Dinah Shore
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Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, and television personality, and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during the
Big Band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...
era. She achieved even greater success a decade later, in television, mainly as the host of a series of variety programs for the
Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ou ...
automobile company. After failing singing auditions for the bands of
Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His conc ...
, and both
Jimmy Jimmy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy * ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melattoor Ravi Varma * ''Jimmy'' (2013 f ...
and
Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...
, Shore struck out on her own. She became the first singer of her era to achieve huge solo success. She had a string of 80 charted popular hits, spanning 1940–1957, and after appearing in a handful of feature films, she went on to a four-decade career in American television. She starred in her own music and
variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a co ...
s from 1951 through 1963 and hosted two talk shows in the 1970s. ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporat ...
'' ranked her at number 16 on their list of the top 50 television stars of all time. Stylistically, Shore was compared to two singers who followed her in the mid-to-late 1940s and early 1950s, Jo Stafford and
Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known professionally as Patti Page, was an American singer and actress. Primarily known for pop and country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female ar ...
.


Early life

Frances "Fanny" Rose Shore was born on February 29, 1916, to Russian-Jewish immigrant shopkeepers, Anna (
née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Stein) and Solomon Shore, in Winchester, Tennessee. She had an elder sister, eight years her senior, Elizabeth, known as "Bessie". When Fanny was eighteen months old, she was stricken with
polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe sy ...
(infantile paralysis). The only known treatment was bed rest and sometimes more extreme care if the child was severely compromised. (This was before the polio vaccine had been developed which brought an end to polio in the United States.) Her mother provided extensive care for her, which included regular therapeutic massage and a strict exercise program. She recovered, but sustained a deformed foot and limp. Fanny loved to sing as a small child; her mother, a
contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...
with operatic aspirations, encouraged her. Her father often took her to his store, where she would perform impromptu songs for the customers. In 1924, the Shore family moved to
McMinnville, Tennessee McMinnville is the largest city in and the county seat of Warren County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 13,605 at the 2010 census. It was named for Governor Joseph McMinn. Geography McMinnville is located at (35.686708, -85.7793 ...
, where her father had opened a department store. By her fifth-grade year, the family had moved to
Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...
, where she completed elementary school. Although shy because of her limp, she became actively involved in sports, was a cheerleader at Nashville's
Hume-Fogg High School Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School is a public magnet high school serving grades 9–12 and located in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States. History Hume School, serving the first through 12th grades, opened in 1855 on Eighth Avenue ( ...
, and was involved in other activities. When Shore was 16, her mother died unexpectedly from a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
. Pursuing her education, Shore enrolled at
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...
, where she participated in many events and activities, including the Chi chapter of the Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority. She graduated from the university in 1938 with a degree in
sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...
. She visited the
Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a div ...
and made her radio debut on Nashville's WSM radio station. Shore decided to return to pursuing her career in singing, moving to New York City to audition for orchestras and radio stations. At first she went there on a summer break from Vanderbilt, and after graduation, for good. In many of her auditions, she sang the popular song "
Dinah In the Book of Genesis, Dinah (; ) was the seventh child and only daughter of Leah and Jacob, and one of the matriarchs of the Israelites. The episode of her violation by Shechem, son of a Canaanite or Hivite prince, and the subsequent vengea ...
". When
disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobil ...
Martin Block Martin Block (February 3, 1903 – September 18, 1967) was an American disc jockey. It is said that Walter Winchell invented the term "disc jockey" as a means of describing Block's radio work. Career Early years A native of Los Angeles, Blo ...
could not remember her name, he called her the "Dinah girl", and soon after the name stuck, becoming her
stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
. She eventually was hired as a vocalist at radio station WNEW, where she sang with
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...
. She recorded and performed with the Xavier Cugat orchestra, and signed a
recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...
with RCA Victor Records in 1940.


