Joining Dean and Kate were legendary stars Barbara Eden, Mickey Rooney, and Norm Crosby. While the three men wore tuxedos, Barbara Eden wore a pink dress, and Kate Smith was in a sequined red and black gown.
The performance began with Dean and Kate singing ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy,’ followed by ‘My Old Kentucky Home’ with the others joining in. The medley then transitioned to ‘You’re a Grand Old Flag,’ with the stage filled with singers and dancers.
The audience loved it, and Dean stepped towards the camera to quote President Roosevelt’s introduction of Kate Smith 30 years prior as she began ‘God Bless America.
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Kate Smith was known as ‘The Songbird of the South’ for her popularity during World War II, and had an illustrious radio and television career spanning five decades. The performance saw her delivering another epic rendition of ‘God Bless America’ penned by Irving Berlin, with the orchestra playing the familiar fanfare as her voice soared to the song’s final high note.
