Ruth Etting (November 23, 1897 – September 24, 1978) was an American singin… Read Full Bio ↴Ruth Etting (November 23, 1897 – September 24, 1978) was an American singing star and actress of the 1920s and 1930s, who had over sixty hit recordings and worked in stage, radio, and film. She was known as America's Radio Sweetheart, and was the top female vocalist in America for several years, often singing in the 'torch' song style. In 1925, Ruth Etting was discovered by a Columbia record executive in Chicago and was signed to a nation-wide deal. In 1927 she was recommended by Irving Berlin to Florenz Ziegfeld for a spot in his Follies. She was an instant success in New York, and the top vocalist in the country for a number of years.

Ruth was born in David City, Nebraska. Her mother died when she was 5, and her father left her with her grandparents, George and Hannah Etting, who owned a roller mill. Her father remarried and moved away, seldom visiting his daughter. When she was 17 she moved to Chicago to attend art school, and got a job designing costumes at a night club. One night the tenor got sick and since she was the only one who could sing low enough, she took his place, and landed a job in the chorus. By 1918 she was one of the club's featured vocalists. It was there she met Moe "The Gimp" Snyder, a wanna-be gangster who took over management of Ruth's career and married her in 1922.

After her New York sucess, she moved to Los Angeles and had roles in a number of films including Roman Scandals with Eddie Cantor. There are conflicting stories about the scandal that virtually ended her career. The marriage between Ms. Etting and The Gimp was virtually loveless from the beginning, and he was a demanding and controlling manager who would not let other men near his wife. They were divorced in 1937. While in Los Angeles she began spending time with Myrl Alderman, a pianist who had played with her earlier in her career. In 1938, The Gimp forced his way into Ruth's house, and shot Alderman, wounding him. The subsequent trial put a halt to her career, although she did make some appearances in 1947. Ruth and Myrl married and retired to Colorado Springs, where she died in 1978. The academy award nominated movie version of her life story, Love me or Leave Me, with Jimmy Cagney and Doris Day, was apparently highly fictionalized.

A Message From The Man In The Moon
Ruth Etting Lyrics

The man in the moon looked into my window
And found me alone and blue
The man in the moon told me something and told me to tell it to you.

I've got a message from The Man In The Moon for you
Just you
He said to tell you there's a bench in the park for two,
Just two

I know you should be sleeping and I'm keeping you awake

But I'm just delivering a message he told me to take

I've got a message saying love will be 'round to call and then
If we don't meet him he may never be 'round to call again;

The evening found me lonely and I thought you might be lonely too
So I brought a message from The Man In The Moon for you.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Written by: BRONISLAW KAPER, GUS KAHN, WALTER JURMANN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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