Ruth Etting

America's Forgotten Sweetheart

Ruth Etting (1897-1978) was among the most important performers of the early 20th century. Her influence extends from the Broadway stage to radio and film, and her successes included more than 60 popular recordings, such as her 1928 rendition of 'Love Me or Leave Me,' which was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2005. Although her story was brought to the screen in the classic 1955 film of the same title with Doris Day and James Cagney, no serious treatment of her life has been written until now. In Ruth Etting: America's Forgotten Sweetheart, authors Kenneth Irwin and Charles O. Lloyd provide the first full-length biography of this ground-breaking artist. This book recounts Etting's early years as a radio performer who quickly attained national celebrity, her recording career as 'Sweetheart of Columbia Records,' and her innovative work in film. 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. The authors also examine Etting's place in the history of American entertainment, specifically her trend-setting vocal style and her pioneering work in phonograph recordings and radio, as well as her enormous popularity throughout the 1930s. The most in-depth treatment of this artist's life and career, Ruth Etting: America's Forgotten Sweetheart includes anecdotes, previously unavailable photos, and both a discography and filmography. Here is a link to the author's website