I became friends with his publicist, Ward Grant. Bob was emcee on Miss Teenage America TV show in ’76 in Ttulsa. The boys from first baptist church (my church–and sons were in choir) were chosen as escorts, produced with Charlie Meeker, and they wore t-shirts with Hope’s profile, saying, YA GOTTA HAVE HOPE.
YA GOTTA HAVE HOPE
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE
I saw shirts and said, when they meet him at rehearsal they can’t just stand there, they have to sing something..
Six months later, he emceed a convention in dallas, and this was sung, bringing him on stage. I decided to write another song as surprise. He was known to come out on tonight show stage as surprise and people loved him. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE is him expressing his appreciation to the American people.
