I was about six years old when I performed publicly for the first time, in 1936. There was a singing competition for kids at the Central Texas Fair in my hometown. I sang, "Let Me call You Sweetheart," and I won second place, but I was hooked. Later I sang at a lot of weddings and it was at one of those that I had my most embarrassing experiences. The ceremony was scheduled for a country church a few miles out of town. I had arranged to meet the accompanist an hour ahead of the ceremony in order to rehearse the song I was to sing, "The Lord's Prayer." I arrived, met the accompanist, and we entered the church. I placed the music on the organ and the accompanist said, "Oh, I don't read music!" We stumbled through it but it was tough.

DougR