Music career


1940s

In March 1939, Shore debuted on national radio on the Sunday-afternoon
CBS Radio CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broad ...
program, ''
Ben Bernie Benjamin Anzelwitz, known professionally as Ben Bernie (May 30, 1891 – October 23, 1943),DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. ...
's Orchestra''. In February 1940, she became a featured vocalist on the
NBC Radio The National Broadcasting Company's NBC Radio Network (known as the NBC Red Network prior to 1942) was an American commercial radio network which was in operation from 1926 through 2004. Along with the NBC Blue Network it was one of the first tw ...
program '' The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street'', a showcase for traditional Dixieland and
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...
songs. With her, the program became so popular, it was moved from 4:30 Sunday afternoon to a 9:00 Monday night time slot in September. In her
primetime Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
debut for "the music of the Three Bs, Barrelhouse,
Boogie-woogie Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, developed in African-American communities since 1870s.Paul, Elliot, ''That Crazy American Music'' (1957), Chapter 10, p. 229. It was eventually extended from pi ...
, and the Blues", she was introduced as "Mademoiselle Dinah 'Diva' Shore, who starts a fire by rubbing two notes together!" She recorded with the two ''Basin Street'' bands for
RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
; one of her records was the eponymous ''Dinah's Blues''. Shore's singing came to the attention of
Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences ...
. He signed her as a regular on his radio show, ''Time to Smile'', in 1940. Shore credits him for teaching her self-confidence, comedic timing, and the ways of connecting with an audience. Shore soon became a successful singing star with her own radio show, '' Call for Music'', which was broadcast on CBS from February 13, 1948 to April 16, 1948, and on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
from April 20, 1948 to June 29, 1948. Also in 1943, she appeared in her first movie, '' Thank Your Lucky Stars'', starring Cantor. She soon went to another radio show, ''
Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, W ...
Presents''. During this time, the United States was involved in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, and Shore became a favorite with the troops. She had hits, including " Blues in the Night", " Jim", " You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To", and " I'll Walk Alone", the first of her number-one hits. "Blues in the Night" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
. Shore continued appearing in radio shows throughout the 1940s, including '' The Bird's Eye Open House'' and ''Ford Radio Show''. In early 1946, she moved to a new label, the CBS-owned
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...
. At Columbia, Shore enjoyed the greatest commercial success of her recording career, starting with her first Columbia single release, "
Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy" is a popular song about Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, with music by Guy Wood and words by Sammy Gallop. It was published in 1945. Recording history The song became a major hit in 1946 both for Dinah Shore and the St ...
", and peaking with the most popular song of 1948, "
Buttons and Bows "Buttons and Bows" is a popular song with music written by Jay Livingston and lyrics by Ray Evans. The song was published on by Famous Music Corp., New York. The song was written for and appeared in the Bob Hope and Jane Russell film '' The P ...
", (with
Henri René Henri René (born Harold Manfred Kirchstein; December 29, 1906 – April 25, 1993), was an American musician who had an international career in the recording industry as a producer, composer, conductor and arranger. Early years Born in New York ...
& Orchestra), which was number one for ten weeks. Other number-one hits at Columbia included " The Gypsy" and " The Anniversary Song". One of her most popular recordings was the holiday perennial "
Baby, It's Cold Outside "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is a popular song written by Frank Loesser in 1944 and popularized in the 1949 film '' Neptune's Daughter''. While the lyrics make no mention of a holiday, it is commonly regarded as a Christmas song owing to its winter ...
" with
Buddy Clark Buddy Clark (born Samuel Goldberg, July 26, 1912 – October 1, 1949) was an American popular singer of the Big Band era. He had some success in the 1930s, but his career truly blossomed in the late 1940s, after his return from service in Wor ...
from 1949. The song was covered by many other artists, such as
Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...
. Other hits during her four years at Columbia included " Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)", "I Wish I Didn't Love You So", " (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons", " Doin' What Comes Natur'lly", and " Dear Hearts and Gentle People". She was a regular with Jack Smith on his quarter-hour radio show on CBS. Shore was a musical guest in the films '' Thank Your Lucky Stars'' (1943), '' Follow the Boys'' (1944), and ''
Till the Clouds Roll By ''Till The Clouds Roll By'' is a 1946 American Technicolor musical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A fictionalized biopic of composer Jerome Kern, portrayed by Robert Walker, Kern was originally involved with the production, but died before ...
'' (1946) and had starring roles in Danny Kaye's debut ''
Up in Arms ''Up in Arms'' is a 1944 musical film directed by Elliott Nugent and starring Danny Kaye and Dinah Shore. It was nominated for two Academy Awards in 1945. Plot Danny Weems works as an elevator operator in a New York Medical building, so he can b ...
'' (1944) and ''
Belle of the Yukon ''Belle of the Yukon'' is a 1944 American comedy musical Western film produced and directed by William A. Seiter and starring Randolph Scott, Gypsy Rose Lee, Dinah Shore and Bob Burns. Based on a story by Houston Branch and set in the days of ...
'' (1944). She lent her musical voice to two
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
films: '' Make Mine Music'' (1946) and '' Fun and Fancy Free'' (1947). Her last starring film role was for
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
in ''
Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick ''Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick'' (also known as ''Marshmallow Moon'' in the U.K. and the Philippines and ''Härkiä, heiniä ja hakkailua'' in Finland) is a 1952 Paramount Pictures hillbilly musical film directed by Claude Binyon and produced b ...
'' (1952).


