internet Movie Database. A very interesting site, very nicely done.

3/9/1999 9:52:18 AM

name: Jim
location: Pacific NW
comments: I am happy to find there are some people who like Ruth also. I admit I only have a couple of items with her. I like so many songs on the Love Me Or Leave Me cd. If anybody else has suggestions of 20's-30's music I should try, feel free to email me. I also like Annette Hanshaw, Helen Kane, I see Helen Morgan listed here and there, I think I will try her out too. Thanks!!!

3/23/1999 8:20:13 PM

name: Richard G. Alexander
location: Rockville, Maryland
comments: My Etting CDs keep me company in the car. Being in my mid 70's I always say they just don't write or sing them like "when I was a kid' Ruth pre dates my music memories, but I really do enjoy her now. Thanks for the site information.

3/25/1999 12:38:39 AM

name: George Schissler
location: Swannanoa, NC
comments: I'm too young to have known of Ruth during her career, but have loved her music ever since discovering some of her 78's back in the 70's. This is an elegant site befitting a special lady. Thanks for keeping her memory alive.

4/7/1999 7:23:17 AM

name: Heidi
location: San Diego, CA
comments: After watching "Love Me or Leave Me", starring Doris Day, I became eager to learn more about Ruth Etting. Thanks for allowing the younger generations to learn further about a part of an American legend.

4/24/1999 4:12:53 AM

name: Marlin Shamblin
location: Sidney, Ohio
comments: Great website! I've been an Etting fan for more than forty years. She is/was tremendous. My Marshall College roommates and I idolized her. We had one LP which we almost wore out . I was able to replace it recently, much to my delight along with acquiring some great CD's at the the same time. A few questions:
1. Is there an Etting fan club?
2. Do you have info re her LP on the Jay label?
3. Do you know how how to buy one of her 78's?
4. Is it possible to buy photos you show?
5. Do you have info on the Etting Vaudeville Days in David City?
6. Is there a museum or permanent display to view in D.City?
7. Is there a biography?
8. Is it possible to obtain a copy of the concert done in D.City as a tribute by a CA. singer; shown I think on Nebraska Public TV?
Thanks for your kindness in answering,
Marlin L. Shamblin

5/7/1999 12:11:04 AM

name: Kevin Albert
location: Los Angeles
comments: Saw the short "Roseland" on TCM last night and I've seen Doris Day in "Love Me or Leave Me". It piqued by curiosity so I surfed for a home page on Ruth. This is a very well done website, interesting and informative. Thanks for having it available. Would like to see pictures of the more mature Miss Etting later in life. Do any exist?
Thanks again!

5/12/1999 2:24:52 PM

name: Burt Kritt
location: LOS ANGELES
comments: Since I first heard Miss Etting, I became a devoted fan. Doris Day's interpretation was very well done, but not even close to the quality of Miss Etting.

5/16/1999 6:12:38 AM

name: Marlin L. Shamblin

comments: Include in Cd list: "Glorifier of Amer. Song" which has two no.s recorded in 1958 one never released till 90's also "Goodnight My Love" Great technical quality! Keep her music going!

5/20/1999 2:18:35 AM

name: Kevin
location: David City, Nebraska
comments: If only you knew the entire story behind Ruth Etting.

David City, Ne. sets aside one weekend a year to celebrate Ruth Etting and I can not see why.

6/9/1999 5:48:02 AM

name: Mysme Gray
location: Texas
comments: I have found myself wanting to know more, more, more, about Ruth Etting. I think it would be a bestseller if there were such a book of her life history with all the little details. Is there such a book? Have you considered writing a book about this remarkable woman....think about it, I believe it would be a great success, and if you do I would be first in line to buy it…

6/13/1999 12:41:40 AM

name: Daryl Smith
location: Jackson, Mississippi
comments: It is really nice to locate information and music on a truly fabulous singer. I wish we had a Ruth Etting or a Connee Boswell around today. Thanks for the tour.

6/25/1999 8:23:01 AM

name: Joyce Knight
location: Richmond, VA
comments: I became interested in Ruth Etting by viewing the "Love Me or Leave Me Movie" with Doris Day. But as with all movies, they leave off what happened in the end. What ever happened to Moe Snyder? I know he went to jail, but what happened to him after that? Did Ruth have a happy second marriage? Did she have any children? Did her second husband have any disabilities as a result of being shot or was there a complete recovery? I like to think that Ruth and her second (and true love) were married and lived happily ever after. I still believe in fairy tales I guess. But E-mail me and let me know the rest of the story. Thanks .J. Knight, Richmond, VA.

7/4/1999 8:53:41 AM

name: Kevin Beary
location: Venus, PA
comments: I am very happy to see a web site dedicated to Ruth Etting! I also watched the movie "Love Me Or Leave Me" and before I watched the movie, I had never heard of Ruth. I bought a wonderful CD of her entitled "Glorifier of American Song" and it has become my favorite CD to listen to. She truly is the QUEEN of the torch singers!!! I will bookmark this site and return often! Thanks~~Kevin

8/1/1999 5:31:31 AM

name: Richard Brandenburg
location: Douglas AZ
website: www.richarcbrandenbu.com
comments: I like her music very much.

8/1/1999 6:47:14 AM

name: Meg
location: Seattle, WA
comments: Thanks for a lovely Web page. My mom loved Ruth Etting, and I 'met' her thru 'Love Me, or Leave Me' back in the 50's and which I just finished watching again tonight. I do like Doris Day, but it's too bad she didn't try to sing more like Ruth with her golden tones in the movie.
It was so neat to come to your page after viewing the movie. Kind of like extending my visit with Ruth this evening. Thank you.

8/9/1999 7:28:50 PM

name: MORRIS PLOTKIN
location: New York now living in Florida
comments: I was and still am, a Ruth Etting fan. I have a small collection of songs that she recorded on early LP'S. I saw her on B'wy in Whoopee many years ago.

8/26/1999 10:02:28 PM

name: LES MUNSON
location: TORRINGTON, CT
comments: BEING A HUGE FAN OF DORIS DAY'S, ONE OF MY FAVORITE FILMS IS "LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME". CONSEQUENTLY, I BECAME VERY FOND OF RUTH ETTING AND HER MUSIC.

8/27/1999 4:01:04 AM

name: L. Lambert
location: New Orleans
comments: My father is a jazz historian with a huge collection of 78's, and I grew up with Ruth Etting's recording of "It All Depends On You". I have always loved her version of it, and my six year old knows the words after hearing it as a bedtime song for many years! Thanks for providing me with information about her that I never knew, and all the wonderful pictures!

9/2/1999 1:35:28 PM

name: Luis Oropeza
location: Tulsa, OK
comments: I have a small collection of 78's which I enjoy playing in my 1926 Victrola. Often I browse flea markets and antique stores in search of interesting records. This week I found a rare version of "My Man" and "After you're Gone" by Ruth Etting. I knew very little about her but after listening to that record I have fallen in love with her voice and style. I am now looking for more of her 78's. I congratulate you for the great job on this website.

9/6/1999 8:12:56 PM

name: Ivan DeBaecke
location: Charleston, SC
comments: As a former resident of David City, NE born there 12-2-23, have many memories or the late great Ruth Etting. She was truly a wonderful singer, entertainer and star. The movie "Love Me or Leave Me" was, indeed, a well done chapter about her life. She will be long remembered for her excellent voice and beauty. As a side note, the Ruth Etting/AnkleDeep ice cream parlor, of David City, will also be fondly remembered.

11/2/1999 12:14:46 AM

name: Gary Holiday
location: Philadelphia, Pa.
comments: I have the very good movie "Love Me Or Leave Me" and I became interested in Ms. Etting's life. At first I thought the movie was fiction, but a hunch drove me to search for her on my computer. I'm glad that I did. I'm 58, and I never knew her music, until I saw the movie. She had a very interesting life, I'm happy that she was a real person. The web site is top notch.
Sincerely,
Gary Holiday

11/12/1999 8:36:42 AM

name: Stephen Fleschler
location: Chatsworth, California
comments: Ruth Etting is one of my favorite singers, up there with Claudia Muzio (one pop and not taking herself seriously and the other operatic and always taking herself seriously). Both had unhappy love lives (Etting did throughout her youth). Thank You so much for preserving her memory on-line. Stephen Fleschler, J.D., M.P.A. (born 1956) Music Lover

11/30/1999 3:04:14 AM

name: Nick Santa Maria
location: Manhattan
comments: This a site for sore eyes.

12/4/1999 9:16:43 PM

name: Ralph Beach
location: Langley, WA
comments: My hobby, or maybe it's an obsession, is vintage music. I probably have more recordings of Ruth Ettings' than anyone else. The web site is great. I'm sure that I will visit often.

