Ruth Wallis
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Ruth Wallis was a singer from Brooklyn, New York. She gained fame in the '40s and '50s for her raunchy, satirical songs that made sly references to relationships and sex. She sang with a full orchestra and often took on an accent for songs about characters from other countries.
She started singing in lounges and cocktail bars, where she met her husband Hy Pastman. Eventually it became clear that her novelty songs, which relied mostly upon double entendres, were the most popular. These songs discussed a number of topics that were taboo in fifties America, such as homosexuality and infidelity. For this reason, her songs were banned from Boston radio stations and in places like Australia, where she was stopped by customs immediately after arrival. Rather than ruin her career, this only brought out crowds.
Wallis retired in the '70s to spend more time with her husband and two children, but continued to work on material for Broadway shows. Some of her most famous songs were collected and turned into a theater production called Boobs.
Track Listing for Ruth Wallis' Greatest Hits - Boobs
1. Queer Things
2. Boobs
3. Drill 'Em All
4. Ubangi
5. The Pistol Song
6. He'd Rather Be A Girl
7. Follies Bergere
8. Admiral's Daughter
9. Pizza
10. De Gay Young Lad
11. The Pop-Up Song
12. Cape Canaveral Blues
13. The Army Gave My Husband Back
14. The Dinghy Song
15. Freddie The Fisherman's Song
16. Hawaiian Lei Song
17. The Same Little Yo-Yo
18. Marriage Jewish Style
19. The Bell Song
Sources and External Links
- Boobs! the Musical (http://www.boobsthemusical.com/)
- Ruth Wallis: Return of the Saucy Chanteuse (http://www.chuckthewriter.com/Wallis.pdf/), an article originally published in Goldmine magazine, written by Chuck Miller]