Long known as the "first lady of radio," Kate Smith starred on CBS radio from 1931-1947, always opening with her theme song, "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain." The lyrics of this song were adapted from a poem Kate had written as a teenager to celebrate her native Shenandoah Mountain area. She was also associated in the public mind with Irving Berlin's "God Bless America," which she introduced on Armistice Day in 1938. Berlin was so pleased with her treatment of the song that he granted her exclusive rights to sing it on radio in the late 1930s. Moving to television in later years, Smith's popularity continued, leading a pop music critic to write: "For at least five decades, Kate Smith ranked close to apple pie, baseball, and the Statue of Liberty among America's best loved and most instantly recognized symbols."

Smith became a...