12/6/1999 3:57:49 AM

name: dave king
location: ruidoso downs, n.m.
comments: Hi:
Thanks for this site. I've been collecting Ruth's records ever since "Love Me Or Leave Me" with Doris Day and James Cagney came out in 1956. I went to the record store in N.Y. to get Doris' album and was told they were sold out. The clerk reccommended that I listen to an album that Columbia put out of original Ruth Etting records. Well, I literally played the thing to death, learning the arrangements by heart. Through the years, whenever possible, I've added to the collection and have all her CD's as well. As a professional musician, I have her to thank for introducing me to a lot of great songs (and a few duds as well, but hey, no one bats a thousand! I play her records for anyone that shows the slightest interest and am glad to see I'm not alone. Keep up the good work. By the way, are there any plans for a biography?

12/19/1999 5:35:28 AM

name: Jane
location: Lakewood, WA
comments: I'm 14 years old and have been addicted to Ruth Etting ever since my grandfather first introduced me to her music a few years ago. She has a beautiful voice, and I know I could never pick which of her songs I like the best. When I found this website, I could hardly believe it! I've been returning regularly just to see if anything new has popped up. Thank you especially for the lyrics page. I could never quite catch a certain couplet in the middle of "Ten Cents a Dance."

1/23/2000 7:10:07 AM

name: Robert Arlan Nelson
location: Another place in time
comments: I collect 78's and love the music of that era. Her voice has a haunting and soulful quality that I can feel. How I wish that I had known her. I often wonder what it might have been like to live in that time. I guess that might seem silly to some but that is how I feel. Thanks for the opportunity to write something about the remarkable Ruth. I am pleasantly surprised to discover that others are interested in her also.

1/23/2000 11:02:07 PM

name: Connie Corbett-Whittier
location: Topeka, KS
comments: Tried to email you but it was returned. My grandmother was a first cousin to Ruth Etting's mother. I am working on the family genealogy and seeking any and all help. Do you have any family history? If so, would you be willing to share it? My grandmother's name was Faye SOWARD (nee STRONG), her parents were James Decator "Dick" STRONG and Martha Amelia PURDY Strong. The family lived in NE, AR, MO and Kansas. Any information will be appreciated! Thanks.

3/11/2000 8:35:34 PM

name: Reenie
location: Maine
comments: Big fan of Ruth. I once heard a recording of "Deep Night". It was the best. Can anyone point to any reissues that include this cut?

3/19/2000 11:52:50 AM

name: James

comments: I have an autographed picture of Ruthi in full regalia from the "9:15 Revue" 1930 in great condition, and am interested in possibly selling it. Anyone interested, let me know. mjames297@yahoo.com

3/30/2000 12:45:04 AM

name: Marti Herbage
location: Southern California
comments: Thanks to a wonderful stranger I met through a bulletin board, I was able to find this page. My father has been searching for a song by Ruth Etting for years called Sundown. And what timing! His birthday is next week and I'll be able to give him the album. Thanks.

4/3/2000 4:16:00 PM

name: Matt Bohn
location: Michigan
comments: It's great to see this tribute to Ruth Etting. I've been in love with the music of Ruth Etting ever since I bought a CD of music from the 20s and heard her recording of "Love Me or Leave Me." There will never be another singer like her.

4/10/2000 4:19:20 AM

name: yvonne lewis
location: san mateo, california
comments: Thank you for this web page. I find the lives of people like Ms. Etting very interesting. I have seen the story based on her life "Love me or Leave me", and I must say they took a few liberties. But, that's Hollywood. She was a beautiful lady. I enjoyed you web page.

4/10/2000 4:52:19 AM

name: Anna Malick
location: Oklahoma
comments: Just saw the movie Love me or Leave Me. Thought I would look it up on biography.com, but couldn't find anything, so I searched ask.com and found out everything I needed to know about her. Could you add on a little more about her husbands and what she did later on in life.

4/10/2000 11:50:44 PM

name: Carole Doucet-Cleland
location: Montreal, Quebec
comments: I enjoyed, this week-end, listening to one of Ruth Etting early recoding in 78's at Columbia. She sang; Now I'm in love, and I want to meander in the meadow. Can you tell me in what year she recorded theses songs? Thank you for your your beautiful site.

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Hi Carole!

You didn't leave an e-mail address so I'll have to answer publicly! Both of those songs were recorded in 1929 - right at the height of her career. If you have any other questions, the Songs Listing on RuthEtting.com has most of her recordings listed by date, as well as alphabetically!

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

5/2/2000 6:10:31 PM

name: David J. Johnson
location: Hampton, VA
comments: The Ruth Etting website is very attractive and informative, but it has some inaccuracies. As one who has been working on a biography of Ruth for a long time, I should know. For instance, she was born in 1897 and didn't become a headliner at the Marigold Garden until 1921. Her first husband Moe Snyder was not a gangster--he merely acted like one. I could go on, but I won't. I have collected a significant amount of data on Ruth's career, but I will save all that for the book.

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

David,

I'm glad to hear that you're working on a book on Ruth Etting. There's not nearly enough information on her available. The most common request I get is for a longer biography section, which I am working on.

I've collected quite a bit of information from many different sources and the birth date is always different. I've seen it listed as 1901, 1903 and even 1905. And there are other inconsistencies - so I've tried to keep the bio very simple until I've completed my research. I'm hoping to visit two universities in the Midwest sometime in the next year to view their Ruth Etting collections. One has her personal scrapbook - which a friend of mine was able to view and he said it was incredible. It even contains old family photos - which I'd especially love to see.

I'll look forward to reading your book!

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

5/17/2000 5:12:20 AM

name: Ian Welsh
location: Toronto, Canada
comments: I was interested to see a photograph I have of Ruth Etting dedicated to Roland Cusson in your gallery. The text indicates that Roland Cusson is related to Michel Cusson, a current day Quebec musician, but Michel says he is not! I have sent a separate e-mail on this subject and also about any connection with the Witmark publishers in New York.

You really have a great site!

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Hi Ian

I removed the reference to Michel Cusson - thanks for the help!

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

6/1/2000 6:49:05 PM

name: Alan Lareau
location: Oshkosh, WI
website: uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/lareau
comments: Dear Etting Fans,
I am researching the life and work of the German author-composer Friedrich Hollaender, who worked in America under the name Frederick Hollander during his exile from Hitler's Germany. One of his early jobs in Hollywood was directing a film short with Ruth Etting, "Bandits and Ballads." I am trying to locate a copy of this film and would appreciate any information or help anyone could give me. (Incidentally, Hollaender is best known as the author of the song "Falling in Love Again" for Marlene Dietrich in THE BLUE ANGEL.)
--Alan Lareau,
Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures,
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
lareau@uwosh.edu

6/15/2000 9:08:25 PM

name: Barbara Rosene
location: Manhattan
comments: I was so happy to find such a great web site on Ruth. I am a vocalist working in New York. I perform many of Ruth Etting's songs, and also those of Annette Hanshaw. Did you know that Ruth Etting is listed as one of the composers for a few songs? Off the top of my head, I can think of "Wistful and Blue", which is a pretty great unknown little tune. Thanks for the lovely photos and bio.

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Hi Barbara

In addition to "Wistful and Blue" in 1926, Ruth Etting helped to write "When You're With Somebody Else" in 1927, "Maybe! Who Knows?" in 1929, "I'm Falling in Love Again" in 1931. Those are the songs I know of - there may be more!

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

7/10/2000 6:56:59 PM

name: Ed Walter
location: St. Louis, MO
comments: How great to find a page dedicated to Ruth. I have been a fan of hers since discovering her recordings in the 60s. I was lucky enough to talk to her several times on the phone and visit her in Colorado for over an hour in 1979. She was charming and gracious and gave me a copy of the last recording she and her husband made together. I have a picture of her from then, too. The way she looked, the way her condo looked, she could have been anybody. She sort of felt that way--that she was nothing special in the world of music. But we know better. Thanks for putting this page together.

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Ed

If you ever want to share that photo with the world, I would love to post it on this site!

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

7/20/2000 10:18:25 PM

name: Christopher Lujan
location: Los Angeles

comments: I really like your website and the photographs ya'll have. I am a great fan of Ruth Etting and I am happy to know that she has her own site. Keep up the work!

8/2/2000 8:27:19 PM

name: H. L. Murphy
location: Delaware, originally NYC
comments: Enjoyed the site. I'm a long-time fan of Ruth, predating "Love Me or Leave Me." One of my favorite songs by Ruth is: "You're the One I Care For." In addition to her phrasing and tempo, I have always been struck by Ruth's incredible diction. Even in the oldest records, each word she sang was clear and understandable. Truly great!
Thanks for bringing all this information to the internet.

8/10/2000 9:07:20 PM

name: Paula Spier
location: Brewster, MA
comments: Has anyone ever suggested any family connection between Ruth Etting and the earlier actress, Rose Eytinge? (My father-in-law kept clippings of both, referring to them as his "cousin".

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Hi Paula!

I'd never heard of Rose Eytinge - so I did a search and it turns out she was a popular actress who lived from 1835-1911, most known for playing Nancy Sykes in "Oliver Twist." She also appeared with Edwin Booth in 1864.

The interesting part to me is that Edwin Booth, was the brother of John Wilkes Booth, and my great-great-grandfather, who would have been Ruth Etting's grandfather, was at the theatre the night John Wilkes assassinated President Lincoln in 1865. Small world!

