Dinah Shore
(1916 - 1994)
Dinah Shore was born Frances Rose Shore on February 29, 1916, in Winchester, Tennessee. At 18 months old, Shore was stricken with polio, but shortly recovered. In 1938, she graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in sociology. Following graduation Shore moved to New York City, to pursue a singing career. From 1940 to 1943, Shore sang on the Eddie Cantor radio show. She first recorded her music with Xavier Cugat, and eventually changed her name to Dinah.
Dinah became a one of the most popular American singers, recording over 80 hit records, most of them in the 1940s and 1950s. During World War II, she made many appearances entertaining the United States Armed Forces, for which she was awarded the USO Medallion.
In 1951, the NBC network premiered The Dinah Shore Show. In 1956, the show’s name changed to The Dinah Shore Chevrolet Show on which she sang the famous song “See the U.S.A. in Your Chevrolet.” The show continued successfully until 1963, when it was taken off the air. From 1970 to 1980, Shore hosted one of the first TV talk shows, Dinah!
Shore appeared in many musical films, such as Up in Arms (1944) and Till the Clouds Roll By (1946). She also lent her musical voice to two Disney films: Make Mine Music (1946) and Fun and Fancy Free (1947).
Shore won a total of nine Emmys, a Peabody Award and a Golden Globe.
Shore died on February 24, 1994, in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 77.
Sources: American Jewish Desk Reference,. pg. 399-400; Internet Movie Database; Wikipedia