Kate Smith: A Biography, With a Discography, Filmography and List of Stage Appearances

by Richard K. Hayes

To many, Kate Smith is now remembered as the big woman with the large voice who made "God Bless America" a second national anthem. It is often forgotten that her 50-year career included Broadway shows, records, film, television, and many concert appearances. With her five-octave range, Smith recorded more than twenty records selling over a million though she never had a singing lesson and could not read music. But it was radio that truly made Smith one of the country's most popular entertainers in the 1930s and 1940s, particularly during World War II, when she sold over $600 million in war bonds. Her success carried over into television. There she was a pioneer in daytime programming, starring in her own top-rated variety show for four years. Through detailed research, access to the singer's correspondence, and interviews with Smith and others, the author has told a remarkable story.

304 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1995