That said, I really don't know if there was a family link between Ruth Etting and Rose Eytinge. Maybe your family branch is THE link!

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

9/1/2000 6:55:17 AM

name: Lorri Collett
location: Weirton WV/Pittsburgh PA
comments: Just looking for information on Ziegfeld Follie girls. My mother has some old pictures of some old Ziegfeld Follie girls. I do not know their exact names, but she does and I am going to get the information from her so I can look up more information to see if the pictures she has are worth any money or are valuble to anyone.

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Lorri

Vintage photos of the Ziegfeld girls can sell for quite a bit on eBay! If you're willing to part with them, you may be able to make a nice profit! And if they were shot by Alfred Cheney Johnston, you could do really well! I've seen his vintage 11x14 nudes go for over $400.

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

9/1/2000 10:32:48 PM

name: Joseph Byrd
location:
comments: How perfectly wonderful it is that scholars can access such high quality information and discographies by people who work to create such sites. I teach American popular music at a small California college, and you have made my work much easier. Thank you.

9/3/2000 9:39:06 AM

name: Monica Hall
location: Sacramento
comments: Hi, I am enjoying your site. My grandmother was a Ziegfeld girl, I think the last living one. I never knew he. She left my father when he was 6 to run off to the theater. We have some old photos that look similar to yours. Don't know much about her other than she was vain and eccentric and always said, "when the looks are gone I'm checkin out". She did, at around 85 yrs old. She looked about 60 after much surgery. We read about her death in the news paper. She was living as a French Quarter artist painter in New Orleans. She tried to buy a cremation plan and as she was leaving said, "I guess this must be the first one you have had like this?" They asked her what she meant and she said, "a suicide". Needless to say they cancelled the plan and called the police and the priest. She promised she wasn't going to go through with it and they reinstated it. She sent us some old pictures, money and jewelry and handed out 100 dollar bills to her friends, pinned goodbye notes to her friends on her clothes and shot herself. Weird story, would like to know more about her. Her name was Lucitta Ward.
9/10/2000 10:16:52 PM

name: Paul
location: Pacific Northwest
website: Paul's Modernistic World
comments: An excellent tribute to the lovely Ruth Etting! I love the photo album. Keep up the fabulous work!

9/14/2000 7:17:08 AM

name: Jeff
location: website: www.mucho.com
comments: I can't believe there's a Ruth Etting web-page, much less a domain name! How cool! Great pix. Thanks.

The pop music from the 1920's and before is sadly neglected. Thanks for this cool site.

9/16/2000 9:30:02 PM

name: Linda
location: Houston Metropolitan Area
comments: Enjoyed your website. I was just watching Doris Day in Love Me or Leave Me and wanted to know more about Miss Etting. It's nice to be able to see pictures of her.

9/16/2000 10:25:19 PM

name: Mike Bailey
location: Living in Marietta GA -- from South Carolina.
comments: Great Web Site -- Ruth would be proud. Just finished watching the 1955 movie staring Doris Day about her. Doris Day played her well and gave dignity and purpose to the life of Ruth.

9/17/2000 5:29:53 AM

name: Nina Lutz
location: Orange, CA
comments: I wanted to find out more about Ruth Etting, as I'd just watched the Doris Day movie about her life. The website is very interesting and informative.

9/29/2000 10:10:38 PM

name: Joe Enroughty
location: Richmond, Virginia
website: The Guy Lombardo Society
comments: Great site. Keep up the good work.

12/11/2000 11:56:50 PM

name: Steve Rattle
location: Melbourne, Australia
comments: Wonderful - just loved it. Ruth has many fans down under - we call her Saint Ruth because only an angel can sing as she does!

12/13/2000 8:15:39 AM

name: Richard Green
location:
comments: I've recently come across Ruth's music by way of an Opera critic for the London Times, I find her voice totally beguiling and have found out a lot about her from your site - thank you!

12/27/2000 5:53:39 PM

name: Ramona Arena
location: Beverly Hills, FL
comments: I just watched "Love Me Or Leave Me" again, and I've always wondered about who Ruth Etting was. Now, being able to search the net, I found your web site. What a wonderful tribute. Thank you so much for giving me an insight into this beautiful, talented woman. I was happy to learn she lived a long, and I hope happy life.

12/27/2000 5:56:53 PM

name: Jacqueline LaChapelle
location: Providence, RI
comments: Thanks to the Hollywood movie about Ms. Etting's life, I have now found a truly great recording star from the 20's and 30's. Her music was and is sensational!

12/27/2000 5:57:19 PM

name: william l singley
location:
comments: i love her music and i enjoyed the great web site.

1/6/2001 3:17:47 AM

name: Jessie
location:
comments: I just want to thank you for this web site. I did my history assigment on her, and it offered me alot of information. It was great!

1/13/2001 3:25:11 PM

name: George
location: Maryland
comments: What a wonderful tribute to a gorgeous and talented songstress! Please continue to develop this site.
Ruth rules!

1/23/2001 1:49:16 PM

name: sharon newman
location:
comments: I have a friend besotted with this woman and I am learning more about her.

1/29/2001 12:02:15 AM

name: David Ecker
location:
comments: Great , My favorite song is {After you've Gone]. I just got connected on Friday. Have to say, This is the best.

1/29/2001 4:25:35 PM

name: BETTY SEEI
location:
comments: I WORK WITH YOUR FATHER, AND HE SHARED WITH ME TO GO TO YOUR WEBSITE. I AM VERY IMPRESSED WITH YOUR WORK AND CREATIVITY. THIS BEST TO YOU IN ALL YOUR ENDEAVORS.

1/30/2001 12:24:28 AM

name: Kathleen Alexandrakis
location:
comments: Wonderful site!

1/30/2001 8:19:59 AM

name: Geoff Black
location: England
comments: Many thanks for this site - I've become a great fan of Ruth Etting - what a voice! It's great to be able to check the lyrics and get an idea of the life she led. Keep up the good work!

1/30/2001 5:34:34 PM

name: Rich Conaty
location: alt.fan.rich-conaty
website: www.wfuv.org
comments: What a fine looking and informative site! I'm happy that a note about it was posted to the newsgroup dedicated to my weekly radio show, "The Big Broadcast" on WFUV 90.7 FM in NYC. Every Sunday from 8-midnight EST I play 1920s and 30s pop and jazz, including a fair amount of Ruth Etting. You can listen online at www.wfuv.org. Thanks.

1/31/2001 11:19:15 AM

name: Colin Roth
location: Long Island, New York
website: Halcyon Days Music
comments: Thank you for a very informative Web Site! I love the American music of the turn of the last Century, and was glad to find a site devoted to one of the performers, of whom I have transcribed music for on my Web Site. Keep up the good work!!!

2/1/2001 8:43:06 PM

name: Michael Laprarie
location: Oklahoma City
website: The Oklahoma Jazz Artists Page
comments: Always nice to find another "keeper of the flame" for our great 20th century entertainers. A lot of work went into this site! Nice layout, too.

2/19/2001 5:53:35 PM

name: Nancy Darrow
location:
comments: Had to check out this site as my grandma always waxed eloquent about Ms. Etting, who was her favorite singer in the '20s in Chicago. Grandma used to sing me Ruth Etting songs when I was a kid, and she and I saw Love Me or Leave Me together at a public libary--grandma impressed the crowd by singing along to EVERY number, which she remembered 60 years later. Ruth Etting apparently made quite an impression on her!

3/12/2001 4:02:29 PM

name: Fred Glade
location:
comments: Wonderful site, just watched it with my 86 year old mother. Ruth's fathers sister is my great grandmother. Catherine was married to Henry Glade in Grand Island, Nebraska.

3/17/2001 8:04:28 PM

name: Joyce Kellerian
location: United States
comments: I love your website on Miss Etting. I also love the movie "Love Me or Leave Me" that Doris Day portrayed Miss Etting.

3/18/2001 8:32:41 PM

name: patricia a. will
location:
comments: i have adored ruth etting the momenti first heard her music. i have some of the short film clips and cd's.I have a few copies of her sheet music also.I love her. is there a biography out on her? I am interested. Thanks.

3/27/2001 2:44:05 AM

name: Tonya Gibson Seely
location:
comments:

4/1/2001 10:23:03 PM

name: Joe Tonin
location: Welland Ontario Canada
comments: Just saw the movie "Love Me Or Leave Me". Loved the music and the story!!!!

4/6/2001 9:55:23 AM

name: Ed Lengel
location:
comments: What a beautifully-designed webpage, and with great content too! Thanks for your references on CDs and films. I agree with you that Doris Day didn't really capture Etting's unique style.

4/7/2001 1:34:40 PM

name: Larry Mc Donnell
location: new york state
comments: I WAS BORN IN 1932 AND ALWAYS LOVED THE MUSIC OF THAT ERA RUTH ETTING WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITES I REALLY CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THIS SITE.
THANK YOU LARRY MC DONNELL

4/13/2001 12:07:40 AM

name: Marilyn Cooper
location: United States
comments: We dined many times in Miss Etting's former home in Colorado Springs, known at the time as The Hackney House...The web site with her recording won't play. Perhaps you can remedy? She was a lovely lady!

