Reminiscing

Discussion about Ruby Murray.
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Bernie Burgess
Posts: 1051
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2005 12:45 am
Location: Sutton Coldfield

Reminiscing

Post by Bernie Burgess »

Hello Friends,

Whenever I log on to the website I seldom scroll down to read the items 'below the line' so to speak.

I have spent quite some time tonight going back over the various categories contained within this wonderful website. Despite the fact that I am burning the midnight oil, and the fact that the stories have been around for many a long day, I would like to add one or two comments about some of the stories. Mostly they are originally press stories, or comments and as we know they can at times be 'slightly' inaccurate.(to put it politely).

I know that the story about Ruby's voice changing after an operation on her throat as a child makes interesting reading but it was never ever confirmed. As a matter of fact, Ruby herself doubted the story. Not that it really makes any difference because however that husky voice came into being, everybody loved it and it was the charming, distinguishing sound that added to her fame.

Her 'move to England' happened much earlier than stated. It must have been either '54 or '55 because she took an apartment in a park area in London around that time. Marie Murphy can confirm that fact because she was acting as her secretary/travelling companion at the time.

In my own humble opinion, the play that was produced in Belfast bore very little resemblance to the real situation. The characters were unrecognizable from the real ones and despite the fact that they conferred with local people, and our two children (Tim and Julie) in their preparatory research, facts were inaccurate, so too was some of the dialogue. When the radio version was produced a totally different picture was portrayed.

'Stringent child performing laws' were not only confined to Ireland, they were just as stringent in England, the Lord Chamberlain made quite sure of that.

Fortunately our own friends/fans corrected the story about Madonna taking away Ruby's world record and Gerald chose to make an entry in RED to this fact, good for you Gerald.

Regarding 'her own television show' - that could only have been the 'Quite Contrary' series. As for me becoming her personal manager, I didn't ever declare myself as such, I merely acted as her husband and when I started a Management and Agency office I took over her date book which, in my opinion, at the time was being neglected. The title of personal manager appeared from nowhere, I certainly didn't claim any such title

Of course all of this is now of no consequence whatsoever, it's just my personal urge to clarify inaccurate press stories that have always wrankled with me over the years.

Regards to you all.

Adios Amigos. Bernie.

P.S. We didn't ever appear as a 'double act', as is stated in one article, we merely inserted a couple of duets into the middle part of Ruby's own solo performance.

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