60-807: Kathryn Elizabeth Smith (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986) was an American contralto . Referred to as The First Lady of Radio , Smith is well known for her renditions of " God Bless America " and " When the Moon Comes over the Mountain ". She became known as The Songbird of the South because of her tremendous popularity during World War II . Smith was born on May 1, 1907, in Greenville, Virginia , to Charlotte 'Lottie' Yarnell ( née Hanby) and William Herman Smith and grew up in Washington, D.C. Her father owned
120-497: A countertenor , typically between the F below middle C (F 3 in scientific pitch notation ) to the second F above middle C (F 5 ), although, at the extremes, some voices can reach the D below middle C (D 3 ) or the second B ♭ above middle C (B ♭ 5 ). The contralto voice type is generally divided into the coloratura, lyric, and dramatic contralto. "Contralto" is primarily meaningful only in reference to classical and operatic singing, as other traditions lack
180-578: A Keyhole . Columbo performed seven vocals while with Arnheim as a member of the string section, six for Okeh Records and only one for Victor ("A Peach of a Pair") on June 18, 1930, a few months before Bing Crosby joined the band along with Al Rinker and Harry Barris as "The Rhythm Boys". Columbo ran a nightclub for a while, the Club Pyramid, but gave it up when his manager told him he had star potential. In 1931, he traveled to New York City with his manager, songwriter Con Conrad , who secured
240-491: A comparable system of vocal categorization . The term "contralto" is only applied to female singers; men singing in a similar range are called " countertenors ". The Italian terms "contralto" and " alto " are not synonymous, "alto" technically denoting a specific vocal range in choral singing without regard to factors like tessitura , vocal timbre , vocal facility, and vocal weight . However, there exists some French choral writing (including that of Ravel and Poulenc ) with
300-418: A concert demonstration against indecency, for which President Richard Nixon commended the stars' performances. Contralto A contralto ( Italian pronunciation: [konˈtralto] ) is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type . The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare, similar to the mezzo-soprano , and almost identical to that of
360-502: A huge leap in 1930 when Columbia Records A&R executive Ted Collins took an interest as a result of her Hit the Deck performances. Collins would become her longtime manager in 50–50 partnership. Smith had become self-conscious regarding her weight, in no small part because of the on- and off-stage mocking she received from co-star Bert Lahr. She later credited Collins with helping her overcome her self-consciousness, writing, "Ted Collins
420-804: A late-night radio slot with NBC . This led to numerous engagements, a recording contract with RCA Victor records, and tremendous popularity with legions of mostly female fans. Not long after arriving in New York, Columbo met actress Dorothy Dell at an audition for the Ziegfeld Follies and began seeing her. Conrad did his best to break the relationship up with a series of publicity-created "ruse romances" involving Columbo and actresses such as Greta Garbo and Pola Negri ; it succeeded. (Dorothy Dell died in an auto accident in June 1934—just months before Columbo's own fatal accident.) The type of singing that
480-413: A longtime friend, photographer Lansing Brown Jr. , while Columbo was visiting him at home. Brown had a collection of firearms, and the two men were examining various pieces. Quoting Brown's description of the accident: I was absent-mindedly fooling around with one of the guns. It was of a dueling design and works with a cap and trigger. I was pulling back the trigger and clicking it time after time. I had
540-1357: A lyric contralto voice. Ma Moss in The Tender Land is a notable lyric contralto role. The dramatic contralto voice is heard in much of the German operatic repertoire. Erda in Der Ring des Nibelungen and Gaea in Daphne are both good examples of the dramatic contralto. True operatic contraltos are rare, and the operatic literature contains few roles written specifically for them with most of those roles singing notes outside of their defined range. Contraltos sometimes are assigned feminine roles like Teodata in Flavio , Angelina in La Cenerentola , Rosina in The Barber of Seville , Isabella in L'italiana in Algeri , and Olga in Eugene Onegin , but more frequently they play female villains or trouser roles . Contraltos may also be cast in roles originally written for castrati . A common saying among contraltos