4/16/2001 9:13:25 PM

name: lavarco
location:
comments: etting is great; so is this sight

4/21/2001 6:48:42 PM

name: Lisa Funkhouser
location:
comments: I live in one of Dorothy Etting's old House's. I have felt a presence. Just trying to find out information.

4/26/2001 12:28:37 AM

name: Dawn
location:
comments: This is a wonderful site. Very beautiful pictures. Loved reading the lyrics. Thank you.

4/28/2001 3:22:49 PM

name: Ken Strei
location: Round Rock, TX
comments: Great Site.

5/2/2001 11:06:20 PM

name: Francis Grant
location: Merritt Island, FL
comments: As a young sailor (1950's)I saw Doris Day's portrayal of Ruth in Norfolk, Va. In later years (1960's) I heard the real Ruth on radio in the NYC area occassionaly. And really liked her style ; that 1920's sound.

In the past year I've been collecting Ruth's songs on the internet ("Oh You Nasty Man" - using Napster).

A few nights ago I became obsessed with a desire to see her and I put out a search on Dog Pile and nearly fell over when up she poped. I was not disapointed. I stayed up half the night studing your site.

I want to see her in some movies now and also buy some of her CD's.

I'm really facinated by her.

Frank Grant

7/6/2001 1:33:38 PM

name: Marlin L. Shamblin
location: website: Dan and Leah's Books
comments: This is an update to previous message. Have been a fan for more than 40 years. Ruth is unequaled in American songdom. Today's artists can't hold a candle to her. I appreciate the site and hope that it will continue. Special interest on my part in accessing the Tribute to Ruth Etting 1997 at Thorpe Opera House, David City taped by Nebraska Educational TV. (NETV). Can you help?

7/7/2001 11:02:51 AM

name: Marlin L. Shamblin
location: Ohio
comments: RE: Etting Tribute by MARCOVICCI 1997 by NETV (Nebraska Educational Television), I have been advised that a letter writing campaign to NETV might persuade them to release tape for viewing and/or purchase. Please help!

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Hi Marlin!

Would you like to post the address? I'm sure others would love to help!

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

8/22/2001 6:10:56 AM

name: Mary Zarb
location:
comments: I was trying to find out who sang the 1932 song 'Take me in your arms' for my mother-in-law as it was an all time favourite and it's taken me some time to track down the artist. It's ashame that the words are not available on this webpage.

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Hi Mary,

I try to get as many songs up as possible, but I don't have the sheet music for every song Ruth Etting recorded - yet! Maybe if you run across a copy before I do, you can send me the lyrics to post on the site!

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

9/9/2001 8:02:57 PM

name: Karen Victoria Efferding McCarthy
location: Dubuque, IA
comments: I have always been told that my father was a cousin of Ruth's and that he had met her at least once. I think that she tried to help my aunt into show business, but my aunt did not live long enough to 'make it'.

I am now motivated to research family history!!

Great site!

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Hi Karen

Or should I call you cousin! If you find out anything new about Ruth Etting, please share! And good luck with your research!

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

9/27/2001 8:08:22 PM

name: anya
location: phila pa
comments: i'm a 17 year old girl who just loves the past, especially the first half of the twentieth century. i was looking for the lyrics to "you made me love you" because i only knew the chorus and my sisters got a big kick out of it when i sang it to them. i was looking for the entire thing, and thanks to you i found it. i also read some of the other lyrics and found some really beautiful ones that i'm going to dedicate to my boyfriend, they remind me so much of our relationship. thank you for aiding people like me in finding and reliving the past that many have forgotten. i wonder if my grandmama remembers any of these songs?

10/2/2001 1:33:39 PM

name: Jean Brocklebank
location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
comments: After watching "love Me or Leave Me" last night, we went looking for a website for Ruth Etting. What a delightful find! Thank you!

10/28/2001 2:38:03 PM

name: Valerie Wycoff
location: Christchurch, New Zealand
comments: I am researching Ruth's life and would be particularly interested to be connected to anyone who has letters written by Ruth, or interviews with direct quotations of her. I am also looking for a recording or lyrics for the song "Maybe! Who Knows?"

I would be grateful if anyone who can help would email me at the address above. Thanks!

10/28/2001 2:48:32 PM

name: Valerie Wycoff
location: Christchurch, New Zealand
comments: I have grown up in Nebraska and now work as a performer and singing teacher in New Zealand. I would very much like to write and perform a show with live piano accompaniment in which I play Ruth and share her song and the "real story" of her life - starting in Nebraska and finishing in Colorado when she is happily settled with Myrl. I would very much like to be connected with family members who may have an interest in this project to ensure I have their blessing and to see if there might be material they would recommend including. I'm planning a trip to the States in the middle of November, and it would be great if I could make contact before this trip. Mail or email contacts, or phone contacts all welcome whenever possible. Could you please email me directly at ?

Thanks,
Valerie

10/29/2001 12:47:10 AM

name: Chelsie Walker
location: york, nebraska
comments: This site is very specific and gives a lot of info. I am doing a report on a famous Nebraskan, and I chose to do her. I've gotten a lot of stuff from this site and wanted to say Good Job Ruth Etting!!!!!!!!!!!

11/1/2001 12:50:29 AM

name: Edie
location: Los Angeles
comments: I was watching "Love Me or Leave" me for the 10th time and then I thought I would do a search on Internet. Just wanted to say I am a big fan of Ruth Etting and I have a lot of her cds and albums. I thought she was very talented. Its too bad she didnt make more movies.

11/5/2001 6:24:34 PM

name: Douglas Hamilton
location:
comments: Ruth Etting was certainly a Sweetheart with a capital S. I resided in Pikes Peak Towers, the senior high-rise in Colorado Springs where she lived until her death. My wife was the administrator there for several years and we would have go out for Mexican food every Thursday. What a great friend she and her aunt were over the years.

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Hi Douglas

I'd love to hear more about Ruth's later life - do you care to share? In the future I'm planning to add a section to the site on her retirement - and I'd love to have you contribute!

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

11/11/2001 2:32:42 AM

name: Bryan Clough
location: UK
comments: Brilliant Site. Well done. Ruth was clearly an amazing woman.

12/2/2001 2:39:37 PM

name: barbara trabosh-pearce
location: philadelphia,pa.
comments: my husband and i have the sheet music for maybe we love her and like to know more about her seen the movie if it was close to the truth we feel bad for her married to the gimp

12/5/2001 8:04:17 PM

name: anya
location: philadelphia pa
comments: great job on the website. i'm interested in Ruth Etting's era and you've whet my appetite for the past!

12/12/2001 9:53:10 PM

name: Alyssa Meysenburg
location:
comments: My father lives in the house she lived in when she was a young child.

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Hi Alyssa

I've seen pictures of it - I'm glad to hear it's still standing. I'm a big fan of old houses!

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

1/17/2002 1:13:03 AM

name: Tim Roberts
location: Canada
comments: As a musician, I have always admired her style. Caught "Love Me or Leave Me" tonite on TV.

1/31/2002 5:37:57 PM

name: Ann-Christine
location: Northamptonshire United Kingdom
comments: Love to sing all these classic songs.

2/2/2002 9:47:24 AM

name: marlin shamblin
location:
comments: I would like to know if Ruth ever performed "Oh You Nasty Man". Thank you

Marlin

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Hi Marlin,

On 5/2/2001 Francis Grant left a message below stating that he'd found the song on Napster. I think it was written by Jack Yellen, but it's the first I've heard that Ruth ever recorded it.

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

2/2/2002 6:47:21 PM

name: Susan
location:
comments: Ruth Etting and Helen Morgan influenced my taste in song from early childhood on. (I've wondered if their hard luck stories also warped my personality a bit!) I'm now doing research on them and other torch singers and will be presenting a recital of the songs of that genre. I appreciate your site.

2/10/2002 9:14:43 PM

name: Ken Kloke
location:
comments: My father played the organ at the David City Centennial when Ruth attended. She performed "Shine on Harvest Moon" I have sheet music of many Ruth Etting songs. Also have a hard to find CD of Ruth's greatest hits.

3/14/2002 2:59:18 PM

name: Charles M. (Chuck) Baker
location: now Fort Collins, CO, once David City
comments: I grew up across the alley from the Etting house then owned by Grace Griffin, purchased in 1948 by my dad, Dr. C. E. Baker. My interest in Ruth is primarily second-hand, as I never had a chance to meet her. I am in the process of collecting some of her recordings. I do remember listening to descriptions of her from Paul and Pearl Albright. Feel free to reply.

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Hi Charles

I'd absolutely love to hear more!

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

12/14/2002 11:16:06 AM

name: George Carr
location: Annapolis, Maryland
comments: Dear Ms. Spelts,

Thank you for re-establishing this wonderful web site.

george

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Thanks George!

