Issie Ringgold
Issie Ringgold | |
|---|---|
 Ringgold, from a 1926 newspaper | |
| Born | Isola Ringgold March 1887 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | May 15, 1952 (aged 65) New York, New York, U.S. |
| Other name | Izzy Ringgold |
| Occupations | Blues singer, vaudeville performer |
| Years active | 1910s to 1940s |
Isola "Issie" Ringgold (March 1887 – May 15, 1952) was an American blues singer, known for suggestive songs she performed mostly on burlesque and vaudeville programs in the 1920s and 1930s.
Early life
[edit]Ringgold was born in Philadelphia,[1] the daughter of William A. Ringgold and Ella Chase Ringgold.[2] Her father worked for the Atlantic City Highway Department.[3] Her sisters Charlotte Ringgold and Muriel Ringgold were also entertainers.[4][5]
Career
[edit]Ringgold was dancing and singing in Chicago by 1911,[6] and on the New York stage by 1913.[7] She appeared in a 1917 act with Jesse A. Shipp, called "Down Home Ten".[8] She was in a musical comedy in 1925, Moochin' Along, written by Jesse A. Shipp, Cecil Mack, and James Johnson.[9]
In 1926, she joined the cast of "Rarin' to Go",[10] and the act "Izzy Ringgold and the Dancing Maids" was part of the Connie's Inn Revue.[1] It was labeled "the most indecent show ever shown in Harlem", and police tried to monitor the show.[11] She headed "Flashes of 1928" in Washington, D.C. in 1928.[12] She starred in another revue, "Sunflower South", in 1929, singing "That's My Weakness", "My Mother's Eyes", and "He's Funny That Way",[13] and toured with her sisters Charlotte and Muriel, and a large cast of other vaudeville performers.[14]
Ringgold toured on burlesque programs in the 1930s, billed as "the Female Furore".[15] She sang suggestive songs, with titles including "My Handy Man" and "He's a Good Meat Cutter".[16][17] In 1930 she was in The Joy Boat, a touring revue with Moms Mabley, Jimmie Baskett, Dusty Fletcher, Johnny Hudgins, and others.[18] In 1939 she headlined "Lucky Sambo's Harlem Revue", a touring production with 70 performers.[19][20] She continued performing into the 1940s.[21]
Recordings
[edit]Ringgold made two recordings for the Columbia Records label in 1930, "He's a Good Meat Cutter" and "Be On Your Merry Way". Those recordings have been anthologized several times, including on Blue Ladies Vol. 2 (1968), Big Mamas (1982), The Blues 1923 to 1933 (1987, BBC Records),[22][23] Jazz Classic Masterpieces III (1989), Female Blues Singers (1991), Blue Girls (1996), and Heartbreakers (2000).[24]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Critical Season Facing Actors; Miss Ringgold in Washington After a Successful Year's Run at Connie's". The Afro-American. 1927-09-17. p. 2. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 1920 United States census, via Ancestry.
- ↑ "William Ringgold". Press of Atlantic City. 1947-12-09. p. 14. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "New Managers for Crescent Theatre". The New York Age. 1913-05-22. p. 6. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Hayes, Bob (1929-12-07). "'Home Again' Scores at the Grand Theater". The Chicago Defender. p. 11. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Russell, Sylvester (1911-02-25). "Musical and Dramatic". The Chicago Defender. p. 4. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Franklin Theatre". The New York Age. 1913-03-27. p. 6. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Theatricals". The Nashville Globe. 1917-11-30. p. 8. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Stage Notes". New Pittsburgh Courier. 1925-12-19. p. 9. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Joins 'Rarin' to Go'". The Afro-American. 1926-04-10. p. 5. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Connie's Dancers Criticised, Police Picket One Performance". New Pittsburgh Courier. 1926-11-13. p. 9. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
- ↑ "'Flashes of 1928' Tops D.C. Shows". The Afro-American. 1927-10-29. p. 7. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Stage Review: 'Sunflower South'". The Afro-American. 1929-05-04. p. 13. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Here and There with Bob Hayes". The Chicago Defender. 1929-05-18. p. 6. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Issie Ringgold advertisement". Evening star. 1930-03-03. p. 32. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Issie Ringgold Featured Over Mutual Circuit". The Chicago Defender. 1930-03-15. p. 10. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "New Show at Parsons's Well Liked". Hartford Courant. 1933-01-24. p. 7. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Jr, Bernard L. Peterson (1993-10-25). A Century of Musicals in Black and White: An Encyclopedia of Musical Stage Works By, About, or Involving African Americans. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 202. ISBN 978-0-313-06454-8.
- ↑ Kellum, David W. (1939-03-11). "Backstage with the Scribe". The Chicago Defender. p. 19. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Seals, Ernest (Baby) (1939-03-11). "Casino Theatre Presents Six Big Harlem Acts in Mixed Revue". New Journal and Guide. p. 19. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Hi Hat advertisement". The Bayonne Times. 1944-01-08. p. 10. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newsppers.com.
- ↑ "The Blues 1923-1933 (BBC Records), review". Herald Express. 1988-10-05. p. 35. Retrieved 2026-02-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2003). All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 644. ISBN 978-0-87930-736-3.
- ↑ "Issie Ringgold". Discogs. Archived from the original on 2021-02-18. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
External links
[edit]- Issie Ringgold singing "Be On Your Merry Way" (1930 recording, via YouTube)