600-418: A match in my hand and when I clicked, apparently the match caught in between the hammer and the firing pin. There was an explosion. Russ slid to the side of his chair. The ball ricocheted off a nearby table and hit Columbo above the left eye. Surgeons at Good Samaritan Hospital made an unsuccessful attempt to remove the ball from Columbo's brain; he died less than six hours after the shooting. Columbo's death
660-498: A member of Gus Arnheim and His Orchestra. Eventually, he obtained some feature work in front of the camera, but he slowed down his activities in cinema to pursue other interests. At the time of his death, Columbo had just completed work on the film Wake Up and Dream ; he was on his way to stardom when his life was cut short. Among Columbo's other films are: Woman to Woman (with Betty Compton ), Wolf Song (with Lupe Vélez ), The Texan (with Gary Cooper ), and Broadway Thru
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#1732794594042720-595: A part labelled "contralto", despite the tessitura and function being that of a classical alto part. The Saracen princess Clorinde in André Campra 's 1702 opera Tancrède was written for Julie d'Aubigny and is considered the earliest major role for bas-dessus or contralto voice. The contralto has the lowest vocal range of the female voice types , with the lowest tessitura ; it is between tenor and mezzo-soprano . Although tenors, baritones, and basses are male singers, some women can sing as low (albeit with
780-425: A propaganda asking people to stay away from the picture. Her advertisement probably put a million dollars on its gross." Smith starred in two concurrent television programs in the early 1950s The Kate Smith Hour on NBC Television from 1950 through 1954, hosting until 1953 in the late afternoon hour of 4:00 pm ET. James Dean and Audrey Hepburn made early acting appearances on the show. Smith also starred in
840-591: A separate hit series in 1940. Smith also made a dramatic appearance, starring in "Little Johnny Appleseed" on Silver Theater on May 14, 1944. By 1946, she also collaborated with the actor Pat O'Brien on the Viva America program for the CBS radio network in support of America's cultural diplomacy initiatives in South America. Smith's figure was not the only target of satire. Her cheery radio sign-on
900-602: A singing lesson in her life and possessed a 'rich range' of two and a half octaves. Her earliest performances were during amateur nights at vaudeville theaters in D.C. Her earliest musical influences were her parents: her father sang in the choir at the Catholic church; her mother played piano at the Presbyterian church. She attended Business High School in D.C. (now Theodore Roosevelt High School ), likely graduating in 1924. Alarmed by his daughter's evident penchant for
960-558: A slightly different timbre and texture) as their male counterparts. Some of the rare female singers who specialized in the tenor and baritone registers include film actress Zarah Leander , the Iranian āvāz singer Hayedeh , the child prodigy Ruby Helder (1890–1938), and Bavarian novelty singer Bally Prell . Within the contralto voice type category are three generally recognized subcategories: coloratura contralto , an agile voice specializing in florid passages; lyric contralto ,
1020-654: A special part of Flyers' history. In 1987, the team erected a statue of Smith outside the Spectrum, their arena at the time, in her memory. However, the statue was later covered and then removed in April 2019 due to criticism of lyrics in some of her earlier songs that were perceived as racist. Until that time, the Flyers still showed a video of her singing "God Bless America" in lieu of " The Star-Spangled Banner " for good luck before important games. The video of Smith's performance
1080-508: A voice lighter in timbre; and dramatic contralto , a deep, dark, and bold contralto voice. The coloratura contralto was a favorite voice type of Rossini's . Many of his roles listed below were written with this type of voice in mind. Lyric contraltos are heavily utilized in both the French and English operatic repertoire. Many of the Gilbert and Sullivan contralto roles are best suited with
1140-465: A year following her death, Smith's remains were stored in a vault at St. Agnes Cemetery in Lake Placid, while officials of St. Agnes Church and the singer's executors engaged in a dispute over Smith's request to be interred in a mausoleum on the cemetery's grounds. Her private interment service was held on November 14, 1987. She did a command performance for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at