12/26/2002 10:40:57 AM

name: bill mcdonald
location: Brunswick, Ga
comments: I have original sheet music featuring Ruth Etting on the cover. The title of the song is "In the Hills of Tennessee". Since, she apparently never recorded this song. Do you know anything about it.

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Thanks Bill,

Are you sure she never recorded it? It can be hard to tell sometimes - since the music publishers knew that by putting her image and name on the sheet music they'd sell more copies! She may have sang this song on the radio, so there may be a recording of it somewhere. You just never know!

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

2/23/2003 1:26:35 AM

name: Carole
location:
comments: I have had the song "Mean to Me" in my head all my life, and wondered how it came to be. I was looking for the singer of the song, and found that it was Ruth Etting. Since I wasn't born until 1951, I must have heard it sang by Doris Day, and that is how I got it in my head. I have ordered Ruth's version because I love her era of music. I also would love to see the movie "Love Me or Leave Me", but have not seen it listed. One other thing. It is pitiful that Ruth's career fell apart because of the actions of her "thug" husband. Had she lived in this day and age, he would be the "has-been", and not her.

3/22/2003 7:28:34 PM

name: bookman63@aol.com
location:
comments: I have just discovered Miss Etting after watching the movie based on her life. I found her fascinating and wanted to know more about her. Thank you for this website. It was very informative and well done!

3/27/2003 3:50:14 PM

name: Jenny Debevec
location: Fairfield, Ca
comments: Some great information. I believe there are songs that she recorded that are not listed on the list. I am working on a play about her life and would like to get as much detailed information on her as possible. I would appreciate a coorespondance by someone who has worked on her life. Personal stories, vignettes etc.
Thanks,
Jenny Debevec

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Jenny,

If you know of any songs that are not on the list, please let me know! The song list is by no means complete, I add to it as I find new information, and I'd appreciate the help!

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

4/2/2003 6:01:33 PM

name: Stephanie
location: Huntington, WV
comments: Hi! I'm in a band and were thinking of covering some Ruth Etting songs and I came across your site while searching for lyrics. Anyway I just wanted to say that this is a great site and I love all the pictures of Ruth!

7/5/2003 12:49:50 AM

name: Gregory
location:
comments: Thanks for the great site! The way Ruth sings the verse to You're The Cream In My Coffee gets me every time. What a talent! Good luck with everything and keep up the excellent work!
-Gregory

7/31/2003 8:37:53 PM

name: Kurt Eberle
location: York, PA
comments: I'm 35 years old, and just heard "I ain't got nobody" - and I was blown away.....what a pretty voice. Great site by the way - keep up the good work!

8/14/2003 7:13:19 PM

name: Paul Newman
location:
comments: Her voice just touches my heart. She is so lovely.
Paul

9/12/2003 11:29:18 PM

name: Darrell Kahler
location: David City NEBRASKA
comments:

10/14/2003 1:05:00 AM

name: AJ
location: CO
comments: I was a nurse's aid in a nursing home where I met Ruth Etting. I was too young to have known about her but I soon got to know her and when asked about her life she told me about the follies, radio, and the "scandal"! She gave me an autographed promo. photo of her. She was a very nice lady and Never complained! She still had these HUGE beautiful blue eyes unlike any I've ever seen!

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

AJ,

Thank you for sharing your memories! I'd love to hear more, if you'd like!

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com
11/4/2003 5:57:16 AM

name: mimi
location:
comments: ruth etting rocks

12/11/2003 10:57:10 AM

name: Fred Logue
location: USA, dallas
comments: I am a fan of the Jazz Age, and I was looking at your website. I enjoyed it very much. I hope to find many more like it. Any recommendations?

1/14/2004 5:08:27 PM

name: RobRob & Nobody
location: desert sw ussa (not a typo(:-)
website: www.geocities.com/geolib13/
comments: Nobody's parents gave us an exquisitely decorated, very small urn with a tiny hummingbird handle on the lid, which also is a music box (played by pushing a small lever on the bottom of the urn). RobRob knew the tune to be "Let me call you Sweetheart. I'm in love with you..." but couldn't remember the rest of the lyrics. A simple websearch brought me straight to your fantastic website! We did not know much about Ruth Etting, but now know what an intriguing woman she was. RobRob can't wait to track down that movie you mention about Ruth's life. Thank you for providing a very-well-created website! You have a *world* of information there! ~RobRob & Nobody~

2/22/2004 12:50:39 AM

name: george
location: london england
comments: fantistic songs i cannot wait to buy my first cd

3/21/2004 9:32:49 AM

name: Colin Lawn
location: Sydney Australia
comments: Ruth Etting sings with a charm and a freshness that comes through the oldest of recordings. I am not an expert on Nebraska but if it is Ruth Etting's homestate then it has much to be proud of.

3/29/2004 8:45:00 AM

name: Maurice Cutler
location:
comments: Brilliant site and does great honor to Ms. Etting. I'm hoping to put together something as good for Marion Harris who is undeservedly less well known. You have set a very high standard.

4/18/2004 1:38:04 PM

name: Rogene Smith
location:
comments:

4/18/2004 2:00:03 PM

name: Gothamst8
location: NYC
comments: Like many others, I recently saw "the movie" and then found your website. While I enjoy the music of her era, I knew nothing of Ruth Etting. The film, and more importantly, your website has changed that. Thank you, I'm off to Amazon.com to buy my first Ruth Etting CD.

4/21/2004 4:28:46 PM

name: Lou Dumont
location:
comments: How great to find your Ruth Etting website today. I had just produced a radio broadcast on which I included Ruth Etting's 1931 recording of "Too Late." I followed that with a Frank Crumit and Julia Sanderson broadcast excerpt (1941) wherein they sang the Peter Van Steeden, Harry and Jeff Clarkson composition titled "Home." Searching for more info on THAT song, I went to Google.com and entered the first line of the song "Home." Up came reference to Ruth Etting website.

In 1978, while preparing a series of broadcasts honoring pioneer women broadcasters, I spoke -- by telephone --with Ruth Etting at her home in Colorado Springs. I recorded our brief conversation and included it in the tribute to Ms. Etting. Author George Eels had met her and gave me an interview on his impressions of this wonderful lady. Good to find you on this day. Lou Dumont

4/25/2004 8:30:31 PM

name: ellin monogue
location: Jefferson, WI
comments: Rummaging in the attic and found sheet music with Ruth's picture and autograph on it. She signed it Ruth Etting -Ziegfield's Simple Simon 1930. Didn't know anything about her. Very pretty gal.

4/26/2004 7:22:55 PM

name: Caitlin E. Lane
location:
comments:

5/14/2004 5:42:19 AM

name: Anton Coy
location: Johannesburg, South Africa
comments: Very good web site. One question : I have recently been given a video featuring a song which I think is called "Without That Man". The lady singer is accompanied by Eddie Lang on guitar and looks a lot like Ruth Etting. Lang died in 1933, of course, but I can't find any reference to the song in any of the various Lang and Etting websites I have searched. Can you confirm it is Ruth Etting ? Many thanks, Anton Coy, Johannesburg, South Africa

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Anton,

"Without That Man" was written by Walter Donaldson, and Ruth Etting sang a lot of his other songs, so it is possible.

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

6/24/2004 3:32:17 AM

name: Lynda
location: Maui, HI
comments: Wonderful site! Ruth Etting and my father were cousins. He has some wonderful old photos of her and a few stories as well. What a unique beauty.

7/4/2004 10:12:14 AM

name: EMERALD KRISTINA PRICE
location: SCOTT HIGH SCHOOL
website: CHARLESTON W.V.
comments: COLE PORTER STORY ON CBS SUNDAY MORNING LED ME TO LOOK UP "LOVE FOR SALE"

7/14/2004 9:50:50 AM

name: Susan
location: Orange Park Fl.
comments: I have a Radio mirror magazine for June 1935 Volume 4 No.2. It is so beautiful.

7/19/2004 3:45:06 PM

name: Susan Scherman
location: NYC
comments: Can I purchase any of the full arrangements of all the songs that Ruth did? I'd like to play them in my big band.
Thank you.
Susan Scherman, Conductor
The Robert Lawrence Orchestra &
Sweet Sue and Her Sweethears

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Hi Susan,

I would suggest searching by the authors of the individual songs. Ruth worked with Irving Berlin and Donaldson and Kahn quite often, as well as others, and the the full arrangements may be available through their estates. Sorry I couldn't be more help, but good luck!

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

7/24/2004 5:29:04 PM

name: Jim
location: Federal Way, WA
comments: I typed Ms. Etting's name in All Movie Guide. I met Ms. Etting in the 1970's and was impressed with the one song film we saw and her personality. I don't remember the name of the song but it was suppose to be one of the first attempts to add singing to movies. There was a lot of 'wow' and 'flutter' but it was great. I've carried that memory with me for 30 years.

8/13/2004 12:57:27 AM

name: Claire
location: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina`
comments: Watched the Ruth Etting Story this morning and became an instant fan. Looking forward to purchasing my 1st CD.

