I was worried, a nervous wreck, when Ethel Waters singing "Stormy Weather" became the talk of New York. And one night Irving Berlin, the frail little Jewish man who has written the great love songs for two generations of Americans, came up to hear me sing that song. The following day he got in touch with Goldie and Gumm. He told them he was writing the music for a revue that Sam H. Harris was producing. "We're going to try to inject a serious note into this musical," said Irving. "We'd like to talk to Miss Waters about it." I went down and saw Irving Berlin, Sam Harris, and Moss Hart, who was writing the book for the show, which they were calling As Thousands Cheer. Clifton Webb, doll-like Marilyn Miller, and Helen Broderick, the comedienne, were to be starred. I was only to be featured, but there were four big song numbers for me. << less