1200-468: Is famous for romantic ballads such as his signature tune "You Call It Madness, But I Call It Love" and his own compositions " Prisoner of Love " and "Too Beautiful for Words". Columbo was born in Camden, New Jersey , the twelfth child of Italian immigrant parents Nicola and Giulia "Julia" Colombo. He attended Everett Grammar School and started playing the violin at a very young age, debuting professionally at
1260-415: Is that they may play only "witches, bitches, or britches ." Examples of contralto roles in the standard operatic repertoire include the following: indicates a role that may also be sung by a mezzo-soprano . Russ Columbo Ruggiero Eugenio di Rodolfo Colombo (January 14, 1908 – September 2, 1934), known as Russ Columbo , was an American baritone , songwriter, violinist, and actor. He
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#17327945940421320-523: The Columbia label. She made a few more records for Columbia through May 1927. In 1929 through 1931 she again returned to Columbia's studios, this time appearing for the budget labels Harmony , Diva and Velvet Tone under a pseudonym. These commercially successful records were often sung in the style of Ethel Waters and Ruth Etting , although others were more akin to the early crooning style of Bing Crosby and Russ Columbo . Her musical career took
1380-485: The Ink Spots , Mildred Bailey , Tiny Tim , Teddy Wilson with Lena Horne on vocals, Bing Crosby, Billy Eckstine , and James Brown . Perry Como had a number-one hit on Billboard with his recording. James Brown had a top-20 pop hit and performed the song on The Ed Sullivan Show and in the concert movie The T.A.M.I. Show (1964). On Sunday, September 2, 1934, Columbo was shot under peculiar circumstances by
1440-689: The Stanley Cup Finals when the Flyers lost to the Montreal Canadiens 5–3 and were swept in that series. She made her final public performance on May 23, 1985, before Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals when the Flyers lost to the Edmonton Oilers 3–1, and lost the series in five games. The Flyers' record when "God Bless America" was played or sung by Smith in person stood at a remarkable 100 wins, 29 losses, and five ties as of April 20, 2016. Smith and her song remain
1500-662: The Toronto Maple Leafs on October 11, 1973, Smith made a surprise appearance to perform the song in person and received a tremendous reception. The Flyers won that game by a 2–0 score. She again performed the song at the Spectrum in front of a capacity crowd of 17,007 fans before game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals on May 19, 1974, against the Boston Bruins. Before this game, Smith had a "Flyer Record" of 36–3–1 (win-loss-tie). After her performance, in keeping with
1560-490: The "Star-Spangled Banner" played before games, due to the tensions caused by the Vietnam War, and he decided to use Smith's rendition of "God Bless America" instead. The crowd responded more favorably to this recording. After the Flyers won the game, it was decided by the team that the song would be used as an alternative to the "Star-Spangled Banner", but only for certain important games. At the Flyers' home opener against
1620-669: The 1943 wartime film This Is the Army , she sang " God Bless America ", which became her signature song. Smith was a major star of radio, usually backed by Jack Miller's Orchestra. She began with her twice-a-week NBC series, Kate Smith Sings (quickly expanded to six shows a week), followed by a series of shows for CBS: Kate Smith and Her Swanee Music (1931–33), sponsored by La Palina Cigars; The Kate Smith Matinee (1934–35); The Kate Smith New Star Revue (1934–35); Kate Smith's Coffee Time (1935–36), sponsored by A&P ; and The Kate Smith A&P Bandwagon (1936–37). The Kate Smith Hour
1680-581: The 1950s but in 1963 signed a contract with RCA Victor to record a number of successful albums, including several that charted on the Billboard Hot 200 chart alongside the major rock stars of the era, usually with Smith, then well into her fifties, the oldest performer on the charts. In 1967 she had her first new hit record in many years when "Anyone Can Move A Mountain" peaked at #30 on Billboard ' s Easy Listening Hits chart in July 1967. This record
1740-548: The British television show, Sunday Night at the London Palladium . Because of her popularity, her face was a common sight in print advertisements of the day. Over the years, she acted as a commercial spokeswoman for numerous companies such as Studebaker , Pullman, Diamond Crystal Salt , and Jell-O . Smith recorded dozens of successful albums and songs during the 1930s and 1940s. She recorded sporadically during
1800-678: The Bruins out 1–0 in the game. Smith also performed live at the Flyers' home game on May 13, 1975, before Game 7 of the Stanley Cup semifinals against the Islanders. After her performance, Islanders' captain Ed Westfall presented Smith with a bouquet of flowers as each member of the Islanders lined up to shake her hand. Nonetheless, the Flyers won the game 4–1. On May 16, 1976, Smith made one of her final public performances before Game 4 of
