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November 10, 1938…First Ever Performance, “God Bless America”

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Eyes Of A Generation.com


November 10, 1938…First Ever Performance, “God Bless America”

Irving Berlin had originally written the song in 1918 while serving in the U.S. Army at Camp Upton in Yaphank, New York, but decided that it did not fit in a USO type revue called ‘Yip Yip Yaphank’, so he set it aside. In 1938, with the rise of Hitler, Berlin, who was Jewish, and a first-generation European immigrant, felt it was time to revive it as a “peace song”, and it was introduced on the Armistice Eve broadcast of ‘The Kate Smith Hour’ November 10, 1938. Kate Smith was the fist to sing it and this is a recording of that first ever public performance as broadcast on her CBS Radio show.

Turn it up and listen. If you are like me, you may have to wipe a tear from your eye afterward. I have also included a version of the song that is a recreation of the radio debut in the 1943 movie, ‘This Is The Army’ and you’ll see Ronald Reagan near the end. Enjoy and Share! -Bobby Ellerbee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEJo7x9y3D4 Film recreation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1rKQReqJZg Original radio

“This is the original FIRST broadcast radio performance of God Bless America by Irving Berlin as introduced by Kate Smith on November 10, 1938. She later rec…

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5 responses to “November 10, 1938…First Ever Performance, “God Bless America””

  1. Larry McClish

    Kate was the best. No one better to sing God Bless America.

  2. Michael Biel

    Recordings of complete shows of The Kate Smith Hour are almost non-existent, and this broadcast is no exception. Only excerpts were usually recorded. This is the disc on youtube which was from Irving Berlin’s personal collection. She next performed the song on her Thanksgiving broadcast and then on nearly every broadcast thereafter until the ASCAP ban in 1940. She had been given an exclusive to the song into March 1939 which ended when the revised song was published and she recorded it for Victor. She had sung the words “Let us all be grateful that we’re far from there” into February, but Berlin changed the words when he published the song in March.

  3. Thomas Coleman

    I think she did it on The Smothers Brothers. Also known for When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain.

  4. Steve Dichter

    Had the honor to work w/Kate Smith and escort her to the stage when stage managing the Donnie & Marie Hour in the 70’s. Of course she sang God Bless America. No one since has sung it better.

  5. Jack Gallagher

    No one sings it better!

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