Birgit Ridderstedt
| Birgit Ridderstedt | |
|---|---|
 Her regional folk costume from Stora Tuna in the Dales Province (Dalecarlia) was Birgit Ridderstedt's usual performing wardrobe. Photo: FamSAC. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ragnhild Birgit Anderson |
| Also known as | Bebe or Bibbi Ridderstedt |
| Born | November 26, 1914 |
| Origin | Sweden |
| Died | September 16, 1985 (aged 70) |
| Genres | Singer and producer |
| Years active | 1936–1973 |
Birgit Ridderstedt (November 26, 1914 – September 16, 1985) was a Swedish-American folk singer and cultural ambassador[1] who appeared at festivals and on television in the 1950s and early 1960s with material she produced herself.
Background
Born in Ludvika, Sweden, a daughter of Stefan Anderson and Ragnhild Fredrika Sandberg, she immigrated with her husband C. Erik Ridderstedt[2] and two small sons to the United States in 1950, settling in Chicago and later in Batavia, Illinois.
Career
Ridderstedt was a cultural personality who gave presentations of Scandinavian music and folklore on WTTW and WGN television in Chicago in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her television appearances on public service[3] and eventually for commercial channels[4] in Chicago added to her notoriety in the Chicago media market. Ridderstedt opened her own gift shop[5] and organized entertainment for festivals and parades especially popular with Scandinavian-Americans in the Fox Valley (Illinois). She worked to establish a previously unusual cooperation between any talented residents she could find of Danish, Norwegian and Swedish extraction. Ridderstedt returned to Sweden in 1962 with her family, but was also active in western Florida in the 1970s with her folk song programs.
The Ridderstedt couple lived in the Stockholm suburb of Täby when retired; he died in 1982. Their family grave is found in Stora Tuna Churchyard. Birgit Ridderstedt was the mother of Swedish-American writer and entertainment director, Jacob Truedson Demitz.
Songs
Ridderstedt also wrote songs of her own in the early 1950s which have been registered with STIM.[6] “Twinkling Stars” was used in 1975 in AlexCab for a parody of The Osmonds;[7] and ”I Love Christmas Time” for a single gramophone record in 1990 with Agneta Lindén and Ola Isedal;.[8] In 2013 "She Gave Me My Darling Man"[9] and "It All Is Meant for You"[10] were used in a cabaret noir at Michelangelo restaurant in Stockholm's Old Town.
References and Notes
- ↑ Dagens Nyheter (Stockholm), Sept. 27, 1985 p. 45
- ↑ Expressen (Stockholm), July 19, 1953 p. 3
- ↑ TV Guide, June 6, 1959 p. A-38
- ↑ Aurora Beacon News (Illinois), Dec. 31, 1960
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, Oct. 10, 1985 p. 4-14
- ↑ List at Stim (log-in required)
- ↑ Shown on Wikimedia Commons
- ↑ Photo on Wikimedia Commons
- ↑ Shown on YouTube
- ↑ Shown on YouTube
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Birgit Ridderstedt. |