1950s

In 1950, Shore returned to RCA Victor with a deal to record 100 sides for $1 million (equivalent to $ million in ). The hits kept coming, but with less frequency, and were not charting as high as in the 1940s. Shore's biggest hits of this era were " My Heart Cries for You" and " Sweet Violets", both peaking at number three in 1951. Several duets with Tony Martin did well, with "A Penny a Kiss" being the most popular, reaching number eight. was a 1953 hit, and her covers of "
Changing Partners "Changing Partners" is a pop song with music by Larry Coleman and lyrics by Joe Darion, published in 1953. The best-known recording was made by Patti Page. It was also recorded the same year by Dinah Shore, Kay Starr and Bing Crosby. Hit ve ...
" and "
If I Give My Heart to You "If I Give My Heart to You" is a popular song written by Jimmy Brewster (Milt Gabler), Jimmie Crane, and Al Jacobs. The most popular versions of the song were recorded by Doris Day and by Denise Lor; both charted in 1954. The recording by Do ...
" were popular top-20 hits. "
Love and Marriage "Love and Marriage" is a 1955 song with lyrics by Sammy Cahn and music by Jimmy Van Heusen. It is published by Barton Music Corporation ( ASCAP). Frank Sinatra versions "Love and Marriage" was introduced by Frank Sinatra in the 1955 televi ...
" and "
Whatever Lola Wants "Whatever Lola Wants" is a popular song, sometimes rendered as "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets". The music and words were written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross for the 1955 musical play ''Damn Yankees''. The song is sung to Joe Hardy by Lola, ...
" were top-20 hits from 1955. "
Chantez, Chantez "Chantez, Chantez" is a popular song written by Irving Fields (music) and Albert Gamse (lyrics), which in 1957 was a Top 30 hit single for Dinah Shore. Background and chart performance Disappointed with her recent chartings, Shore had held "open ...
" was her last top-20 hit, staying on the charts for over 20 weeks in 1957. Shore remained at RCA Victor until 1958, and during that time, released albums including ''Bouquet of Blues'', ''Once in a While'', and ''Vivacious'', which were collections of singles with different orchestras and conductors such as
Frank DeVol Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Cu ...
and
Hugo Winterhalter Hugo Winterhalter (August 15, 1909 – September 17, 1973) was an American easy listening arranger and composer, best known for his arrangements and recordings for RCA Victor. Biography Hugo Ferdinand Winterhalter was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsy ...
. The
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
s ''Holding Hands at Midnight'', from 1955, and ''Moments Like These'', from 1958, recorded in stereo, with orchestra under the musical direction of
Harry Zimmerman Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...
, who performed the same duties on ''
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show ''The Dinah Shore Chevy Show'' is an American variety series hosted by Dinah Shore, and broadcast on NBC from October 1956 to May 1963. The series was sponsored by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors and its theme song, sung by Shore, ...
'', were the exceptions.


