The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-22
Fly DOLLY DALR Y MPLR

me yesterday about his songs the kind he likes to sing, and he said:
 You know for years I simply could Were Young, Maggie. If I left it off of the programme, the people in the audience would shout for it. if I sang it once. they called for it again: of course it pleased me. but I finally got so tired singing it that l simply could not comply with the many requests I had for it. Even now I revisit places where there are a half a dozen letters awaiting me at the box office of the theatre where we are to play, asking for When You and l Were Young. Maggie.
 q try to keep up with the new songs" MT Richards said, land by that do not mean that l want to discard entirely the old songs, but. for instance during the war l sang Keep the Home Fires Burning with excellent effect. because it was the song of the hour. Then later-in fact. last year-I was singing the big song hit I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles This year I am sing ing three songs: Down the Trail to tie Dixie Rose and Let the Rest of the World Go by These are what I call really appealing songs
 'Of course, my twelve years eXperi- ence as a Member of the Al G. Field Minstrel Show has taught me to touch the pulse of our adiences and find out what they really like" MT. Richards said, and l find that songs with a
 tune. something with a real melody, and sentiment. a little story, make the best appeal.
 t'Whern did T learn n sine2" Mr | Richards repeated the question I had asked him. T guess I've always sung 1 like Topsy. just growed.' l began as a choir boy up in my homo in Columbus,
 O.. when l was about years old. l
 studied during that time with Maude i Brent who taught me great deal, but i after all I believe that the only real
 singing is singing naturally. Of course i teachers can give you method and style and can assist you in preserving the 1 voice by using the best methods, but
 real singing is just natural singing. Last summer I went to the Elks l convention in Chicago, with the Ell<s l quartette." Mir. Richards said. "and was very proud of the work we did Next
 summer l am going with them to Los Angeles to the convention, and we are | to make quite a tour. In the mean. time I had an engagement as soloist | 1 four weeks in Columbus O., and reall y
 enjoyed the work very much.'' l q think it is rather 10 my credit Mr. Richards said, when I tell you that | I have never been in any other show 1 except Al G. Fields Mnstrels. I joined l the company in 1908, and while l hay, 1 had dozens of offers to go into musi
 cal comedy and comic opera, the lead l ing role in The Royal Vagabon' las | season, have never been able to mak,
 up my mind to leave Mir. Field. He ha. | been so good to mc--to all of us--anc I just feel as if I couldn't leave tn,
 show now. Mir. Field is 72 years old and his show is the pride of his life | and it's up to me to do my part to ma k, /! it a big success. The people up oui
 way, in Ohio. love Mir. Field dearly; al
 over the country he is beloved, but no
 where more so than in his native state l Ohio.
 | And speaking of MT. Field, let mt tell you a funny thing that happene, l out in. Texas" Mir. Richards said. ''in little town, Dalhart, where we played
 d one-night stand. Do you remembe the little pickaninny who used to lea' | the parade, carrying the flag? Well | in this little one-horse town out il Texas, which we had never played be | fore, the people, as we passed tn | street eheered and applauded vocifer- l ously as the little pickaninny strut ted and looked so important and, wha do you suppose, the commotion wa l about?"
 | "Of coursce, I haven't an idea" I con fessed.
 | They thought the little pfekaninn.
 was Al c. Field" MT. Richards laugh
 ingly told me.