Died On This Date (June 17, 1986) Kate Smith / Iconic American Vocalist
themusicsover Kate Smith
May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986
Kate Smith was a popular singer in the 1940s and beyond. She is best remembered for her powerful version of Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America.” Smith’s career began singing on radio in the early ’30s. She became a big star of the day thanks to her NBC Radio program, Kate Smith Sings, and subsequent shows on CBS. In March of 1969, hockey’s Philadelphia Flyers played a recording of Smith’s “God Bless America” before a home game and began a trend of mostly winning games when the song was played. Smith joined the fun by making special appearances to sing it from time to time. To this day, royalties from her performance of “God Bless America” are donated to either the Boys or Girls Club. Kate Smith died of diabetes at the age of 79.
What You Should Own
Among other things, Bill Dixon was an experimental jazz trumpeter who was somewhat unique in that he often included delay and reverb in his playing. Over the course of a career that spanned some 60 years, he formed the Jazz Composers Guild and collaborated with the likes of Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp and Rob Mazurek. Dixon was also an educator, teaching at Bennington College in Vermont for nearly 30 years and chairing its Black Music Division for nearly 20. Bill Dixon was 84 when he passed away in his sleep on June 16, 2010.
Charlie Mariano was a gifted alto saxophone player who is best remembered for his work with 
