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Blanche Ring (April 24, 1871 – January 13, 1961), was an American singer and actress in Broadway theatre productions, musicals, and Hollywood motion pictures.
Blanche Ring was born in Boston, Massachusetts. In John Parker's Who's Who In The Theatre (eleventh edition) she listed 1877 as the year of her birth rather than 1871, which was correct. This was done for business reasons.
Blanche was a granddaughter of James H. Ring, a leading comedian of the Boston Museum company. Her great-great-grandfather, Charles Fisher, came to this country from England. He journeyed with theatrical caravans as far west as the Mississippi River. Her heritage was English-Irish-Scottish. Four generations of her ancestors were Shakespearean actors. Her great niece is conductor Jane Ring Frank.
Miss Ring made her debut at sixteen in A Parisian Romance, with Richard Mansfield. Later she acted with Nat Goodwin and Chauncey Olcott. In 1902 she had great success with "In The Good Old Summertime", and followed this with another hit song, "The Belle of Avenue A", performed in Tommy Rot. Tommy Rot was staged at Mrs. Osborn's Playhouse in New York City. "I've Got Rings On My Fingers" was introduced when Blanche performed in The Midnight Sons in 1909. Her recording of the song for RCA Victor is listed as one of Billboard's top hits of that year, along with her recordings of "Yip-I-Addy-I-Aye" and "The Billiken Man." Will Rogers spoke his first lines on stage in Ring's play The Wall Street Girl. In 1910 she recorded Come Josephine In My Flying Machine after introducing it in a Broadway show and the song became one of her biggest hits.
Among her other songs of note include "Bedelia" and "I'd Leave My Happy Home For You". The former was featured in The Jersey Lilly. During World War I the singer was popular with "They're All Out Of Step But Jim".
Blanche possessed a fine talent for mime. This helped her advance in musical revues. Her impersonations were paired with those of Charles Winninger in the Passing Show of 1919, performed at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City.
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