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Terms apply. This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories, the show where America is the star and the American people. Up next, a story from Pat Boone on two moments in his life. Where he took a stand at risk of career and bodily harm. Let's get into the story.
Take it away, Pat. I would like people to know that back during my my days when I was doing the TV show, I was thrilled to be singing these rhythm and blues songs by people that were becoming friends of mine: Little Richard, Fats Domino, the Flamingos, and the El Dorados, and On and on, they were friends, and and I was doing their songs. Then one day, Harry Belafonte, who was the biggest entertainer in the world at that time, called me on the phone and said, "I I've been watching your TV show, and I like the way you treat your guests. Would you like me to come on and we can do some songs together?" Well, he's the biggest entertainer in the world, and and I said, "Of course, I'd love that." And I got it. Had a meeting soon after that with the producers of the show, ABC Television, and Chevrolet ad agency.
Harry Belafonte wants to come on the show and be. And they looked at me with these sober expressions. We can't do that. Why?
Well, we didn't tell you, but we had. We have to tell you that Chevrolet's having problems in the South with their dealerships because. People are coming in saying that they like you and your music, and they like Chevrolet. But you're having all these, and they'll use the N word on your show, and we're going to have to cut back. and Harry Belafonte is already involved in civil rights activities, and and we might lose Chevrolet as a sponsor if you have him on.
So we're going to have to tell him no.
Well, I was stunned, and so I brought it up again in the conversation. Look. Is called the Pat Boone Chevy Show, but if Pat Boone has to say no to Harry Belafonte, I grew up in the South. I know the problem. I'm not going to be part of it.
I'm not going to perpetuate it.
So I'm going to have to ask you to take my show from here on. And they're looking stunned at me. You're going to quit your show for that? I said, Look, it's more than that. It's more important than me and my show.
It's something that's got to be changed in this country. I'm. This is not going to help further it. This this racial prejudice.
So then they they acquiesced and they said, "Look, if we have him come on, will you guarantee there'll be no no subtle civil rights things? You'll just." I said, "Look, the fact we're singing together on my show will be all the statement needed to be made, and I can explain that to Harry." Well, it didn't happen because he had. It was toward the end of my third season, and I just decided not to do the show anymore because I knew it was going to come up again and again, and so I just quit the half-hour show and went to specials. I did some TV specials after that, and it was a long time till I did any other kind of a regular show, in which I could have any guests on that I wanted with no problem. But after that, I was asked to come to South Africa.
To perform, and offering me a lot of this is nineteen sixty. Nelson Mandela still in prison, and apartheid fully in force. And they asked me to come, and I wouldn't do it because of their policy. And I said, "Look, I am not telling you how to run your country. We've still got problems in our country we're trying to work out, but I cannot come if people who want to buy tickets to see me sing are refused because of their color." So I have to turn you down, and I did twice.
But the third time, we had a closed door meeting, and they said, "If you'll give us your word, an honor as a gentleman, you won't publicize it." The government is willing to lift a parthide for you for your tour. And I said, "Anybody who wants to buy a ticket, color, race, whatever, can come." They said, "Yes, and it'll be publicly known." So I went and I did my tour in 1960. They lifted a parthite, first and only time at that point, and I had death threats. But we had people, folks in the in the audience and watching. If and I, I laugh, but it's true.
I was sort of a stationary performer then. I didn't move around the stage like Elvis. I stood at the mic and sang my songs. But in those shows in South Africa, in Durban, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, Johannesburg, I moved around the stage quite a bit and bobbed and weaved a little in case because I had death threats. If you, the threats were if you go before a non-segregated audience.
Then you're not going to leave the stage alive.
So I went there facing death threats, but nothing happened, and I did come home safe. And then the the curtain of apartheid fell back for another decade, and I've never talked about it. I can talk about it now because it was in 1960, but back then. You know, I was making a stand, not for publicity at all, just because of what I thought was right. And since then, all this time, I've been, I've been as active as I can be, all along the way, without putting anybody down, but just crying for equality and and friendship and relationship, and let us all know each other and respect each other for who we are, and what we can be.
And a terrific job on the production, editing, and storytelling by our own Monty Montgomery, and a special thanks to Pat Boone for sharing those stories with us. And it, in part, is a story about personal courage. But in the end, as you're listening to Pat, it's not so much courage; it's just who he was, and he just wasn't going to do certain things, and that was that. And if he had to lose his show, he lost his show. It wasn't a large confrontation.
It wasn't a public martyring of himself. He just wanted to do the right thing, especially having been born from the south and wanting Harry Belafonte to be able to come on and sing like anybody else on his show. And my goodness, the story of him and apartheid and getting apartheid drawn back, or at least the curtain pulled back for a day, is just a beautiful story. He ended beautifully. Equality, friendship, and relationship.
Of the things he was looking for, no politics, no ideology. Those three things, the hallmark of Pat Boone's life. And by the way, we have more Pat Boone stories. Go to Our American Stories and search for them. It's a remarkable life.
Not only as an entertainer, but as a man, and also as a Christian man. Just a beautiful soul. Story of Pat Boone here on Our American Stories. This is Lee Habib, host of Our American Stories. Every day on this show, we tell stories of history, faith, business, love, loss, and your stories.
Send us your story, small or large, to our email oas@ouramericanstories.com. That's oas@ouramericanstories.com. We'd love to hear them and put them on the air. Our audience loves them too. Ready to feel more energized and in control of your health?
If you've tried diet and exercise but still aren't seeing the results you're looking for, it may be time to explore a different approach. At OrderlyMeds.com, you can connect with licensed medical providers through a simple virtual process, all from the comfort of home, and find out if a GLP-1 treatment may be right for you. Learn more at OrderlyMeds.com. That's OrderlyMeds.com. Compounded medications are not FDA.
FDA-approved eligibility determined by a licensed provider. Individual results may vary. See website for details. Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans. It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past two hundred and fifty years, and now it takes form in a new way.
The 2026 semi-quintennial coin and medal program from the United States Mint. It celebrates the founding ideals that have long shaped our coinage. Available one year only, this historic collection features new coin designs, limited edition releases, and reissues. Shop new official. Coins at usmint.gov forward slash semiq.
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