Recording career after the 1950s

In 1959, Shore left RCA Victor for
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
. Although she recorded only one minor hit for her new label ("I Ain't Down Yet", which peaked at 102 on '' Billboard's''
pop chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include re ...
in 1960), the collaboration produced four "theme albums" that paired her with arranger
Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many world-famous vocalists at Capitol Records ...
(''
Dinah, Yes Indeed! ''Dinah, Yes Indeed!'' is a 1958 studio album by Dinah Shore, arranged by Nelson Riddle. Track listing # "It All Depends on You" (Ray Henderson, Buddy DeSylva, Lew Brown) – 2:36 # " Falling in Love with Love" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – ...
''), conductor and accompanist André Previn (''
Somebody Loves Me "Somebody Loves Me" is a popular song, with music written by George Gershwin, and lyrics by Ballard MacDonald and Buddy DeSylva. The song was published in 1924 and featured in ''George White's Scandals'' of 1924. This is not to be confused with ...
'' and '' Dinah Sings, Previn Plays''), and
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
's
Red Norvo Red Norvo (born Kenneth Norville; March 31, 1908 – April 6, 1999) was an American musician, one of jazz's early vibraphonists, known as "Mr. Swing". He helped establish the xylophone, marimba, and vibraphone as jazz instruments. His reco ...
('' Dinah Sings Some Blues with Red''). Her final two Capitol albums were ''Dinah, Down Home'' and ''The Fabulous Hits (Newly Recorded)''. Shore was dropped by Capitol in 1962 and recorded only a handful of albums over the next two decades. She recorded ''Lower Basin Street Revisited'' for friend
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...
's
Reprise In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repe ...
label in 1965, ''Songs for Sometime Losers'' (Project 3, 1967), ''Country Feelin'' (
Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...
, 1969), ''Once Upon A Summertime'' (Stanyan, 1975), and ''Dinah!'', a double LP for Capitol in 1976. She recorded this album at the height of her
talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...
fame, and it featured her take on contemporary hits such as " 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover", "
The Hungry Years ''The Hungry Years'' is an album by Neil Sedaka, the title of which is an eponymous track from the album. It was released by The Rocket Record Company in 1975. The album is the American edition of '' Overnight Success'', with two songs being rep ...
", and " Theme from ''Mahogany'' (Do You Know Where You're Going To)". Her final studio album was released in 1979, ''Dinah!: I've Got a Song,'' for the Children's Television Workshop.


Acting career


Radio

Shore starred in seven radio series of her own between 1941 and 1954. She made hundreds of guest appearances in shows including an episode of '' Suspense'' ("Frankie and Johnny", May 5, 1952).


