Tex Ritter - "Is There A Santa Claus?"

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Hat tip, Wikipedia

Tex Ritter - Is There A Santa Claus (From The Historic Letter To The New York Sun)
180 views•Dec 10, 2019

FromTheBasement
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1954 (Capitol) Written by Virginia O'Hanlon, Francis P. Church

"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" is a phrase from an editorial called "Is There a Santa Claus?". The editorial appeared in the September 21, 1897, edition of The (New York) Sun and has since become part of popular Christmas folklore in the United States.

Tex Ritter


Ritter in May 1966

Woodward Maurice "Tex" Ritter (January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974) was an American country music singer and actor popular from the mid 1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter acting family (son John, grandsons Jason and Tyler, and granddaughter Carly). He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

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Early life

Tex Ritter was born Woodward Maurice Ritter on January 12, 1905, in Murvaul, Texas, the son of Martha Elizabeth (née Matthews) and James Everett Ritter. He grew up on his family's farm in Panola County, Texas, and attended grade school in Carthage, Texas. He attended South Park High School in Beaumont, Texas. After graduating with honors, he entered the University of Texas at Austin in 1922 to study pre-law and major in government, political science, and economics. After traveling to Chicago with a musical troupe, he entered Northwestern Law School.

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Recording

Ritter's recording career was his most successful period. He was the first artist signed with the newly formed Capitol Records.

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One of the founders of Capitol Records was Johnny Mercer. We just noted his birthday here at DU.

[rsdsharp]

1. Several years ago on Antiques Roadshow, the original

letter from Virginia O’Hanlon, and the envelope she used to sent it to the Sun came up for appraisal. They were unable to put a price on them, but it was cool to see a part of the history of Christmas.