Deadline is reporting that Ruth Marx, who was a classic jingle singer who sang for old television commercials and was the mother of pop singer Richard Marx, passed away on August 24 after succumbing to lung cancer. Her passing was confirmed through a Facebook post where Richard said:
She was 85 years of age when she passed.
Ruth Marx’s Early Life
Ruth Marx was born in East Liverpool, Ohio. She was one of seven children; her father worked at a steel factory while her mother worked as a pottery maker. Marx knew that her only way out of East Liverpool was by using her voice so she routinely performed at plays at her high school. She wanted to get better at signing and knew about this voice coach who worked out of Chicago, Dick Marx, so she moved to Chicago and lived at the local YMCA as she worked odd jobs here and there while working with Dick on her singing. They would eventually get married in 1961.
Professional Life
After marrying, Dick would start a commercial company focused mostly on televisions jingles. His company was behind Doublemint’s classic jingle; Double your pleasure, double your fun. He also did jingles for Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, Virginia Slims, and for the NHL team, The Chicago Blackhawks. When it came to Ruth, she was the voice behind the classic jingle from Chicken of the Sea; Ask any mermaid you happen to see, what’s the best tuna? Chicken of the Sea!
Her son, Richard Marx, was not a classic jingle singer, but instead a successful pop singer who made it big in the 90s. He even brought her on his tour and was part of the background vocals for his 1991 album; Streets of Pain. Richard also mentioned that he sang to his mother in her final days, a song of his own called Thanks to You which includes the lines, “I am who I am, Mama, thanks to you.”
We regret to hear of jingle singer Ruth Marx’s passing and send our condolences to her family.
