Culture > Music > News Kate Smith: New York Yankees and Philadelphia Flyers drop singer's rendition of God Bless America amid racism accusations.

Kathryn Elizabeth Smith (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986), known professionally as Kate Smith and The First Lady of Radio, was an American singer, a contralto, well 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. by Rob Tornoe, Updated: April 19, 2019 . The team removed its Kate Smith statue this year … Professional sports teams are banning Kate Smith's rendition of "God Bless America" after racist lyrics surfaced from the singer's past. Celine Dion performed this on the post-9/11 TV special America: A Tribute to Heroes, and it was featured on the accompanying album God Bless America, which debuted at #1 (the first charity album to reach the summit since USA for Africa's We Are The World in 1985). Kathryn Elizabeth Smith (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986) was a Washington, D.C.-born singer best known for her rendition of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America". DAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer . Kate Smith's version of "God Bless America" has been played at Yankee Stadium for 18 years, but they stopped in 2019 after finding several songs Smith recorded with racist lyrics. Professional sports teams are banning Kate Smith's rendition of "God Bless America" after racist lyrics surfaced from the singer's past. The following year, Kate Smith’s version of the song was published by RCA Victor Records. This 3 CD set contains 75 songs. The New York Yankees stopped playing Kate Smith's rendition of God Bless America at home games last month after the team became aware of the late singer's racially insensitive tunes. 78_god-bless-america_kate-smith-irving-berlin_gbia0015694a Location USA Run time 00:02:51 Scanner Internet Archive Python library 1.7.1 Scanningcenter George Blood, L.P. Decades after her death, singer Kate Smith is in the news again and not in a good way.. On her radio show, Kate Smith sings the Irving Berlin song "God Bless America" for the first time, introducing it to the country.Berlin composed the song for a 1918 musical he wrote, but decided not to use it. The New York Yankees have suspended the use of Kate Smith's recording of "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch while they investigate an allegation of racism against the singer. The "Songbird of the South," vocalist Kate Smith was one of the most popular stars of the pre-World War II era; she remains best remembered for her definitive version of the patriotic anthem "God Bless America," which became a hit on no less than three separate occasions.