9/19/2004 9:04:10 PM

name: Marcia Champion
location: Texas-USA
comments: I was searching for movies with the song ""shine On Harvest Moon"". My daughter is a singer and has not heard the whole song sung in its entirety. It has not been sung recently by anyone in the media. I was sure I had a movie with this song in it, but cannot find a site that lists the songs and the movies they are in. Perhaps there is not a site like this, but I own a lot of musicals since it is my interest and first love of movies and was sure I had one with someone singing this song. So far, I have not found the information I needed so we could play it and she could hear how it is suppose to be sung. I was sure the Ziegfield Follies had this song in it but until I got to this site, I had been unsuccessful in finding much on this song that relates to the movies it appears in. Thank you all for doing your homework. Marcia Champion Musical lover and I forgot how beautiful Ruth Etting was until I got on your site. She was great in so many movies.

9/30/2004 10:10:57 PM

name: Geoff Orr
location: Australia
website: www.lyriccds.com.au
comments: Fantastic revelation on a great talent. My personal friend Smith Ballew (1902-84) often spoke highly of Miss Etting as well as Miss Marion Harris.

10/15/2004 10:06:45 PM

name: Dr. Alan Hecht
location: New York
comments: Just wanted to let you know that I have an original "78" of Ruth singing "Keep Sweeping the Cobwebs Off the Moon" along with the Ted Lewis orchestra. I enjoy playing it on my 1926 Victrola. Your site is very well done. Keep up the good work.

10/20/2004 2:59:01 PM

name: Roni Knell
location: Maryland
comments: Just sitting here watching Doris Day do Ruth in the movie Love Me or Leave Me and now that there is a computer I took advantage of the opportunity to look her up on the internet system and was pleased to find your sight. It is wonderful to be able to find detailed information on specific members of society rather than just accepting what you see on the screen. It is amazing how much is misconstrued by Hollywood. Watching this movie seems to put more accent on Moe than on Ruth. I am glad to learn that the last 40 years of her life were happier for her personally.

10/20/2004 3:19:10 PM

name: Natalie
location: New Jersey
comments: I love Doris Day and one of my favorite movies is "Love Me Or Leave Me". Watching it prompted me to find out more about the 'real' Ruth Etting. She was indeed a beautiful woman. I did not realize the number of songs that she made famous. The film left out a lot of the work that she did and made it seem as if she only did one Ziegfeld show. Thank you for all the effort you put into this website. It is fantastic!!

10/21/2004 9:19:21 AM

name: Phyllis Macdonald
location:
comments: A real star discovered again. Thank you for this website.…

11/7/2004 1:40:05 AM

name: Anthony W. Kalberg
location: Gulfport, Mississippi
comments: I just purchased Ruth Etting's cd, "Ten Cents a Dance", and WOW, I'm a gonner. What a sweet voice, with just the right touch of pathos. Having always enjoyed the sound of the music from that era, I fully intend to purchase her other cd's. I've also enjoyed reading the information on her Web-sights, but have a question. I read on one of those sights, that Miss Etting did not keep any of her original recordings because she thought they were "corney." I think that was the word she used. So, if she were alive today, would she find my interest in her music, and its evocative sound, "corney"? She appeared to be a sweet lady. I would hope the answer to my question would be "NO". Maybe one day, up there, I can ask her. May God bless.

12/6/2004 1:17:29 PM

name: Taylor Wozny
location:
comments:

2/16/2005 3:00:16 PM

name: Tina
location: Colorado Springs, CO
website: www.co-spgs-omeletteparlor.com
comments: I love this web page the photos are great, I am the General Manager of a restaurant that is in the house she used to live in and enjoy any info I can get on her!! The customers love the history. Our web page is www.co-spgs-omeletteparlor.com. Thank You.

2/18/2005 8:24:01 AM

name: John O'Halloran
location: Nova Scotia Canada
website: johnohalloran.com
comments: I have been singing and entertaining for 60 years, since age 5 and if any female artist has influenced me, it would be Ruth Etting...her style, her feelings and her courage are a model for anyone. Thank you for the opportunity to "sing" her praises.

3/12/2005 11:29:17 AM

name: Ray Wiggs
location: website: Ray Wiggs
comments: After listening to Doris Day's version of Ruth Etting, I was prompted to see exactly what the singer actually looked like and to find out more on her. Your website provided me with a greater understanding and glimpse into who she was. What a beautiful lady, and what a roller coaster life she had. I am left wondering if she really was the sweet, tragic martyr as portrayed by Ms Day.

3/24/2005 12:51:42 PM

name: Dr. Eze Mgbada
location: Lome-Togo
comments: A very nice site keep it up.

4/1/2005 12:34:24 PM

name: Robert E. McKenney
location:
comments: What a great tribute to Ms. Etting. In the late 1920's my mother under the name of Joanne Rae was singing at the Chicago, Granada and Marlboro Theaters. She was not famous - filled in for the bigger names of the day. Eddie Cantor, Julian Eltinge and once filled in for Ms. Etting at the Oriental. Her agents were Ernie Young and Eddie Giddleson. As a result of my mother's brief career and although Ms. Etting's time was long before I was born, I was exposed to Ms. Ettings great recordings - she was tops and your site is tops. Bob McKenney

4/1/2005 5:55:47 PM

name: Doug Houghton
location:
comments: Wonderful site great pics Real nifty Thank you so much 80 year old browser

4/2/2005 4:26:11 PM

name: Raymond Lee Polly
location: Greenville, In.
comments: Found a 78rpm of Annette Hanshaw singing, My Sin. Hooked, went to Amazon for CD's. She and Ruth have voices and song selections that would melt the hardest heart. Only problem is stemming the tears!!! Lovely and more.

4/7/2005 11:32:31 PM

name: Sean Martin
location:
comments: I have been digging around the internet and 1920's era magazines for information on Ruth Etting since 2002. I am amazed that as more time passes more information can be found on the internet about the lovely Ruth Etting. I hope that there will be more information about this fine lady as she represents a long gone part of our culture. May her memory be eternal.

4/14/2005 6:22:33 AM

name: Jacinto Guevara
location: S.A. Tx
comments: Thanks for putting this info up. I have joyously played my three 78's of Ruth since I found them in the seventies. Now I know they are from 1930, thanks to your song date list. "I'll be blue just thinking of you" Jacinto in San Antonio

4/18/2005 11:26:37 PM

name: Joan Reigle
location:
comments: I've been trying to find the words to a song my Mom sang when we were growing up. I know some of lines and sang them to my 3 year old granddaughter. She wants more of it. It is STARS (are the window of heaven). How can I find it. PLEASE?

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Joan,

I'd love to have information on all the songs Ruth Etting recorded and performed, but it can be difficult to find. Go to "Stars" for the info I currently have on the song. Good luck with your search!

Cheryl Spelts
ruthetting.com

4/29/2005 12:33:49 AM

name: Genie Petrocco
location:
comments: My mother recently passed away, and her and I would sing, "You're the Cream in my Coffee". So glad to find the words on this website. Lot's of memories as I browsed down the list of songs that Ms. Etting sang.

4/29/2005 8:24:39 PM

name: Eddie Fontaine Jr.
location: San Diego, CA USA
comments: My first introduction to Ruth Etting was about 1959 at the time I was nine years old and it had been my passion to collect gramophone records. I distinctly remember coming across Ruth Etting’s recording of “You’re The Cream In My Coffee” (1929). I had often heard this song and I was amazed that I had found the original artist that made this song so famous. From that moment on I was hooked, the inflection, the ease, and interpretation of Ms Etting’s style of singing was so original as to forever stand out in my mind. Since 1959 and through the advent of preserving these rare recordings on CD I am fortunate to be able to hear the full scope of Ruth Etting’s remarkable talents, she will always be my favorite female vocalist. On my desk I have a cherished photograph of Ruth Etting together with Bing Crosby, it is my opinion that these two singers were the pioneers in the art of jazz singing and paved the way for so many new singers of they’re era. It has always amazed me how both these singers had such a knack and an uncanny knowledge of the new medium of electronic recording and how to best use a microphone. After about thirty-five years I re-watched Doris Day’s “Love Me Or Leave Me” although Doris Day does a magnificent job singing a catalog of Ruth Etting songs none of the songs were sung ala Ruth Etting, I noticed that the studio took the liberty of changing the original scores and going as fare as to change the original NOTES! I was also disappointed that the studio took the option of removing every one of the Verses from the songs that were chosen for the film. I have noticed that the majority of lyrics published on this fantastic web site are also missing the Verse, what happened to the VERSE?

5/11/2005 6:34:04 PM

name: Ken Irwin
location:
comments: You have obliquely mentioned a film to be made regarding Ruth Etting and the Gimp. I completed a biography of Ruth Etting some ten years ago. It took me over three years to research and write it. I had hoped that PBS might produce a documentary about Ruth, as in "The American Experience" but that hasn't happened, at least not yet.

I have spoken with Mr. Schrader and it is my unpublished manuscript of the Etting story that he is using as source material for the screenplay. We will see what happens.