1860-536: The Capitol News Company, distributing newspapers and magazines in the greater D.C. area. She was the youngest of three daughters, the middle child dying in infancy. She failed to talk until she was four years old, but a year later she was singing at church social events. By the time she was eight, she was singing for the troops at Army camps in the Washington area during World War I . Smith never had
Kate Smith - Misplaced Pages Continue
1920-489: The Flyers' reputation of "The Broad Street Bullies", Smith mimicked a knockout punch. Boston's defenseman Bobby Orr and center Phil Esposito infamously tried to jinx the Flyers' "good luck charm" by shaking her hand after her performance. Yet, the Flyers won their first of two back-to-back Stanley Cups , winning that playoff series against the Boston Bruins four games to two, with goaltender Bernie Parent shutting
1980-589: The Hour " (1947). "Rose O'Day" sold over one million copies, her first to achieve this feat, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA . Her theme song was " When the Moon Comes over the Mountain "; she had helped write the lyrics. Smith greeted her audience with "Hello, everybody!" and signed off with "Thanks for listenin'." In 1932, Smith appeared in Hello, Everybody! , with co-stars Randolph Scott and Sally Blane , and in
2040-573: The South . The artwork was based on a photograph of Smith taken in the 1960s. On October 26, 1982, Smith received the Presidential Medal of Freedom , America's highest civilian honor, by U.S. President Ronald Reagan . In bestowing the honor, Reagan said: The voice of Kate Smith is known and loved by millions of Americans, young and old. In war and peace, it has been an inspiration. Those simple but deeply moving words, "God bless America", have taken on added meaning for all of us because of
2100-635: The White House on June 8, 1939. She received a Drake University medallion for "outstanding contributions to radio and the people". Smith was inducted posthumously into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1999. She was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2010, the U.S. postal service issued a commemorative stamp featuring a duplication of artwork created for the cover of a CD titled Kate Smith: The Songbird of
2160-415: The age of 13. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was 16, and he attended Belmont High School there. He left high school at age 17 to study violin under Calmon Luboviski and travel with various bands around the country. He sang and played violin in numerous nightclubs . By 1928, at the age of 20, Columbo began to participate in motion pictures, including a Vitaphone short in which Columbo appeared as
2220-618: The age of 30. She titled her 1938 autobiography Living in a Great Big Way . Smith was the grand marshal of the 1976 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California and sang "God Bless America" and the National Anthem before the Rose Bowl game, a UCLA victory over Ohio State. Smith's rendition of "God Bless America" was played during the seventh-inning stretch of New York Yankees home games from 2001 until April 2019, when
2280-799: The company lead in George White's Flying High , which opened at the whites only Hurtig & Seamon's New Burlesque Theater (which later became the Apollo Theater) on March 3, 1930, and ran for 122 performances. As Pansy Sparks, Smith's role was to be the butt of Bert Lahr 's often cruel jibes about her girth. She said later that she often wept with humiliation in her dressing room after the show. During Honeymoon Lane ' s run in New York, Smith made her first phonograph recordings, consisting of songs from that show. The first sessions were for Victor but none were issued. Her first issued recordings, from an October 28, 1926, session, appeared on
2340-625: The diseases that eat away the fibers of peace". She went on to state "it is up to us to tolerate one another in order to achieve peace". Smith, who never married, rented several apartments in Manhattan during her long career. She had a home in Arlington, Virginia , and kept a summer home on a small island in Lake Placid, New York . After attending services at a Catholic parish for 25 years, Smith converted to Roman Catholicism in 1965. During
2400-481: The number-one ranked anthemist in the NHL, Lauren Hart, as she sings 'God Bless America', accompanied by the great Kate Smith." Smith's plump figure made her an occasional object of derision; however, late in her career, Philadelphia Flyers hockey fans said about her appearance before games "It ain't BEGUN 'til the fat lady sings!" Smith was 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and weighed 235 pounds (107 kg) at
