Ginger Rogers was born Virginia Katharine McMath in Independence, Missouri 1911, July 16. Her sun sign is sun in Cancer. She was born to Lela Emogene and William McMath. She was an only child, though she would have had an older sibling if her father didn't let the doctor use forceps to help deliver Lela's first child and accidentally killed it. It was for that reason that Lela had Ginger at home. You will notice I call Ginger's mother Lela or Lelee, as Lelee is what Ginger called her mother in her autobiography entitled, Ginger: My Story. Ginger's parents sadly, separated shortly after she was born but she and her mother lived close to her grandparents, so she was never too lonely. Ginger's father tried to get together with her mother again but Lela refused. When Lela went to work she would let baby Ginger play out in front of the office building because she knew everyone and everyone who worked there adored "little Virginia". Plus, she could see her from the window in the office where she worked and would check on her frequently. Neighbors and friends who passed by would always "treat" Ginger by taking her to ice cream or other fun activities. In fact, in her autobiography Ginger said that is how her love of ice cream started! Lela would let them and it became quite a routine for baby Ginger. This routine is what gave Lela a peace of mind that her daughter was safe. However this changed when one day Ginger could not be found. Lela looked for Ginger and wasn't worried when she didn't see her, hours later Ginger still could not be found. Lela was in a panic as she called friends, family and the places Ginger visited frequently but nobody saw her at all that day. Lela by then, had worked herself into a frenzy and called the police and gave them a description of Ginger. Someone who worked at the train station said he saw a man carrying a little girl who was crying and screaming, fit Ginger's description. Lela, with help figured that her husband took Ginger, she boarded a train sick with worry then hired a taxi and drove to the address her husband was staying at. She payed the driver extra money so he could act as her getaway driver, he agreed once Lela explained the situation to him. She saw, through the screen door, baby Ginger, sitting in a high chair. Lela ran into the house, grabbed Ginger and ran back out to the taxi. All the while the two women who were watching Ginger were chasing Lela, yelling that she can't take the baby. That night the taxi driver took Lela and Ginger to his mother and they spent their first night together on the floor of a tepee as the driver was Native American. Ginger's father kidnapped her a second time after that too! Lela legally divorced him soon after he kidnapped Ginger. Ginger states that was the last time she ever saw her biological father. Throughout her childhood, she lived mostly with her grandparents and other cousins and sometimes lived with Lela. Lela did care for Ginger, she was just preoccupied in her own career trying to make a name for herself in Hollywood, which she did. Ginger was always very close to her grandfather and sent him letters even when she became very famous. When Ginger was just 9, her mother remarried to a man named John Rogers. One of Ginger's cousins could not say Virginia and called her "Ginga". She took the name Rogers from her step-father, though he never legally adopted her. The trio then moved to Fort Worth, Texas where Lela became a theater critic for a newspaper. Ginger and her mother were both Christian scientists (so was Irving Berlin, Marilyn Monroe and Doris Day. Though Marilyn and Doris both were only Christian Scientists for a short time). John, Ginger's stepfather, almost died because he was so sick when Ginger was a little girl. Lela and Ginger both were very afraid but kept praying and hoping he would heal. Lela called a metaphysical Christian Science practitioner and all three of them prayed all night long and the next day John was completely healed. This incident really helped Ginger decide that she was going to be a Christian Scientist and also reading Science And Health With Key To The Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science. That book alone converted Irving Berlin and many others. I myself am currently reading it. When Ginger was 14, she won a Charleston dance contest and then went on tour for six months with her mother as her manager. The two remained very close throughout Ginger's stardom. I am currently learning the Charleston watching Youtube videos. Throughout her teenage years, she was singing on radio shows and had small gigs here and there. Being very young and naive, Ginger thought "why not" and married her cousin's ex-boyfriend. Yes, at the ripe age of 17, Ginger became Mrs. Jack Culpepper. Ginger knew him since she was a child and always had a very big crush on him, though he was nine years older. The marriage only lasted a few months due to Jack's use of alcohol. Ginger abhorred alcohol and never, ever drank or even had it when she threw parties. One of her guests said her party was one of the most sober but fun and enjoyable parties he'd been to. When Ginger left Jack to go tour with her mother, though they weren't legally divorced, he tried to get her back. I will continue this bio ;) https://quizpug.com/what-do-you-know-about-ginger-rogers/?r=3q2667 . Above is a link to a quiz I found, it tells you how much you know about Ginger. SOURCES Ginger, My Story by Ginger Rogers Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_Rogers#Personal_life Astaire and Rogers by Edward Gallafent
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The only way to enjoy anything in this life is to earn it first." Office Blues (above) was one of the first times Ginger appeared on the silver screen and The Kiss (below) clip is the best romantic scene between her and Fred, and you don't even see them kiss!
Hard To Handle was one of the first songs I heard of Ginger singing a solo number.
The one song I feel really sums up her relation ship with Fred Astaire is They Can't Take That Away From Me. (Above)
I also like Dean Martin and posted a clip of him and Ginger singing together. (Above)
The Carol Burnett clip is a good clip for laughs but to really understand it you will need to watch Top Hat.
Kitty Foyle won Ginger an Academy Award. (Below) Swing Time and Kitty Foyle are Ginger's favorite movies (above).
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