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Ken,

How cool to hear from you! You may call it an oblique mention, but the truth is I don't know much about the upcoming movie - just what I read in Variety.

And I'm very happy to hear that Paul Schrader has access to your manuscript and your three years of research. The 1955 movie was a good film, and I'd be thrilled to see it remade - but personally I think the true story is even more compelling!

If you have any other secrets you'd like to share, I'd love to hear them!

Cheryl

5/13/2005 8:15:51 PM

name: Matthew Q.
location: Michigan
comments: What a thrill it was to catch "Hips, Hips, Hooray!" on Turner Classic Movies a few weeks ago. Ruth Etting is so fresh and wholesome-looking, with a voice as pure as any I could imagine. A real swell gal! What I would not give to see "Gift of Gab" and Miss Etting's other musical short subjects. I also think it would be exciting to hear transcriptions of her radio shows, but the CD re-issues of her phonograph records will have to do. (I've got 'em all!) The site looks wonderful. ====== From sweet seventeen to seventy-five, The rivalry's keen and for love to survive, Whatever you do, keep romance alive! A ring on the 'phone, a little bouquet, Has often been known to keep trouble away. Whatever you do, keep romance alive! Sigh with 'em when you hear their sighs. It's oh, so wise. Keep praising them up to the skies, And keep on telling lies. They love to be told they're first on the list, They're never too old to be coddled and kissed. Whatever you do, keep romance alive!"

5/14/2005 6:18:08 PM

name: Randy L Flink
location:
comments: Ruth Etting is in my family. Her husband Moe Snyder was my grandfather's half brother. My grandfather passed away years ago but my 78-year old father is still able to lucidly remember how his parents socialized with Ruth and Moe, and how a strong bond of friendship existed between Ruth and my grandmother.

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Randy,

If your father would like to share some of his memories, I'd love to post them on the site!

Cheryl

5/15/2005 8:55:49 AM

name: annonymous
location:
comments: Thank you for your site. It is so hard to find words for songs that the elderly used to sing, so long ago. These really help us with our sing-alongs in our activity department. Thank you so much.

5/17/2005 8:43:56 PM

name: Ken Irwin
location:
comments: You have listed the CD "Goodnight My Love" among those available -- I wrote the liner notes for that one at the request of Jim Bedoian who produced several Etting compilation LP's as well as CD's for those who may be interested. Have several of the films (short subject as well as features) as well.

10/28/2005 11:07:12 AM

name: martion j kaplan,Ph.D.
location:
comments: Know her only through that great movie with Day and Cagney but an urge to know lots more: how did the marriage with Meryl go? how many years did Marty spend in jail? Was the decline in her career really due to the "scandals", why would it? Think it is wonderful that a family member would erect this site in her memory.

11/9/2005 5:41:19 PM

name: John Tremaine
location:
comments: Ruth was always one of my favorites, no matter what. Nothing anyone can say will wipe out the glow of her stardom...she stood alone in many ways, unchallenged by anyone. She was a star without peer...I encourage you to keep going and I will add what I can come up with since so much has been lost.

11/20/2005 5:37:20 PM

name: Eric Etherton
location: Atlanta, Georgia
comments: Ruth and Myrl's grandson David Alderman and I both roomed and received our music degrees from the same college, where her songs and his arrangements were often performed. David Alderman continues the legacy as a professional arranger. We have played together in our own groups as well as others. It's great to see Ruth's info and hope that Myrl's can be added, especially his scoring the first King Kong music for film.

12/6/2005 12:09:43 PM

name: georg
location: austria
comments: your site is really amazing- i like your stuff here... i wish you and your guests a wonderful christmas time... musical greetz from vienna !!

12/27/2005 12:14:28 PM

name: Marty Teplitzky
location:
comments: Your site is extremely informative and enjoyable to visit. Nice job. I recently heard Ruth's rendition of "Life Is A Song." It's simply great. She sounds markedly different from titles recorded before and after this one. Was she intentionally experimenting with a new sound? Had she continued with it, I think she might have had many more hits through the 1940's. Any story connected to this disc?

1/3/2006 11:53:20 PM

name: william weaver
location: Portola, California
comments: I have always admired Ruth Etting as well as Billie Holiday and Helen Morgan!!! The MAIN reason, My Mother was an AVID admirrer of all this period in time, I actually enjoy most SILENT movies- thanks to My MOM. Now I will search for more of Ruth- thanks to your SITE, Thank you, William

1/9/2006 8:59:50 PM

name: Rev. Harry J. Teuchert
location:
comments: I will be 73 next month and my mother sang me many of Ruth's songs when I was a boy. My mom was a big fan and so was my Dad. They sang together all the time. Some of my favorites were "Button Up You Overcoat" & "Smoke Get's in you Eyes." I found the web site by accident. I just thought I would type in her name and there she was. I am hoping to buy some of her recordings and reminesce. The family has kept her memory so alive with this site. They are to be commended for their love and devotion.

2/1/2006 10:02:20 AM

name: RICH GUGAR
location: LAKEWOOD
comments: LOVE THE OLDER MUSIC,THE BEST EVEN AT THIS TIME OF DAY. YOU CAN STILL GET A SMILE FROM A SWEETHEART WHEN YOU ARE SINGING IT.

2/11/2006 8:03:42 AM

name: Gary Weder
location:
comments: I discovered Ruth by accident on the net. I'm a 50 year old Led Zepplin , Black Sabbath , Deep Purple kind of guy but when I heard Ruth I was hooked. Keep up the good work bringing this great artist to the worlds attention. Regards Gary Weder.

3/14/2006 12:01:16 AM

name: Sherry Martin
location: Alameda, CA
comments: When my grandmother Betty Campbell (Martin) died in 1988 we found pictures of her as a dancer at the Marigold Room in Chicago from the 1920's. We had no idea she had this secret past life. She must have overlapped with Ruth Etting there and wonder if anyone knows anything about her?

5/6/2006 11:21:56 AM

name: Vicki
location: Birmingham, AL
comments: What was Ruth's family life after her "retirement". Did she have children? If so how many, sex..are they in entertainment today, or what fields did they chose to enter? Are there any additional photo's available of her and her family?

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Vicki,

Ruth never had any children of her own - but she was a stepmother. She made her last record in 1937 when she was forty, and spent the next thirty years happily married to Myrl Alderman. He passed on in 1966, and she followed in 1978.

Cheryl

5/9/2006 2:36:51 PM

name: Sarah
location: website: myspace
comments: I love the whole 20's 30's cabaret/ jazz scene and music, I was looking up Edith Piaf when I discovered this site. http://great-song-stylists-uk.com my gateway to music heaven as i was searching and browsing I saw her Ruth Etting I was completely glued and still am She is truly amazing with a voice like an angel.

5/28/2006 2:34:00 AM

name: joanne quesada
location: Chicago, USA
comments: Hi, I was at an estate auction recently a got a lovely photo of her signed in 1932. I'm going to be selling it on Ebay (I'm in the antiques buinsess) but wanted you to have a copy as its such a lovely image. Here are two links, please feel free to use on your site: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/Mrtibbs/MAY%20EBAY/DSC01124.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/Mrtibbs/MAY%20EBAY/DSC01125.jpg Contact me if you need a larger copy of the first image. thanks!

From Cheryl at RuthEtting.com:

Joanne,

Thanks! I actually own that image myself, and it's on this site too - It's one of my favorites!

Cheryl

6/4/2006 3:59:20 AM

name: annonymous
location:
comments: I heard first time Ruth Etting singing on the intrenet radio- Dismuke- and now i am a fan:) Why there are no songs for listening in this site? that would be great. I love this song: "let me sing and i am happy":)-if someone knows where i can listen that- i would be more than happy to know that:)) <3 Pictures in this site is totally great! in those days they make great pictures!!

6/17/2006 8:46:40 PM

name: Jan
location: Michigan
comments: I am looking for the words, sheet music, and music for the song Keep Romance Alive. I just read on this site, someone in 2005, wrote some of the words and saw the movie w/the song on Turner Classic Movies. How do I get Turner Clasic Movies? My father sang this song over and over while in a solitary cell after first being captured in WWII. When he stopped singing, the man in the next cell pleaded with him to keep singing. If anyone is able to help me, I would appreciate it! Jan

6/26/2006 7:18:35 PM

name: Debbie
location:
comments: Is there still a remake of "Love me or Leave me" in the works? Does anyone know who would be starring in it? No one can take the place of Doris Day portraying Ruth Etting.

7/6/2006 4:00:20 PM

name: cynthia h rover
location: website: cynthia@hrov.freeserve.co.uk
comments: I was very interested in Ruth Etting after seeing Doris Day in Love me or Leave me with James Cagney, it made me wonder how she could marry him, I know at times you feel you owe a debt to people but if the film is true to life she helped him open his new night club. Ruth must have been one hell of a Lady.Was she from the jewish faith? it's a pleasure to look at the website. Many thanks Cynthia Rover

7/7/2006 4:19:06 PM

name: Daniel Ledden
location: wisconsin
comments: I just bought some piano sheet music Its all original and framed.It was published by Leo Feist inc. would you like to see picture ?

