Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-03-01
KATE SMITH IS
HAPPY BECAUSE
SHE'S HERSELF

Mduy TtdUSTS VI THESE COLUMNS
have heard Kate Smith over the
radio. Kate by the way is no
small piece of humanity for she
weighs over 200 pounds but does
not worry about her weight. She
sings, laughs and grows fatter-
mountain of good nature and
song. She is natural born sing
er and very popular because she
is herself. A writer on The Min
neapolis Journal told interest
ingly about the Moon Mountain"
singer in the following words:
Kate Smith weighed only 6A
pounds when she was born. Until
she was 10, she was underweight. Her
sister, Helene, was a very fat child.
Now Helene weighs only lis. Kate
weighs 2171a. She was born May l..
1909 (Which makes her 24) at Green
vile, Va. Her folks worried about
her, because, until she was four years
old, she didn't utter sound-not a
word. Then one Sunday she came
home from church and burst out sing
ing the song the soprano in the
church choir had sung. 1t was her
first sound, outside of grunts. She's
been singing ever since. But never
had a lesson in voice culture or
music. Like the Mills Bros.)
Was graduated from high school
in Washington, ID. c. Took nursing
for nearly year in George Wash
ington hospital. Didn't soak up a
whole lot of education because she
had just one idea from the time of
her first sOng-tO go on the stage.
In pig-tails, she used to sing to the
soldiers around Washington during
the war. Went in for amateur nights,
and, at one of the RKO theaters in
Washington Tin 1920 A. l.. changers
son-in-law heard her sing, "Way
Down Yonder in New Orleans" and
took her right to New York. She
sang in Honeymoon Lane" Later in
Flying High" but the members of
the cast, were such ribbers and she
was so young she decided to quit the
stage. Ted Collins, her present man
ager, had heard her and took her to
CHS. She went on as a sustaining
program. First, though, she hired
Jack Miller as her accompanist. He
had taken to playing piano because
his voice had failed. His voice has
come back, but he still is satisfied
to be her accOmpaniSt. She's been
out when the Moon Comes Over the
Mountain" her theme song. 1t was
written seven years ago, as a comedy
hill-billy song, titled, when the
MoOnshines on the Mountain" and
kicked around five years before Miller
discovered it. It's peculiarly suitable
as theme-song, for this mountain of
gOod-nature and song has all the low
able qualities ascribed to the moon.
Her eyes are brown, but turn green
when it rains. Her hair is chestnut.
She likes to lounge around in ging-
ham house dresses. She's regular
100 per cent natural, with no affecta-
lions, and would rather play penny
ante poker than bridge. Laughs a
lot and loves to kid her Hungarian
maid, Maria, who is always moan
ing, ZACH! 1000 calories!" every
time Kate eats another piece of cake.
She thinks nothing of reducing, and
is eating cake and ice cream all
day, but her breakfasts are light
rolls and coffee-and she only, has
two regular meals a day. She wears
glasses off-stage, but won't be photo
graphed in them.
It's not generally known, but Kate
has spent more than 100000 in the
past two years maintaining beds for
patients-mostly crippled children =
in hospitals all over the country. She
maintains four beds in Minneapolis
hospitals. This is no publicity gag.
Talk to her long enough, and you'll
find the conversation on the subject
of crippled children. Crippled chill
dren, cake, her veteran friends-they
just about occupy her whole life. She
generally has two dresses of the same
pattern made-they wear out SO
quickly. Has an artist sketch them
before they are made. She sleeps in
silk pajamas green. These
are made to order, too. Wears big,
fur bedroom slippers.