death_date death_place years_active birth_place label voice_type name background birth_date instrument img article_title birth_name occupation
17 june 1986 raleigh , nc , united states 1926 & ndash ; 1976 greenville , va , united states rca victor savoy records contralto kate smith solo_singer 1 may 1907 vocals kate smith.jpg kate smith
 kathryn elizabeth smith singer
kate smith

kathryn elizabeth smith -lrb- may 1 , 1907 -- june 17 , 1986 -rrb- , known professionally as kate smith and the first lady of radio , was an american singer , a contralto , best known for her rendition of irving berlin 's `` god bless america '' .
she had a radio , television , and recording career spanning five decades , which reached its pinnacle in the 1940s .
smith became known as the songbird of the south after her enduring popularity during world war ii and contribution to american culture and patriotism .
