S.O.D. "Downtown" by Petula Clark

8/26/2018     Active now for more than 70 years, this adored singer and actress is performing and smiling and as sharp as ever at 85.  At age 9, she was singing on the radio and became an inspiration to the British troops in World War II.  They would place her picture on their tanks as they rode into battle.  She came to be known as the troops' mascot, and Britain's Shirley Temple.  Touring at a young age, she frequently traveled with child performer Julie Andrews in the UK.  

     In 1968 she was part of an important historical event, performing a duet with Harry Belafonte.  The song was "On the Path of Glory" an anti-war song composed by Clark and Belafonte.  During the song, Clark put her hand on Belafonte's arm just as a reaction to the song because it was so meaningful. This was the first contact between a black man and white woman on U.S. television.  The Chrysler executive, who was the sponsor of the show wanted the performance terminated and a new one done with the two standing far apart.  Clarke, Belafonte, and Clark's husband, who was also producing, not only fought to keep their performance, but also destroyed all of the additional performances so they could not be used.  It was aired on April 8, 1968, four days after Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination, and received high ratings and positive criticism.  

     In 1964 the "Downtown" era began, and guided Sally Olwen Clark on her way to international fame.