WE ARE AMERICANS...... AND THE DAY WILL COME, UNDER THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP, THAT THE WORLD WILL KNOW IT AGAIN................ The Americans is a famous commentary by Canadian broadcaster Gordon Sinclair. Originally written for a regular broadcast on CFRB radio in Toronto on June 5, 1973, it became a media and public phenomenon, replayed several times a day by some United States radio stations, released as a hit audio recording in several forms, credited by Ronald Reagan for giving comfort to the United States in difficult times, and widely rediscovered and redisseminated as the United States faced new crises in the 2000s. On June 5, Sinclair discussed some stories from the days news. Widespread heavy tornado damage afflicted the U.S. midwest. The Mississippi River was in flood stage. The American Red Cross faced an imminent threat of insolvency. And the United States dollar reached very low levels, something Sinclair, an inveterate market watcher, was keenly aware of. The Americans was not, as widely reported later, an angry response to countries that were criticizing the American failure in the Vietnam War. Instead, Sinclairs commentary stated that when many countries faced economic crises or natural disasters, Americans were among the most generous people in the world at offering assistance, but when America faced a crisis, it often faced that crisis alone. The editorial became a phenomenon on American radio after CKLW Radio news director and news anchor Byron MacGregor read Sinclairs commentary on the air. After CKLW (a 50,000 watt Windsor/Detroit powerhouse radio station) received many requests for it, a record was released by Westbound Records of MacGregors recording, with America the Beautiful being played by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra]. The single sold three and a half million copies in the United States, and made it to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. All proceeds from the record were donated by MacGregor to the American Red Cross. Sinclairs original recording was released as a record as well, again with America the Beautifl in the background, and went to #24 on the US record charts. This made the 73-year-old Sinclair the second-oldest living person ever to have a Billboard US Top 40 hit (75-year-old Moms Mabley had a Top 40 hit in 1969 with Abraham, Martin & John). Country singer Tex Ritter also released a version of the track, which was issued just weeks after his death in January 1974. Ritters version of The Americans (A Canadians Opinion) made it to #90 nationally in the US, and #35 on the country charts. It was the last chart hit of Ritters career. In 1981, when Ronald Reagan made his first state visit to Canada, he praised both Sinclair and MacGregor as figures who had given the United States an inspiring tribute in one of its darkest hours. MacGregor was also posthumously honored with the National Americanism Award. https://youtube/watch?v=Tn2A6nfSXM4
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 18:33:15 +0000
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