October 18, 1909
FAMOUS SONS UNITE
CHILDHOOD CHUMS.
BOY SINGERS' MOTHERS LEARN
THEY ARE OLD FRIENDS.
Strange Coincidence Revealed at
Convention Hall Banquet Table.
Three Youths Earn Fame
With Remarkable Voices.
Those persons who have followed closely the remarkable careers of Maxwell Kennedy, Frank Vrooman and Laurence Smith, boy singers, are pointing to a remarkable coincidence in the life history of the three boys.
Although reared in widely separated sections of the country, these boys have attained almost international reputations because of the remarkable qualities of their voices. Two of these singers, Laurence Powars Smith and Frank Ellsworth Vrooman, met for the first time at Convention hall in Kansas City, Mo., where they appeared on the programme and held spellbound the great assembly which had gathered to honor the postal clerks of the country.
MEET AT BANQUET.
Sitting opposite each other at the banquet table and sharing equally the congratulations of hundreds of persons who had been thrilled by the remarkable carrying power of their young voices were the boy singers and their parents. For a long time Mrs. Clarence J. Voorman, the mother of Frankie, gazed at the smiling countenance of Mrs. C. G. Smith, the mother of Laurence, seeing there something that carried her back in memory to her girlhood days in Junction City, Kas., when her dearest friend and playmate had been Laura Patterson, a girl her own age.
"I am sure you must be my old schoolmate, Laura Patterson," said Mrs. Vrooman, reaching her hand across the table. "Don't you remember me? Lottie Wood."
The two friends who had not met for thirty years quickly reverted to by-gone days and spoke with wonder of the coincidence that the mothers of the two greatest boy singers should have been playmates in their childhood days. The wonder of Mrs. Vrooman was increased, however, when Mrs. Smith spoke of little Frankie Kennedy, who "turned ropes," "spun tops" and did many other wonderful things for their edification while attending the public school in Junction City. Mrs. Vrooman then learned for the first time that this same little Frank Kennedy is the father of Maxwell Kennedy, the wonderful boy singer.
VOICES GAIN FAME.
Laurence Powars Smith is now 17 years old and was born in Ottawa, Kas. His former rich soprano voice combines a wonderful interpretation with great carrying power and has now developed into a tenor of the highest quality. He is the son of C. G. Smith, president of the People's National bank, Kansas City, Kas. His services are much in demand throughout the country, especially at Chautauquas. He is now engaged as soloist at the Linwood Boulevard Presbyterian church, Kansas City, Mo.
Frankie Vrooman is 13 years old. He is a son of Clarance J. Vrooman, 3114 Washington street, Kansas City, Mo. Frankie is a slight, manly little chap, unaffected; and a typical American school boy. His voice is a rich soprano, and every word is enunciated perfectly, so that the carrying power is remarkable. he has been singing in public three years and has met with much success. On June 13 he sung in the Westminster Presbyterian church of Minneapolis. He is a protege of Walton Holmes, and a brilliant future is predicted. At present he is soloist at St. Paul's Episcopal church, Fortieth and Main streets, Kansas City, Mo.
Labels: banking, children, churches, Convention Hall, Fortieth street, Linwood boulevard, Main street, music, reunions