Early television career

Soon after Shore arrived in New York in 1937, aged 21, Shore made her first television appearances on experimental broadcasts for
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
over station W2XBS in New York (now
WNBC WNBC (channel 4) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the NBC network. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Linden, New Jersey–licensed Telemundo stati ...
). Twelve years later, in 1949, she made her commercial television debut on ''
The Ed Wynn Show ''The Ed Wynn Show'' was an American variety show originally broadcast from September 22, 1949 to July 4, 1950, on the CBS Television Network. Comedian and former vaudevillian Ed Wynn was the star of the program's 39 episodes, which were the firs ...
'' from Los Angeles over CBS and on Easter Sunday 1950, made a guest appearance on
Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...
's first network television show on NBC. After guest spots on many television shows, she was given her own program, ''
The Dinah Shore Show ''The Dinah Shore Show'' is an American variety show which was broadcast by NBC from November 1951 to July 1957, sponsored by General Motors' Chevrolet division. For most of the program's run, it aired from 7:30 to 7:45 Eastern Time on Tuesday an ...
'' on NBC on November 27, 1951.
Vic Schoen Victor Schoen (March 26, 1916 – January 5, 2000) was an American bandleader, arranger, and composer whose career spanned from the 1930s until his death in 2000. He furnished music for some of the most successful persons in show business inclu ...
was her musical director from 1951 to 1954, and also arranged music for her on ''
The Colgate Comedy Hour ''The Colgate Comedy Hour'' was an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show featured many notable comedians and entertainers of the era as guest stars. Many of the scripts of the series ...
'' (1954). In 1956, Shore began hosting a monthly series of one-hour, full-color spectaculars as part of NBC's ''The Chevy Show'' series. These proved so popular, the show was renamed ''
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show ''The Dinah Shore Chevy Show'' is an American variety series hosted by Dinah Shore, and broadcast on NBC from October 1956 to May 1963. The series was sponsored by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors and its theme song, sung by Shore, ...
'' the following season, with Shore becoming the full-time host, helming three of four weeks in the month. Broadcast live and in NBC's famous "Living Color", this variety show was one of the most popular of the 1950s and early 1960s and featured the television debuts of stars of the era, such as
Yves Montand Ivo Livi (), better known as Yves Montand (; 13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), was an Italian-French actor and singer. Early life Montand was born Ivo Livi in Monsummano Terme, Italy, to Giovanni Livi, a broom manufacturer, Ivo held strong ...
and Maureen O'Hara, and featured Shore in performances alongside
Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...
,
Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson ( ; born Mahala Jackson; October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson was integral to ...
, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, and Pearl Bailey.
Tennessee Ernie Ford Ernest Jennings Ford (February 13, 1919 – October 17, 1991), known professionally as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American singer and television host who enjoyed success in the country and western, pop, and gospel musical genres. Noted for h ...
was a featured guest on one show, and she introduced him,
tongue-in-cheek The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner. History The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walter Scot ...
, as "Tennessee Ernie CHEVROLET!!" She also appeared as a guest on ''
The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
''. ''The Dinah Shore Chevy Show'' ran through the 1960–61 season, after which Chevrolet dropped sponsorship, and Shore hosted a series of monthly broadcasts sponsored by the
American Dairy Association The American Dairy Association is a registered name owned by Dairy Management Inc., which also owns the names ''National Dairy Council'' and ''U.S. Dairy Export Council''. The National Dairy Council website offers a collection of educational mater ...
and
Green Stamps S&H Green Stamps was a line of trading stamps popular in the United States from 1896 until the late 1980s. They were distributed as part of a rewards program operated by the Sperry & Hutchinson company (S&H), founded in 1896 by Thomas Sperry an ...
. Simply called ''The Dinah Shore Show'', Shore's guests included Nat "King" Cole,
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
,
Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered equally proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Lemmon was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in dramedy pictures, leadin ...
,
Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established h ...
,
Betty Hutton Betty Hutton (born Elizabeth June Thornburg; February 26, 1921 – March 11, 2007) was an American stage, film, and television actress, comedian, dancer, and singer. Early life and education Hutton was born Elizabeth June Thornburg on February 2 ...
,
Art Carney Arthur William Matthew Carney (November 4, 1918 – November 9, 2003) was an American actor and comedian. A recipient of an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and six Primetime Emmy Awards, he was best known for his role as Ed Norton on the si ...
, and a young
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...
. Over 12 seasons, from 1951 to 1963, Shore made 125 hour-long programs and 444 fifteen-minute shows. She always ended her televised programs by throwing an enthusiastic kiss directly to the cameras (and viewers) and exclaiming "MWAH!" to the audience. Shore also appeared in four specials for
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
(in black-and-white) in the 1964–65 season. They were sponsored by the Purex Corporation.


