the1920sand30s | Ruth Etting - Talkin' To Myself (1934) @the1920sand30s | Uploaded September 2021 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
Performed by: Ruth Etting With Jimmie Grier And His Orchestra

Full Song Title: Talkin' To Myself

Recorded in: August, 1934

Ruth Etting (born November 23, 1897 – died September 24, 1978) was an American singing star and actress of the 1920s and 1930s, who had over 60 hit recordings and worked in stage, radio, and film. Known as "America's sweetheart of song", her signature tunes were "Shine On, Harvest Moon", "Ten Cents a Dance" and "Love Me or Leave Me". Her other popular recordings included "Button Up Your Overcoat", "Mean to Me", "Exactly Like You" and "Shaking the Blues Away".

As a young girl in Nebraska, Etting had wanted to be an artist; she drew and sketched everywhere she was able. At sixteen, her grandparents decided to send her to art school in Chicago. While Etting attended class, she found a job at the Marigold Gardens nightclub; after a short time there, Etting gave up art classes in favor of a career in show business. Etting, who enjoyed singing in school and church, never took voice lessons. She quickly became a featured vocalist at the club. Etting was then managed by Moe Snyder, whom she married in 1922. Snyder made arrangements for Etting's recording and film contracts as well as her personal and radio appearances. She became nationally known when she appeared in Flo Ziegfeld's Follies of 1927.

After an unissued test made by Victor on April 4, 1924, Etting was signed to Columbia Records in February 1926. She remained at Columbia through June 1931, when she split her recording between ARC (Banner, Perfect, Romeo, Oriole, etc.) and Columbia through March 1933. She signed with Brunswick and remained there until May 1934, when she re-signed with Columbia through July 1935. After a solitary Brunswick session in March 1936, she signed with the British label Rex and recorded two sessions in August and September, 1936. Etting returned to the US and signed with Decca in December 1936 and recorded until April 1937, when she basically retired from recording.

Etting intended to retire from performing in 1935, but this did not happen until after her divorce from Snyder in 1937. Harry Myrl Alderman, Etting's pianist, was separated from his wife when he and Etting began a relationship. Snyder did not like seeing his former wife in the company of other men and began making telephone threats to Etting in January 1938. By October, Snyder traveled to Los Angeles and detained Alderman after he left a local radio station; he forced the pianist to take him to the home of his ex-wife at gunpoint. Saying he intended to kill Etting, Alderman, and his own daughter, Edith, who worked for Etting, Snyder shot Alderman. Three days after Alderman was shot, his wife filed suit against Etting for alienation of affections.

While Alderman and Etting claimed to have been married in Mexico in July 1938, Alderman's divorce would not be final until December of that year. The couple was married during Moe Snyder's trial for attempted murder in December 1938. Etting and Alderman relocated to a farm outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado, where they were primarily out of the spotlight for most of their lives. Alderman, who was raised in Colorado Springs, operated a restaurant there for a time. Etting and Alderman remained married until his death in Denver on November 28, 1966; he was buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Colorado Springs. Etting died in Colorado Springs in 1978, aged 81. She was survived by a stepson, John Alderman, and four grandchildren.

James W. "Jimmie" Grier (born March 17, 1902 in Pittsburgh - died June 4, 1959 in Los Angeles) was an American jazz musician and band leader of the 1930's.

From the late 1920's onwards, Grier worked in the bands of Gus Arnheim (who he made the first recordings with for Okeh Records in 1928), Abe Lyman, George Stoll and Connee Boswell. From 1931 to 1933 he was a band leader and in the following years he recorded some songs for Brunswick, Columbia and Decca Records.

With The "Object of My Affection" (vocals Pinky Tomlin) Grier had a number one hit in the US in 1934. As a songwriter he also worked with Tomlin on numerous other pop songs. Grier worked with his orchestra at the Biltmore Hotel until 1937 before leading a touring orchestra. During World War II he served in the US Coast Guard and was deputy to Rudy Vallee, whom he succeeded as head of the Coast Guard Band with the rank of lieutenant. After the end of the war, he revived his old band at the Biltmore Bowl, but when his big bands' success waned, he continuned working in Hollywood with a smaller ensemble and as a disc jockey. Eventually he gave up the music business entirely to enter real estate. He was stricken with a serious illness, which caused his death in 1959 at age 57.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I have.

Best wishes,
Stu
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