Background
She was born as Ruby Jean Butler in Wichita, Kansas, to Nellie Simon (who was of mixed Spanish and Indian heritage) and George Butler (who was born in Jamaica in 1860 and came to the United States as a child).
She was born as Ruby Jean Butler in Wichita, Kansas, to Nellie Simon (who was of mixed Spanish and Indian heritage) and George Butler (who was born in Jamaica in 1860 and came to the United States as a child).
She is best known for her radio work in her early days of acting. Dandridge is best known for her role on the radio show Amos "n Andy, in which she played Sadie Blake and Harriet Crawford, and on radio"s Judy Canova Show, in which she played "Geranium". She is recognized for her role in the 1959 movie A Hole in the Head as "Sally".
One of her earliest appearances (uncredited, as were many of the minor roles she played) was as a native dancer in King Kong.
On October 17, 1987, she died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California and was interred next to Dorothy at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. In the 1999 film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, Ruby is portrayed by Loretta Devine.