Later television career

Shore in 1990 From 1970 through 1980, Shore hosted two daytime programs, ''Dinah's Place'' (1970–1974) on NBC and ''
Dinah! ''Dinah!'' is a daytime variety talk show that was hosted by singer and actress Dinah Shore. The series was distributed by 20th Century Fox Television and premiered on October 21, 1974, in syndication. In 1979, the show became known as ''Di ...
'' (later ''Dinah and Friends'') in
syndication Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...
from 1974 through 1980 and a third cable program from 1989 to 1992. ''Dinah's Place'', primarily sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive (which later sponsored her women's golf tournament), was a 30-minute Monday-through-Friday program broadcast at 10:00 am (ET) over NBC, her network home since 1939. Shore described this show as a "Do-Show" as opposed to a chat show because she would have her guests demonstrate an unexpected skill, for example, Frank Sinatra sharing his
spaghetti sauce Tomato sauce (also known as ''salsa roja'' in Spanish or ''salsa di pomodoro'' in Italian) can refer to many different sauces made primarily from tomatoes, usually to be served as part of a dish, rather than as a condiment. Tomato sauces are c ...
recipe, Vice-President
Spiro Agnew Spiro Theodore Agnew (November 9, 1918 – September 17, 1996) was the 39th vice president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1973. He is the second vice president to resign the position, the other being John ...
playing keyboard accompanying Shore on "
Sophisticated Lady "Sophisticated Lady" is a jazz standard, composed as an instrumental in 1932 by Duke Ellington. Background Additional credit is given to publisher Irving Mills whose words were added to the song by Mitchell Parish. The words met with approva ...
", or
Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...
showing Shore how to throw a clay pot on a
potter's wheel In pottery, a potter's wheel is a machine used in the shaping (known as throwing) of clay into round ceramic ware. The wheel may also be used during the process of trimming excess clay from leather-hard dried ware that is stiff but malleable, a ...
. Although ''Dinah's Place'' featured famous guest stars, Shore often grilled lesser-known lifestyle experts on nutrition, exercise, or homemaking. Despite being one of the more popular programs in NBC's morning lineup, dominating in the timeslot, facing out ''
The Lucy Show ''The Lucy Show'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1962 to 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to ''I Love Lucy''. A significant change in cast and premise for the fourth season (1965–1966) divides the program into two distinct ...
'' reruns on CBS and local programming on ABC, this show left the air in 1974 after NBC sent a telegram to Shore congratulating her on her
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
win – at the same time informing her the show was being cancelled, because it broke up a "
game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or Let's Play, demonstrative and are typically directed b ...
programming block Block programming is the arrangement of programs on radio or television so that those of a particular genre, theme, or target audience are united. Overview Block programming involves scheduling a series of related shows which are likely to attra ...
" and competition from ''
The Joker's Wild ''The Joker's Wild'' is an American television game show that aired at different times between 1972 and 2019. In the show, contestants answer questions based on categories determined randomly by a mechanism resembling a slot machine. The show's ...
'' on CBS, which started two years earlier. Thus ended the network's 35-year association with Shore. She returned that fall with ''Dinah!'', a syndicated 90-minute daily
talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...
(also seen in a 60-minute version on some stations) that put the focus on top guest stars and entertainment. This show was seen as competition for Mike Douglas and
Merv Griffin Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 he hosted his own t ...
, whose shows had been on the air for 10 years when ''Dinah!'' debuted. Frequent guests included entertainment figures (
Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golde ...
,
Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...
, and James Stewart), as well as regular contributors including
lifestyle guru Lifestyle gurus (also called lifestyle coaches, lifestyle trainers, lifestyle consultants) trained people to understand how they can make themselves happier through changes in their lifestyle. Lifestyle gurus are a profession popularised by severa ...
Dr.
Wayne Dyer Wayne Walter Dyer (May 10, 1940 – August 29, 2015) was an American self-help author and a motivational speaker. Dyer completed a Ed.D. in guidance and counseling at Wayne State University in 1970. Early in his career, he worked as a high sch ...
. Unexpected
rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...
performance appearances included
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...
,
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
, and
Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...
. Shore also appeared on the Norman Lear
comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
-
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman ''Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'' is an American satirical soap opera that aired in daily weeknight syndication from January 1976 to July 1977. The series follows the titular Mary Hartman, an Ohio housewife attempting to cope with various bizarre ...
