Ruth Mack produced many 'hot' foxtrot/blues rolls and marimba waltzes for Vocalstyle. Her debut appears to have been in July 1924, and she continued to record for them until the very last month of Vocalstyle operation, January 1927.

Ruth was born Ruth Marie Magill in Wisconsin. By the time of the 1920 Census, she is already resident in Chicago and married to Paul Petelle (a shipping clerk for a mail order company) but no profession for her is shown. She lists her father as born in California and mother in Germany (in the 1930 Census, her mother's birthplace is instead given as Illinois).

The first trace of her performing career comes in the radio listings for Chicago in June and October 1924 - Ruth Petelle, Soprano. Note this is the same time she was recording rolls for Vocalstyle in Cincinnati under the name Ruth Mack.

In the 1930 Census Paul and Ruth are now the parents of 3 children - Francis (b 1921), Rosemary (b. 1923, and also had a career as a singer), and an adopted daughter Margaret (b 1912). Although listed in the Census as 'adopted daughter', it is believed she was actually an adopted sister to Ruth. In 1933, Ruth had a final daughter, Bettyjane, whose daughter Mary Beth would later become a singer and actress in her own right: 'Elk Grove Herald' of 7th June 1967 features an article about a teenage singer, Mary Beth Klopp, and mentions "Her grandmother was Ruth Petelle, lyric soprano concert singer, who had her own Chicago KYW radio program from 1927 to 1931. Then with the arrival of Mary Beth's mother Betty, her grandmother turned to the piano under the name Ruth Mack". Interestingly, Ruth's adopted daughter or sister, provided the source for Ruth's Vocalstyle 'stage name' - a Christening certificate reveals her birth name was Margaret Mack, daughter of Martin Mack and Margaret Mackin.

Ruth's rolls are generally characterised by an up-tempo, one-step style which is fairly distinctive. This style also appears in rolls credited to "Rufe Moore" (note the same initials), suggesting she used this name as a psuedonym. However, some of her performances (notably #12994, Never Again - which is mentioned in books by ragtime/jazz historian David A. Jasen as a 'sumptuous arrangement' - lack this style of playing and have a bluesy swingy style similar to Vocalstyle colleague Hilda Myers, suggesting a performing versatility).


Ruth's 'real' signature - note the similarity to the signature stencilled on Ruth's Vocalstyle rolls.

Many thanks to the various members of Ruth's family who have contributed to this biography, including her photo.