The Washington times., 1930-09-23

Rudy Vallee having been che
topic of some criticism In q
recent column 1t Is but fair that
ne be given this pulpit today for
= reply. Your attention please to.
Mr.. Vallee
September 20, 1880.
Ny DEAR Mr.. Wade:
Your column, Romping Around
the Radio Dials Of September
12th, was brought to my attef-,
ti0n today, and ! was very inter
ested in reading Jour comment
On the letter sent you by i reader
of The Times.
! was extremely surprised az
some Of your Statements especial,
ly since you are supposed to be
q radio critic! Possibly I could
enlighten you on some musical
facts with regard to, the type of
singing which / employ Il could.
refer you to the phonograpEl rec.9
0rds Of Marion Harris and Charlie
Haley, records dating nine and
10 years from this date. in which
both artists linquestionably en1.
ployed the type Of singing which
Z employ.
Ruth Etting Credit
Unquestiorably there have been
9alau others who never recorded,
or who never came I'd our attetl-
tioI1, but these we know definite
ly existed and sang this way over
nine years ago; / have their rec
Ords today. Ruth Etting, for that
matter, has been singing that
Way for many years.
Ih is an accepted fact in radio
circles that the first person 10
employ this type OF singing over
the radio was Vaughn de Leath,
] think IL you check hack you
will find that all radio critics
vii, rear this statement OFT, that
sshe l1aa been doing it for many
years: so she would seem to take
away from any other person or
persons the title of originator as
regards the radio field.
The Lombardo brothers have
been employing their particular
style of dance music, and Carmen
LoElbardo has been singing in mis-
particular style, which, I believe,
IL the style YOU refer to, longer
than the. particular person you
refer to in your article-and much
before began singing.
Originated Continuity
+ have always, ever since child
hood, sung the way I sing today,
although as I made grateful
acknowledgment in my book. my
style was greatly nodded along
the lines Of Marion Harris. whose
work today gives me great pleas.
Ilre.t5 I have never made any pre-
tensions to singing.
For some reason you obviously
neglected . very strong point
made in that persons letter: that
was the reference to the spoken
part of the program. conScient-
iouSly believe that before I went
on the air in 1928. no one had
ever used quite the continuity
that adopted. My mode of de-
livery was perfectly natural and
unaffected; In fact, before / first
Led my band in a broadcasts at
the Heigh. Ho Club, the only
time ] had ever listened in on the
radio was to championship
prize fight. My continuity today
and in the past has always been
along the lines of my first de-
livery,
Says Radio Made Him
And now to answer the last.
part of your statements.
At the time / broke into senSa.
tional popularity In the tl1eaters
OF New York City, my name had
hardly appeared, except for oc-
casional small comments, in any
newspaper. My radio had become
popular through word of mouth.
/ am surprised that, you, radio
man, should not be quick to ac-
knowledge the tremendous power
OF radio.
with regard to :. person offer,
arg something musical, or even
possibly some other artistic di-
version, / think you will be
forced to admit that there is no
power. unless it be the motion
picture, quite ass powerful or
quick to bring sensational success
to that person or persons. as
radio. The newspaper follow-up,
such as interviews. publicity and
comments. If fair and of the right
sort Ia tlnquestionably the logical
foIlow-up and the finishing touch.
Artists such as Vaughn de Leatn..
Jessica Dragonette owe their SEN
sAtibnal popularity first to radio,
and secondly to the press.
Main Credit For Air
I have never made. the. state.
snenN that newspapers have moth
ing to do with my popularity. !
have said IS I haze Just recently
pointed out, that my first appear
ance in the show world, which
was Sargp0fr. akings from a box.
office nddpointvl WAS entirely
l@aygs gs.7sss.s i :. - + - -
- ii WRRW .@M.A, ~ nj