'' in April 1976. On the show, Shore interviewed country singing character Loretta Haggars (played by
Mary Kay Place Mary Kay Place (born September 23, 1947) is an American actress, singer, director, and screenwriter. She is known for portraying Loretta Haggers on the television series '' Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'', a role that won her the 1977 Primetime Emm ...
) and included a controversial comment from Miss Haggars during her appearance on a "Live" airing of Shore's talk show. The comedian
Andy Kaufman Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman ( ; January 17, 1949 – May 16, 1984) was an American entertainer and performance artist. While often called a "comedian", Kaufman preferred to describe himself instead as a "song and dance man". He has sometimes b ...
in his
Tony Clifton Tony Clifton is a character created by comedian and performance artist Andy Kaufman in the late 1970s. An absurdly foul-mouthed and domineering lounge singer claiming to hail from Las Vegas, the tuxedo-clad Clifton often led unsuspecting audie ...
guise appeared on her show but did not, as rumored, throw eggs at Shore or pour them on her head. Shore, with her
Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cover ...
drawl and demure manner, was identified with the
South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
, and guests on her shows often commented on it. She spoofed this image by playing Melody in " Went with the Wind!", the famous ''
Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind may also refer to: Music * ''Gone with the Wind'' ...
'' parody for ''
The Carol Burnett Show ''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Har ...
''. In the summer of 1976, Shore hosted ''Dinah and Her New Best Friends'', an eight-week summer replacement series for ''The Carol Burnett Show'' which featured a cast of young hopefuls such as
Diana Canova Diana Canova (born June 1, 1953) is an American actress, director, and professor. She is best known for her role as Corinne Tate on ''Soap'' (1977-1980). Early life Canova was born Diane Canova Rivero in West Palm Beach, Florida, to actress an ...
and Gary Mule Deer, along with such seasoned guests as
Jean Stapleton Jean Stapleton (born Jeanne Murray; January 19, 1923 – May 31, 2013) was an American character actress of stage, television and film. Stapleton was best known for playing Edith Bunker, the perpetually optimistic and devoted wife of Arc ...
and
Linda Lavin Linda Lavin (born October 15, 1937) is an American actress and singer. She is known for playing the title character in the sitcom ''Alice'' and for her stage performances, both on and off-Broadway. After acting as a child, Lavin joined the C ...
. Shore guest-starred on ''
Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special This is the complete episode list for ''Pee-wee's Playhouse''. A total of 45 half-hour episodes and 1 primetime special were recorded for CBS from 1986 until 1990. Series overview Episodes Season 1 (1986) Season 2 (1987) Special (1988) S ...
'', calling Pee-wee on his picturephone and singing " The 12 Days of Christmas". Throughout the special, Pee-wee walks past the picturephone, only to hear her going past the original 12 days ("...on the 500th day of Christmas ..."). Shore finished her television career hosting ''A Conversation with Dinah'' (1989–1992) on the
cable network Networking cables are networking hardware used to connect one network device to other network devices or to connect two or more computers to share devices such as printers or scanners. Different types of network cables, such as coaxial cable, op ...
TNN (
The Nashville Network The Nashville Network, usually referred to as TNN, was an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming included music videos, taped concerts, movies, game shows, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows. On Septembe ...
). This half-hour show consisted of one-on-one interviews with celebrities and comedians (such as Bob Hope), former boyfriends (
Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...
in a special one-hour episode), and political figures (former
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
and his wife and former
First Lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...
Betty Ford Elizabeth Anne Ford (; formerly Warren; April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011) was the first lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, as the wife of President Gerald Ford. As first lady, she was active in social policy and set a precedent as a p ...
.) In a coup, Shore got the first post-
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
interview given by former First Lady
Nancy Reagan Nancy Davis Reagan (; born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. She was the second wife of president Ronald Reagan. Reagan was born in N ...
. Around this time, she gained a contract as television spokeswoman for Holly Farms chicken. In the 1980s, Shore sang in Glendale Federal Bank television commercials. Her last television special, ''Dinah Comes Home'' (TNN 1991), brought Shore's career full-circle, taking her back to the stage of the
Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a div ...
, which she first visited some 60 years earlier. Shore won nine Emmys, a Peabody Award, and a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
. Shore's talk shows sometimes included cooking segments, and she wrote cookbooks including ''Someone's in the Kitchen with Dinah''.


