The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 125

Sunday, September 21, 1975 Akron Bucon Journal tit She's now 66, but the years have been good to Kate and occasionally to go out to dinner. "She only shops on Wednesdays because that's the day they give double green stamps," her sister taunts her. THE TROPHY ROOM at the camp, above the large boathouse, breeze smiling GI's returning home from a war they had won an America filled with apple pies, burning fireplaces, family dinners the way it was, so long ago. Kate Smith is not exactly a girl any more-. She's 66 years old.

But Kate Smith, the institution personifying the American dream, is still singing. She's been singing for more than 60 years now, starting as a five-year-old at church suppers, then Broadway, then radio, television and recently, of all unlikely places, at hockey games. She's the good luck charm for the Philadelphia Flyers, the world championship hockey team. SHE'S ALSO going to be singing a lot more if she takes up all the offers that are pouring in now. Anybody with any kind of a promotional brain knows that in a Bicentennial program, there is no act that's going to come a close second to Kate Smith's mighty and mag By KAY BARTLETT LAKE PLACID, N.Y.

(JP) The Lake Placid tour boat usually toots its horn, and on deck necks crane upward to look through the trees toward Camp Sunshine and perhaps a glimpse of the woman once described as "radio's very own Statue of Liberty." If she's outside, or down by the dock, this friendly woman, the big singer with the big voice, will wave back and maybe shout hello. She likes people. She's Princess Ahma Go Winga (which means "Glory of the She's a Texas Ranger. She's a colonel in the U. S.

Army. Those are all honorary titles from grateful fans. She's the fat girl from Greenville, the girl who captured the heart of an entire nation, the girl whom God blessed with a magnificent voice and an even more magnificent heart. She's Kate Smith. ALTHOUGH she estimates her voice is stronger now than it ever was, the very name carries us backwards World War II an American flag rippling in the is packed with Kate Smith memorabilia awards, citations, keys to cities across the land, pictures, gifts, a winning hockey puck and a hockey stick signed by the Flyers.

Although Miss Smith has no financial interest in the Flyers, she is a devoted fan. It all started when the Flyers played her recording of "God Bless America" before a game instead of the National Anthem. And, lo and behold, they won. They seemed to win consistently when "God Bless America" was played. Then Kate herself came to three games to sing the good luck song.

Sure enough, the Flyers won the Stanley Cup, hockey's big prize. "They're all such lovely boys," she says of her beloved Flyers. Within hockey circles, it should be noted, her "lovely boys" don't quite have that reputation. OFF THE trophy room, Miss Smith keeps a collection of all other records, a ton of tape from her days on the air, 30 books of photographs, another pile of books with stories and articles written about her since she made her debut on Broadway in 1926 in something called "Honeymoon Lane." The loquacious Kate has a photographic mind in recalling details of those early years, as well as the later ones. She can tell you who played in what band when, precisely when she first sang "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain," and how she came to sing "God Bless America." She also talks a lot about her former partner, Ted Collins, the man who spotted her in her third Broadway show where, because of her great bulk, she was made the object of jokes.

He saw more or His melody rings out nificent rendition of her favorite song, "God Bless America." "I'm getting letters already from just about everyone," she says. "They all want me to sing 'God Bless America at everything from fairs to scout meetings. I couldn't possibly accept them all." For the summer, she accepted none, spending her days at where else? Camp Sunshine. It's a compound that includes a main house, guest houses that can accommodate 16, and boat houses, on Buck Island in the middle of also aptly named Lake Placid. EVERYONE who knows Kate Smith personally calls her Kathryn, as she was christened in Greenville, in 1909.

Kate fit better on the marquee. She swims in the clear water, plays a little nickel and dime canasta and gin rummy (and, according to a friend, does all right ferring to the 1.5 million records, those six companies lost in sales. He now has two LPs out on ABC Records, "Melodies of Love" and "Heart of Hearts." He also has a syndicated TV show (seen here Thursdays at 7:30 on Channel 8.) VINTON said the millions of white ethnics in America Poles, Italians, Slavs and Greeks were ready to support a singer who was willing to admit he was one of them and proud of it. Even closet ethnics, including some of Vinton's own relatives, who hid their Polish ancestry for fear of social reaction and discrimination, began showing up at folk festivals and seeking out others from their fathers' lands. "I really believe in it now," said Vinton.

"In the beginning, all I wanted to do was sell records. But now, I'm believing myself and I really am concerned with ethnic people and ethnic groups." BOBBY'S first professional job came at age 14 when he led a polka band at a small town American Legion hall. He became leader of a band in high school because the Vinton family could supply both See BOBBY'S page 25 By T. J. LOGUE CANONSBURG, Pa.

(JP) Singer Bobby Vinton, the local boy who made good, was faced with oblivion a year ago. His records weren't selling. Nobody seemed to care that "Roses Were Red," or velvet was blue or he was "Mr. Lonely." But his mother's admonition to pay more attention to his roots helped him find the vehicle he needed to re-establish his musical identity. "I WAS a big hit in Italy and South America and I did a lot of singing in those languages," Vinton recalled.

"I used to brag about my success over there and my mother would sit there and fume. 'Why don't you spend more time with your own language, she told me." With nothing to lose, he tried it. The result was a German folk melody with Polish and English lyrics called "My Melody of Love." VINTON recorded it, sinking $50,000 of his own money into it. Six record companies turned him down before ABC finally took the risk. "I guess that's the biggest Polish joke of the year," said Vinton, re for herself).

Most of all, she likes to hot rod around the lake in a Honduran mahogany cabin cruiser. Miss Smith spins over to the mainland to do her own shopping Ch. 49 goes on air today iLJ; ron, Kent and Youngstown State Universities. Initially, channels 49 and 45 will be carrying programs simultaneously. A separation of programs on the two stations is planned.

Formal dedication of channel 49 will be held Oct. 30 in ceremonies at E. J. Thomas Hall. WEAO transmits its UHF signal via transmitter atop the First National Tower.

Akron's new public television station, WEAO, channel 49, begins full-time programming today at 5 p. m. Hereafter, channel 49 will be carrying classroom programs Monday through Friday during daytime hours, and Public Broadcasting features nightly. WEAO and its sister station, WNEO (channel 45), are operated by Northeastern Educational Television of Ohio, a consortium of Ak-, Bobby Vinton Ml Itllltt It! til Mlillllltlf Jlllllllllllllf IIIIMMI III fllMlllil tlllll 1. If i 'i 1.