[JPL] 1st Nations & jazz?

[Jazz Promo Services]

Keely Smith is currently writing her autobiography, which has been a work in
progress for several years. "I started it about four years ago and then put
it aside," she explains. "When I read it, I wasn¹t sure if I liked what I
had written, but now I¹ve started on it again. I want to do it with complete
honesty, or not at all." And there are certainly plenty of lifetime
experiences to chronicle: winning one of the first-ever Grammy Awards in
1959, performing at President Kennedy¹s inauguration, receiving a star on
the Hollywood Walk of Fame and friendships with everyone from The Rat Pack
to Elvis Presley.

"I have been very blessed in my life," says Keely Smith reflecting back. And
as she looks towards the future, there are even more accolades to receive
and sold-out shows still to come. In October of 2000 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma,
The Cherokee Honor Society will bestow Keely with its prestigious Cherokee
Medal of Honor. "It¹s the highest recognition that can be bestowed to a
woman in the Cherokee nation," she states proudly. The Medal of Honor is
given out annually to recipients whose achievements bring pride and honor to
the Cherokee nation and community.