2460-476: The practice was discontinued amid controversy surrounding her 1931 recordings of " That's Why Darkies Were Born " and " Pickaninny Heaven". The following day, the Philadelphia Flyers followed suit, and the statue of Smith outside the Flyers' arena was removed on April 21, 2019. Her family responded by denying the racism allegations. Those against the discontinuation of Smith's recordings have cited
Kate Smith - Misplaced Pages Continue
2520-560: The remaining 10 years of her life. Owing to her previous heart condition, it was feared that the news would prove fatal to her (she died in 1944). They used all manner of subterfuge to give the impression that Columbo was still alive, including faked letters from him and records used to simulate his radio program. Columbo is interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California . Actress Virginia Brissac
2580-486: The sale of over $ 600 million (equivalent to $ 12.4 billion in 2023) of war bonds during a series of marathon broadcasts. No other show-business star came near her as revenue producer of War Bonds to finance the United States' war effort. In 1944 Smith launched a campaign against the film Double Indemnity . James M. Cain recalled that "there was a little trouble caused by this fat girl, Kate Smith, who carried on
2640-434: The satirical nature of the song "That's Why Darkies Were Born", and the fact that it was also popularized by Paul Robeson . The song "Pickaninny Heaven" is from the movie Hello, Everybody! , one of whose writers was Fannie Hurst , a well-known advocate for African American equality. Smith called for racial tolerance in 1945 in an address on CBS Radio, declaring, "Race hatreds, social prejudices, religious bigotry, they are
2700-578: The songs "Prisoner of Love" and "You Call It Madness (But I Call It Love)" with Con Conrad, Gladys Du Bois, and Paul Gregory; "Too Beautiful For Words", recorded by the Teddy Joyce Orchestra in 1935; "When You're in Love", "My Love", and "Let's Pretend There's a Moon", recorded by Fats Waller and Tab Hunter ; and "Hello Sister". " Prisoner of Love " is a standard that has been recorded by Frank Sinatra , Jo Stafford , Art Tatum , Perry Como ,
2760-545: The stage, her father sent her to the George Washington University School for Nursing where she attended classes for nine months between 1924 and 1925, withdrawing to pursue a career in show business. She got herself on the bill at Keith's Theater in Boston as a singer. Heading the bill was the actor and producer Eddie Dowling , who recruited the young singer for a revue he was preparing. It
2820-412: The time she spent in Lake Placid, she regularly attended Sunday Mass at St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church and could be heard singing the hymns in her contralto voice. In her later years, Smith was impaired by diabetes . In 1976, she suffered brain damage after slipping into a diabetic coma . After she emerged from the coma, her family helped her move in 1979 to Raleigh . In January 1986, Smith's right leg
2880-498: The varieties and nightclubs are known as 'hot' songs. Kate Smith is the newcomer's not uncommon name." When Honeymoon Lane closed, Smith had difficulty finding work in New York, so she returned to Washington, D.C. where she appeared sporadically in vaudeville. Smith joined the road company of Vincent Youmans ' Hit the Deck , where she won acclaim singing "Hallelujah!" as a mammy in blackface. Back in New York City, she took
2940-554: The way Kate Smith sang them. Thanks to her they have become a cherished part of all our lives, an undying reminder of the beauty, the courage, and the heart of this great land of ours. In giving us a magnificent, selfless talent like Kate Smith, God has truly blessed America. It was not the first time Smith had been saluted by a president. In 1969, in light of Jim Morrison 's arrest in Miami for indecent exposure, Smith had performed with The Lettermen , Anita Bryant , and Jackie Gleason in
3000-621: The weekly The Kate Smith Evening Hour which included a rare US TV appearance by Josephine Baker as well as the only major filmed footage of Hank Williams . Smith continued on the Mutual Broadcasting System, CBS, ABC, and NBC, presenting both music and talk shows on radio until 1960. From January 25 to July 18, 1960, Smith hosted The Kate Smith Show , a variety program on the CBS Television Monday evening schedule. On October 2, 1966, Smith performed on
