Justin Ring’s Family Life

For many decades, Justin Ring has been an elusive character in the world of early recording and ragtime. Researcher Jim Walsh spoke of him only once in his entire series of articles, and only a few serious ragtime collectors are aware of him now. Despite his ever presence in early recording labs, finding anything on him in period sources is still difficult. In situations such as this, the most reliable source could be his own family. With the kind generosity of Ring’s descendants, going through his papers has proven to solve lots of mysteries within Ring’s past. It can seem hard to believe, but later in life Justin Ring was a family man. After many years of living on the edge in tenement apartments, he opted for a more stable and quiet life. However, it took him nearly a decade to achieve this peace he was hoping for. In the middle of 1903, Ring was working for several record companies, writing arrangements for Fred Hager’s orchestra, and writing music. But as his father was quickly declining in health, more pressure was put on 27 year old Justin to marry and carry on the family legacy. Both his older siblings, Frank and Rosie, had gone off and married by this time, leaving Justin the only bachelor, working so diligently at his craft. He was pre