GOD BLESS AMERICA

Please read and watch the video.....it will make you proud to be an American. This is a great film clip of Kate Smith singing God Bless America for the very first time publicly. The story follows, then watch the video clip.

Irving Berlin wrote this song in 1917 for use during WWI. Does anyone

know why he did not release it then? No? Well, I will tell you. He thought it "too saccharine," (sentimental) even for the horrific inferno that was WWI.

You will enjoy this and you younger folks will learn some history...

The link below will take you to a video showing the very first public singing of "GOD BLESS AMERICA."

But, before you watch, you should also know the story of the song. The time was 1940. America was still in a terrible economic depression. Hitler was taking over Europe and Americans were afraid we'd have to go to war. It was a time of hardship and worry for most Americans.

This was the era just before TV, when radio shows were HUGE, and American families sat around their radios in the evenings, listening to their favorite entertainers - and no entertainer of that era was bigger than Kate Smith. Kate was also large in size, and the popular phrase still used today is in deference to her, "It Ain't over till the fat lady sings."

IRENE AND THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS

Marion Pellicano Ambrose 

What are the words to that song? “I want to wake up in the city that never sleeps.” Well, Old Blue Eyes would be singing a different tune if he saw the forecast for New York this weekend!  Hurricane Irene is going to bring NYC to a standstill: mandatory evacuations of low lying and coastal areas, including part of the financial district in Manhattan. This zone has been ordered to be evacuated by 5 pm Saturday. I heard from an old friend that my hometown of Sheepshead Bay is also being evacuated. First time ever!

In addition, the entire NYC Transportation System will be shut down from Saturday afternoon until Monday. The last time this happened was on September 11, 2001. New York mayor Michael Bloomberg cautioned residents not to be fooled because the sun is shining. He warned that Irene is a dangerous storm and “it’s heading directly for us”.

Irene is expected to blast its way into North Carolina Saturday afternoon and then move up the coast bringing winds of up to 115 mph, heavy rains and surges.

New Jersey Mayor Chris Christie is taking the threat seriously as well. All gaming in Atlantic City will be suspended starting Saturday at noon. Coastal and low lying areas are being evacuated in stages. President Obama has urged everyone to obey evacuation order.

“I cannot stress this highly enough, if you are in the projected path of this hurricane you have to take precautions now. Don’t wait, don’t delay. All indications point to this being a historic hurricane.” Obama said

We at DRL South are praying for our Northern counterparts and all of those in the path of this historic storm. We hope it will fizzle out or move way to the east before it can cause any destruction or loss of life, though it certainly doesn't appear to be the projection. PLEASE be as prepared as possible and know that we’re rooting for you!

http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/downloads/pdf/hurricane_map_english.pdf (NYC evacuation zone map)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqlJl1LfDP4 (NY,NY)

ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY JULY 30

1942 - Frank Sinatra recorded the last of 90 recordings with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.
1954 - Elvis Presley made his professional debut in Memphis. It was his first concert to be advertised.
1956 - Brenda Lee recorded her first hit, "Jambalaya" and "Bigelow 6-500."
1968 - The Beatles' Apple Boutique in London closed after heavy losses.
1970 - The Rolling Stones fired Allen Klein as their manager.
1987 - David Bowie played the first show of his "Glass Spider" tour in Philadelphia, PA.