3060-465: Was a leading radio variety show, offering comedy, music, and drama with appearances by top personalities of films and theater for eight years (1937–1945). The show's resident comics, Abbott and Costello and Henny Youngman , introduced their comedy to a nationwide radio audience aboard her show, while a series of sketches based on the Broadway production of the same name led to The Aldrich Family as
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#17327945940423120-576: Was amputated due to poor circulation caused by diabetes. Five months later, she underwent a mastectomy . On June 17, 1986, Smith died of respiratory arrest at Raleigh Community Hospital in Raleigh at the age of 79. Patricia Castledine (1939–2021) was Smith's live-in nurse until Smith's death. Castledine became the president of the Kate Smith Fan Club after Smith's death and continued to hold that post until her own death in 2021. For over
3180-561: Was called Honeymoon Lane , and opened in Atlantic City, New Jersey on August 29, 1926. A month later, it moved to Broadway. An indelicate review in The New York Times on October 31, 1926, under the heading "A Sophie Tucker Rival", said: "A 19-year-old girl, weighing in the immediate neighborhood of 200 pounds, is one of the discoveries of the season for those whose interests run to syncopators and singers of what in
3240-591: Was her only 1960s single release to be successful. In 1974, Smith returned to Billboard ' s Easy Listening chart when "Smile, Smile, Smile", a one-shot single release (and her last recording) for Atlantic Records , peaked at #42 in June 1974. (US chart positions courtesy Billboard magazine ). When the Philadelphia Flyers ice hockey team played Smith's rendition of "God Bless America" before their game on December 11, 1969, an unusual part of her career began. The Flyers' public address announcer had noticed that people would not pay attention or would show disdain for
3300-437: Was later accompanied by Lauren Hart , daughter of the late Hockey Hall of Fame broadcaster, Gene Hart , longtime voice of the Flyers, and anthem singer for the Flyers. Before games whenever "God Bless America" was performed, Lou Nolan , the public address announcer for the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center would say "Ladies and gentlemen, at this time, we ask that you please rise and remove your hats and salute our flags and welcome
3360-589: Was parodied by comedian Henry Morgan when he launched his own show in 1942: "Good evening, anybody, here's Morgan," which became his sign-on. Morgan recalled in his memoir Here's Morgan , that Smith's sign-on struck him as condescending: "I, on the other hand, was grateful if anybody was listening." Smith continued on the Mutual Broadcasting System , CBS, ABC, and NBC, presenting both music and talk shows on radio until 1960. Smith "stirred patriotic fervor" during World War II and contributed to
3420-415: Was popularized by the likes of Columbo, Rudy Vallee , and Bing Crosby is called crooning . Columbo disliked the label, but it caught on with the general public. It gained popular credence, despite its initial use as a term of derision for the singers employing their low, soothing voices in romantic songs. Similarly, to reinforce his romantic appeal, he was called "Radio's Valentino ". Columbo composed
3480-449: Was ruled an accident and Brown was exonerated from blame. His funeral Mass was attended by numerous Hollywood actors, including Bing Crosby and Carole Lombard , who was to have had dinner with Columbo the evening of the accident and who was romantically involved with him. Columbo's mother was hospitalized in serious condition from a heart attack at the time of the accident; the news was withheld from her by his brothers and sisters for
3540-524: Was serving as Columbo's private secretary at the time of his death and was later called upon by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office to testify and identify Columbo's remains at the subsequent inquest. In 1958, singer Jerry Vale recorded a tribute album titled I Remember Russ . In 1995, 61 years after Columbo's death, singer Tiny Tim released an album titled Prisoner of Love (A Tribute to Russ Columbo) , which he recorded with
3600-588: Was the first man who regarded me as a singer, and didn't even seem to notice that I was a big girl." She noted, "I'm big, and I sing, and boy, when I sing, I sing all over!" Collins put Smith on radio in 1931. That year, she performed " Dream a Little Dream of Me ". Her biggest hits were "River, Stay 'Way from My Door" (1931), " The Woodpecker Song " (1940), " The White Cliffs of Dover " (1942), "Rose O'Day" (1941), "The Last Time I Saw Paris" (1940), " I Don't Want to Walk Without You " (1942), "There Goes That Song Again" (1944), " Seems Like Old Times " (1946), and " Now Is
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