https://youtube/embed/TnQDW-NMaRs?rel=0 > The time was 1940. America was still in a terrible economic > depression. Hitler was taking over Europe and Americans were afraid wed > have to go to war. It was a time of hardship and worry for most > Americans. This was the era just before TV, when radio shows were HUGE, and > American families sat around their radios in the evenings, listening to > their favorite entertainers, and no entertainer of that era was bigger > than Kate Smith. > > > Kate was also large; plus size, as we now say, and the popular > phrase still used today is in deference to her, It aint over till the > fat lady sings. Kate Smith might not have made it big in the age of TV, > but with her voice coming over the radio, she was the biggest star of her > time. > > > Kate was also patriotic. It hurt her to see Americans so > depressed and afraid of what the next day would bring . She had hope for > America , and faith in her fellow Americans. She wanted to do something to > cheer them up, so she went to the famous American song-writer, Irving > Berlin (who also wrote White Christmas) and asked him to write a song > that would make Americans feel good again about their country. When she > described what she was looking for, he said he had just the song for her. > > > He went to his files and found a song that he had written, but > never published, 22 years before - way back in 1917. He gave it to her and > she worked on it with her studio orchestra. She and Irving Berlin were not > sure how the song would be received by the public, but both agreed they > would not take any profits from God Bless America . Any profits would go > to the Boy Scouts of America. Over the years, the Boy Scouts have received > millions of dollars in royalties from this song. > > > This video starts out with Kate Smith coming into the radio > studio with the orchestra and an audience. She introduces the new song for > the very first time, and starts singing. After the first couple verses, > with her voice in the background still singing, scenes are shown from the > 1940 movie, Youre In The Army Now. At the 4:20 mark of the video you > see a young actor in the movie, sitting in an office, reading a paper; > its Ronald Reagan. > > > To this day, God Bless America stirs our patriotic feelings and > pride in our country. Back in 1940, when Kate Smith went looking for a > song to raise the spirits of her fellow Americans, I doubt whether she > realized just how successful the results would be for her fellow Americans > during those years of hardship and worry..... > And for many generations of Americans to follow. > > > Many people dont know theres a lead in to the song since it > usually starts with God Bless America ..... So heres the entire song as > originally sung.....
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 03:24:58 +0000
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