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have to devote eight to nine months to get ready for a tour. Next, no singing professionally until Oct. 1, 1949, at the earliest.
"There was no special contract. We used the standard form without any special features or appendages. She asked for nothing that was not cus' tomary, and that's all there was to it."
MISS TRUMAN'S basic fee per concert is $1,500, and for radio it is between $3,000 and $4,000 an appearance. The Davidson firm, which gets the regular 20 per cent, provides all the advertising and publicity ac' cessories pertinent to each date, pre' pares the itinerary and sees to it that all necessary requirements are met by the local manager. All of Davidson's bookings have been with independent managers, halls not controlled by the two big circuits which reputedly have a monopoly on the halls and auditoriums. Davidson figures this parallels the film business and its subsequent anti-trust proceedings by the government, and one day hopes to see the end of the existing monopolies in the concert and allied entertainment fields.
The president's daughter provides her own accompanist, Herman Allison, who, before he joined her, was doing some chores for Ezio Pinza. For more than a year she studied with Helen Traubel, who recently decided she could do no more for Miss Truman. Miss Traubel regarded her teachings "a good turn for a friend" and was not paid for her services.
Davidson's initial booking for Miss Truman was at Cullowhee, S. C, at the East Carolina State Teachers College. It was a small hall and was filled
February, 19^1
to capacity. The president and first lady did not attend, but Davidson and his staff were on hand. The second date was at the Aycock Auditorium, Greensboro, N. C, and both proved a sellout with good notices and fine audience response.
Discussing Miss Truman's fee, Davidson says that the $1,500 is regarded as modest in the concert field. "Others get from $3,000 to $4,000 a concert. Sometimes I have to make deals for my clients as they do in the film business. These provide for flat sums against percentages, or flat sums without extras, as film companies negotiate important film for first rate showings.
"As booking manager I have to know about availabilities, just as they do in the film business. I also insist that my personalities stick to the concert field and not appear at dubs, prize fights, hotels or other functions that would take them out of their scope. This understanding also goes for Miss Truman."
Admitting he knows not one note of music, Davidson can tell a fine voice from a good one, knows who has to be developed and who doesn't Miss Truman is among those who required development, hence his insistence that she spend eight to nine months studying before embarking under his managerial wing.
Miss Truman started her 1950-51 season at Binghamton, N. Y., and then followed with an appearance at Rochester. She has about 20 songs in her repertoire, which doesn't change much from season to season. A season lasts six months. Davidson said he ifl limiting the president's daughter to