9/25/2006 12:42:24 AM

name: Matthew
location: Michigan
comments: I can help Jan (who posted back in June) with an mp3 of "Keep Romance Alive" if she'd like it. She can contact me: ragtimematt (at) gmail.com

10/13/2006 5:28:18 PM

name: bernard baldous
location: france
comments: ruth est formidable! she's wonderful, very good singer, and she's the first to record famous standards like "body & soul", "love me or leave me", "it's easy to remember" ... and your site is great! bb

11/15/2006 5:45:02 PM

name: RJ
location:
comments: I found an original ad that matches the one on this website with Ruth at the top right and printed as a Kellogg's advertisement for college students. Is it of any interest to anyone?

1/9/2007 2:49:10 PM

name: Julie Warren
location:
comments: I am currently working with a group called Women In History and I am interested in portraying Ruth Etting to bring her alive for senior citizens as well as school children. Your site has been very helpful in learning more about her and her life. One thing I was hoping for more details on the actual "scandal". Did she witness the shooting of Myrl? Where was Myrl shot? What was he doing? This is obviously the "dramatic" part of a presentation and I would like to make sure that I understand the specifics correctly. Are there any newspaper clippings with more information regarding the shooting, her reaction, Myrl's recovery or the court case? Thanks so much for your help.

2/15/2007 9:39:51 PM

name: Mark
location: website: no site
comments: Ruth's last recordings were not it 1937.....she recorded all be it scantily well into the 50's with one recording "They'll Be Soem CHanges Made" and old 30's hit made in 1958.......and what is REARKABLE is: she BARELY sounded a year older ~!

3/29/2007 2:17:34 PM

name: Sue
location: Nebraska
comments: Hi! I have a small item that has advertising on it. It reads: Sing for Ruth Etting Ice Cream, Kaiser & Blair, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio. Do you know anything about the history of Ruth Etting Ice Cream, where it was made, etc? Thanks..Sue

3/29/2007 2:37:53 PM

name: Leigh
location:
comments: I'm very interested in Ruth's life and career. Do you have more info you could provide me with? Email address or phone numbers of people who have written a bio of her life perhaps?Thanks so much!

4/1/2007 4:12:40 PM

name: Ed Deyter,Jr
location:
comments: Hello! One of the thrills of my life was to be in contact with Miss Ruth Etting. She sent me a 2 page handwritten letter, a large Ziegfeld photo, (To My Friend Eddie)and rare 45 rpm recording (limited copies) all autographed. Miss Etting had a grand voice. Feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Ed Deyter

4/11/2007 4:40:49 PM

name: Susan Kay Johnson
location:
comments: I am a long-time fan of Ruth Etting's music, and I spent quite a few years living in Nebraska prior to moving to Manhattan in 1996. When I lived in Lincoln, I produced and hosted a radio program, "The Women's Blues & Boogie Show...And All That Jazz." Regularly, I played Ms. Etting's recordings on my show. In addition, one of my prize possessions is an Edith Wharton book, Morocco, with Ruth's signature inside the front cover. I cherish it. A few short weeks ago, I launched an internet radio show, MY CASTLE'S ROCKIN', and I am continuing to broadcast the music of women, accompanied by their stories, helping to document their lives in some small way. I am playing Ruth's recordings nearly every week. This week, I'm playing "You're The Cream In My Coffee." If you want to tune in, here's the webpage, etc.: www.live365.com/stations/andallthatjazz

4/12/2007 12:29:59 PM

name: Richard Hughes
location: Florida
website: Cross Creek Groves & Tropical Fruit Wine
comments: My dad, Brownie Hughes, met & became friends with Ruth & Myrl in the mid 30's in Colorado Springs Co. He was the manager/bartender of the bar in the Anteler's Hotel there. I'm not sure if they were performing or just staying there. They became friends and my dad eventally worked as Myrl "bodyguard". I don't know if this was before or after Myrl was shot. When WWll broke out my dad left Colorado and went into the Navy. After the war, dad married and he and my mother moved back to Colorado until they moved to Florida in 1950. They remained in contact with Ruth & Myrl until Myrl & Ruth's death, I know thye visted with Ruth at least once after Myrl's death. I was told I did meet both of them but was only baby and of course do not recall them, but do recall getting Chrismas cards from Ruth nearly every year. Both of my parents are now deceased, but know they would have loved this site and espically a chance to purchase some of her music. Somewhere I have a picture or two of Myrl & my dad and possably Ruth, I'll attempt to locate them. Best regards Richard Hughes Florida

4/12/2007 2:21:46 PM

name: S. C. Cartwright
location: Al Kuwayt, Kuwait
comments: While perusing my televison guide, I saw that "Love Me or Leave Me" is coming on tonight. I've spent the last four hours e-searching Ruth Etting and your site rocks! Now, as for a remake of the movie; JLo is too ethnic to pass for a mid-west Singing Sweetheart, Angelina, as far as we know, can't sing a note and I'm tired of dubbed singing in movies. Kate Winslet has the "look" of a wholesome mid-west girl but, someone that can sing and has the look would be more appropriate to honor this woman and the film. I would nominate Christina Aquilera. She's a bit risque but she's got the talent to pay homage to Ms. Etting. JMO

4/15/2007 7:12:10 PM

name: Mike Shanley
location: New York
comments: Hey, I am an experimental musician and a lover of Ruth Etting's work. I would like to use a sample of 'Love Me or Leave Me' in a piece I'm working on and was wondering: 1. If there is an active copyright on the score/recording. 2. Who holds the rights and where I can go to get in touch with them. Thank you very much! Mike PS- Great website!

4/21/2007 10:57:04 PM

name: Jon Dichter
location: Wynnewood, PA
comments: I first saw and heard Ruth Etting in a film short with Eddie Lang playing guitar. It was an intimate moment in music history. Do you have any Eddie Lang stories that I can use for a documentary I'm putting together about Eddie's life? Any photos or stories about Eddie's wife, Kitty who was also a Zigfield folly? Thanks, Jon

4/25/2007 5:52:57 PM

name: Neil Sheesley
location: Westminster,CO
comments: Miss Etting used to babysit my father when he was a boy in Colorado Springs. I met her in the summer of 1976 and have an autographed card from her. She was a very interesting lady.

5/2/2007 1:37:30 PM

name: m
comments: Ruth Etting is a good singer from that time era.

5/20/2007 9:23:43 AM

name: Princess
location: NYC
comments: I just finished watching "Love Me Or Leave Me" for the 10th time and thoroughly enjoyed. The more I watch this fabulous bio of the late Ruth Etting the more I love it. Doris Day and James Cagney both play magnificent roles in this movie and both should have received an Oscar! As for Ruth Etting, I thought she had a beautiful voice and appeared to be such as sweet person. I watched two of her vintage shorts on the DVD and thought she was a superb talent!!

5/20/2007 6:37:57 PM

name: mike burns
location: Lincoln England
comments: Frequently the butt of parody during the 1940's for her overtly sentimental singing style-(comic co stage impersonations included buckets to contain all the tears); it seems there's nothing so dated as yesterday's fashion, and Ruth Etting's own latterday complicity with 1940's critical opinion caused her to dismiss almost the entire recorded oputput of her 1920's heyday, as 'corny rubbish', thus prompting her tentative and ill-advised foray into the brassy '40's singing style, in an attempted comeback, which, fortunately for her long term credability, proved unsuccessful. Those very qualities which deterred the audiences of the 'swing' era seem to take on such different aspect now, for her best interpretations possess a grace, simplicity and lightness of touch that is so very affecting, shining with ever greater contrast to a careless and agressive modern world, where the clamour for media attention, sensationalism and the easy buck grows ever louder. Ruth, if you're listening somewhere up there, you were mistaken. Your records are a delight.

5/23/2007 12:08:30 AM

name: charles marowitz
location: Malibu, CA.
website: marowitztheater.comcomments: Am very anxious to contact KEN IRWIN who has written a biography of Ruth Etting. Could KEN IRWIN please contact me by e-mail at: Winomar@mac.com. This is very urgent. If anyone knows KEN IRWIN's whereabouts, I would appreciate hearing from them. This is very urgent. Many thanks, Charles Marowitz

Welcome!

noreply@blogger.com (cheryl) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:36:00 +0000

Welcome to the brand new Ruth Etting Blog!

Why a blog? Well the comment section of RuthEtting.com has been a prime target of spammers for years. I switched from a commercial guestbook, to a system I designed and developed myself, hoping that if I wasn't using a system the spam bots were familiar with, they'd leave, and move on. But over time, the bots got smarter, or the humans got more desperate for places to post, and the guestbook started to fill up with spam again. So it's time to move back to commercially available software again, but this time do it with a solution that is GOOD at controlling spam. So here we are at Blogger!

But a blog is more than just comments! It'll also give me a new place to share the photos I add to the gallery, or share other news about the site - or if we're really lucky about other news about Ruth Etting. There is still a movie in the works, and a book or two being written. You just never know!