America! my dream

National Literary Guild, 1984-01-01. Paperback. Good. Signed by Author. National Literary Guild [Published date: 1984]. Paper covers, 113 pp. Signed by John E. Radic on title page. No other printings listed. In good condition. Red white and blue pictorial paper covers have light bumping and creasing to edges and corners with a bit of the color scuffed off along edges and spine. Light creasing to spine, but binding is still tight. Light soiling and insect damage to inside of front cover. Light creasing to corners of a few pages as well. Author's name and address on last page and color photo of author and his wife pasted onto p. 106. Pages otherwise clean and unmarked. NOT Ex-library. NO remainder marks. Includes 7 pages of black and white photo reproductions. [From back cover] He was born in Baskavoda, Austro-Hungary in 1894, during the reign of King Franz Joseph. His father was a tyrannical, often cruel man who burdened young John with an enormous workload. While still a boy, Radic became an accomplished wine-maker, sailor, and cabinet- maker. But his First love was singing, and his dream was to come to America and sing professionally. With the encouragement of a beloved uncle, Radic worked in construction from the age of fourteen. Shortly before his eighteenth birthday, he decided he had saved enough money to leave his homeland and travel alone to America. National Literary Guild is privileged to have the opportunity to publish America, My Dream! John Radicâs inspiring, chronicle of his life of adventure and achievement in the United States. Shortly after his arrival, Radic was inspired when he heard Caruso singâ¨at the Metropolitan Opera, and later traveled across America. Once in the west, he labored for two years in lumber camps in Washington and Oregon, risking his life daily in order to have enough money to see theâ¨Panama Pacific Exposition of 1915 in San Francisco. He accomplished this goal, and visited the Exposition every day for a month. Following the Exposition, Radic traveled to Los Angeles, where he went to work for Southern Pacific Railroad. He attended night school in order to complete his education and perfect his command of English. He sang in cabarets on weekends and took opera lessons, which paid off when he sang at the opening of the Hollywood Bowl. He assisted in the choosing of artists for the Bowl for many years. Radic also sang with the Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago opera companies, and was a featured tenor on radio. He was put under contract by MGM studios, and coached many notable actors and actresses. His dubbed singingâ¨voice can be heard on the soundtracks of many MGM movies. Radic did tool and die work for Lockheed Aviation during World War II, and continued to sing. After the war, he started his own general contracting business. It prospered, and Radic was able to make many visits to relatives across Europe. John Radic had come full circle. A proud United States citizen for many years, he is living proof that the American Dream is very real.