Radio revue (Dec 1929-Mar 1930)

RADIO REVUE there was more interested in how you screened and not how you screamed (pretty good, hey?) she continued her musical career. She wasn't out there long before she was twelve years old and had organized and was conducting an orchestra. And then she wrote a song called "Old Glory, I Salute You." Published Twenty Years Later There's another lesson in that because she didn't find a publisher for that song until about twenty years later. But now it has been published and when I get to know her better I'll send you an autographed copy. But she wrote some other songs — when she was a little girl I mean — and she sold one of them. I know just how she felt — you know, the emotion you get when you first do something important. I'll never forget the time I sang a solo at the public school graduation a few years ago. But I was telling you about the Original Radio Girl. After she'd got a musical education she sang in some concerts and then she decided to go to New York and be a success. Which she did. She came east in 1919 and made some phonograph records and didn't attract much attention because New Yorkers are kinda down on Californians because they're always talking abcuL California sunshine and they always pick a rainy day to talk. But I gather she had a pretty hard time of it and they do say she lived for a whole week on a can of cocoa and has never felt the same about cocoa since. But about that time somebody invented radio or broadcasting or maybe both, and Miss de Leath decided she would be a radio star. Which she did. She went down to a building on Fortieth Street — that's one of the important streets here — about as important as Congress Street is to Yoakum — and she climbed up into the tower and there was a microphone and an accordion player, and Dr. De Forest said, "Well, it looks like we're gonna broadcast," and Miss de Leath said, "Okay by me" or something like that and with those simple words she started singing and became the Original Radio Girl. I forgot to tell you that was the first time a woman had ever broadcast but they've been at it ever since. That was ten years ago this month. And she has her first fan letter she received about that time but not the dress she wore. That proves it. I mean that proves she thinks more about her public than her clothes, which is what a great artist should do. I'm going to be like that, Margy, as soon as I get my first fan letter. Well, after Vaughn — I mean Miss de Leath — though I always think of her as Vaughn, Margy, — but anyway, She looked at me and gave me a great big smile. after she had sort of started the custom of singing on the radio, a lot of other people tried it and pretty soon it got so you could buy radio sets on the installment plan or the parts at the five-and-ten and radio became a great industry. Well, Miss de Leath after a while started to listen to other women sing and she read a lot of smart cracks about radio sopranos, so she decided after they'd worn out the jokes about sopranos they'd get around to the contraltos, which she was, so she invented a new style of singing called crooning. Now you know, Margy, when we listen to Vaughn de Leath back home you can hear her in the kitchen if the speaker is turned up, but honestly, Margy, you wouldn't believe it, but you can't hear her in the studio when she sings. Now I'm going to have to get technical, Margy, and you may not understand all this, but the reason you can't hear her in the studio, but can hear her in Yoakum, is because of technicalities. She sort of gets awfully close to the microphone and sings in a low voice to it, soft and sweet like, and then they take that little low voice and magnify it with electricity and you have crooning. She can sing in a loud voice too and it is pretty swell but the low voice is easier on the tubes which cost money. They do say that was the reason she really invented crooning in order to save tubes back in the old days when they didn't have many, but I think she did it just to be different. You'll probably be glad to know that she's married, Margy, — not that I had any serious intentions or anything because you are the only girl in the world for me — but I know you have been worrying about me up here among all these beautiful women, though you know I have a strong character and will not be led astray by a Broadway butterfly. Now I don't mean Miss de Leath is a Broadway butterfly— because she isn't. She's very nice and doesn't smoke and would rather go to the opera than to Texas Guinan's if she was open, but I mean there are lots of Broadway butterflies. But don't you worry — none of this wild night life for me. I have my career to think of. Many Frenchmen Propose But I was going to tell you about Vaughn — I mean Miss de Leath. Singing in the Voice of Firestone every Monday night isn't the only thing she does. She makes phonograph records and writes music and songs and makes personal appearances. Her records are popular not only in this country but in France, and every time a ship comes in she gets letters from Frenchmen proposing marriage. {Continued on page 45 )