Rogers, Ginger

Ginger Rogers Singer and film actress Independence, Missouri, July 16, 1911; Medford, Oregon, April 15, 1995. She won a Charleston dance contest in Chicago, and the prize was a vaudeville engagement with the Paul Ash band. She came to New York in 1929 and landed small roles on Broadway. She appeared in a slew of movies in the early 1930s, including her first with Fred Astaire, Flying Down to Rio (1933). They were a hit team in nine films. She later branched out as a serious actress and…