Flyers remove statue of controversial Smith
PHILADELPHIA — The bronze statue of the late singer Kate Smith has been removed from outside Philadelphia’s Xfinity Live! as the Flyers looked into racist lyrics she sang.
“While Kate Smith’s performance of ‘God Bless America’ cannot be erased from its place in Flyers history, that rendition will no longer be featured in our game presentations. And to ensure the sentiments stirred this week are no longer echoed, earlier today we completed the removal of the Kate Smith statue from its former location outside of our arena,” the Flyers organization said in a statement issued Sunday afternoon. Talk radio host Tony Bruno first tweeted around 9:30 Sunday morning that the statue was gone and posted a video. Last week, Philly.com reported that the Flyers were distancing themselves from Smith, the “Songbird of the South,” whose music was seen as a good-luck charm by fans.
“We have recently become aware that several songs performed by Kate Smith contain offensive lyrics that do not reflect our values as an organization,” the Flyers said in a statement. “As we continue to look into this serious matter, we are removing Kate Smith’s recording of ‘God Bless America’ from our library and covering up the statue that stands outside of our arena.”
It was unclear Sunday morning when exactly the statue was removed or where it is. The statement included the following quote from Flyers President Paul Holmgren: “The NHL principle ‘Hockey is for Everyone’ is at the heart of everything the Flyers stand for. As a result, we cannot stand idle while material from another era gets in the way of who we are today.”
Since 1969, the Flyers had played Smith’s version of Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America” before must-win games, where it proved to be just the inspiration needed. According to the Flyers, the team went 101-31-5 in games where Smith’s version of the song aired, including 3-1-0 when Smith sang the song live at the Spectrum beginning with the Flyers’ 1973 home opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Smith was born in Virginia in 1907. In ’31, she recorded “That’s Why Darkies Were Born,” written by Ray Henderson and Lew Brown, which includes the lyric, “Someone had to pick the cotton.” In the ’33 film
“Hello, Everybody!,” Smith sang “Pickaninny Heaven,” which directs “coloured children” living in an orphanage to fantasize about a place with “great big watermelons.”