"And now it’s going to be my very great privilege to sing for you a song that’s never been sung before by anybody. One that was written especially for me by one of the greatest composers in the music field today. It’s something more than a song - I feel it’s one of the most beautiful compositions ever written, a song that will never die. The author - Mr. Irving Berlin. The title - 'God Bless America.'"
Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; Yiddish: ישראל ביילין;[1] May 11, 1888[2] – September 22, 1989) was an American composer and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Berlin
God Bless America, First Radio performance November 10, 1938 Kate Smith
It's always darkest before the dawn.
And now Kate Smith has been cancelled. Even took her statue down in Philadelphia.