Personal life


Marriage and children

Shore was married to actor George Montgomery from 1943 to 1962. She gave birth to daughter Melissa Ann "Missy" Montgomery, in January 1948. Later the couple adopted a son, John David "Jody" Montgomery. Missy Montgomery also became an actress. George Jacobs, in his memoir ''Mr. S'' about
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...
, for whom he worked as a longtime
valet A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, valet de chambre was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "vale ...
, claimed Shore and Sinatra had a long-standing affair in the 1950s. After her divorce in 1963 from Montgomery, she briefly married professional tennis player Maurice F. Smith. Her romances of the later 1960s involved comedian Dick Martin, singer
Eddie Fisher Edwin Jack Fisher (August 10, 1928 – September 22, 2010) was an American singer and actor. He was one of the most popular artists during the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show, ''The Eddie Fisher Show''. Actress Eli ...
, and actor
Rod Taylor Rodney Sturt Taylor (11 January 1930 – 7 January 2015) was an Australian actor. He appeared in more than 50 feature films, including ''The Time Machine'' (1960), ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' (1961), '' The Birds'' (1963), and ''In ...
. In the early 1970s, Shore had a happy four-year public romance with actor
Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...
, who was 20 years her junior. After the relationship cooled, the tabloids linked Shore with other younger men, including
Wayne Rogers William Wayne McMillan Rogers III (April 7, 1933 – December 31, 2015) was an American actor, known for playing the role of Captain "Trapper" John McIntyre in the CBS television series ''M*A*S*H'' and as Dr. Charley Michaels on '' House Calls ...
,
Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...
, and
Ron Ely Ronald Pierce Ely (born June 21, 1938) is an American actor and novelist born in Hereford, Texas, and raised in Amarillo. Ely is best known for having portrayed Tarzan in the 1966–1968 NBC series ''Tarzan'' and for playing the lead role in ...
. Her daughter, Melissa Montgomery, is the owner of the rights to most of Shore's television series. In March 2003,
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
presented ''MWAH! The Best of The Dinah Shore Show 1956–1963'', an hour-long special of early color videotaped footage of Shore in duets with guests
Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...
,
Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered equally proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Lemmon was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in dramedy pictures, leadin ...
, Frank Sinatra,
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
, Pearl Bailey,
George Burns George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum; January 20, 1896March 9, 1996) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer, and one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film and television. His arched eyebr ...
,
Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...
, Peggy Lee, and
Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson ( ; born Mahala Jackson; October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson was integral to ...
. Black-and-white
kinescope Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program on motion picture film, directly through a lens focused on the screen of a video monitor. The process was pioneered during the 194 ...
s, as well as color videotapes of ''
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show ''The Dinah Shore Chevy Show'' is an American variety series hosted by Dinah Shore, and broadcast on NBC from October 1956 to May 1963. The series was sponsored by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors and its theme song, sung by Shore, ...
'', are frequently aired on
Jewish Life Television Jewish Life Television (JLTV) is an American entertainment television network broadcasting Jewish–themed programming. The network was founded in 2007 by Phil Blazer, a longtime journalist and producer of programming for the Jewish community; Bla ...
.


Golf

Shore, who played golf, was a longtime supporter of women's
professional golf For information about professional golf see: *Professional golfer, which describes the various branches of the profession. *Professional golf tours, which covers elite professional competitive golf and links to more detailed articles about each tou ...
. In 1972, she helped found the Colgate Dinah Shore Golf Tournament, which, in its current identity as the Chevron Championship, remains one of the major golf tournaments on the LPGA Tour. The tournament is held each spring at
Mission Hills Country Club The Mission Hills Country Club is a country club in the western United States, located in Rancho Mirage, California, southeast of Palm Springs. Overview Among the facilities at the club are 3 championship golf courses (54 holes), 27 tennis court ...
, near Shore's former home in
Rancho Mirage, California Rancho Mirage is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal (part-time) population can exceed 20,000. Incorporated in 1973 and located ...
. The Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend is named for Shore, who was a noted golfer. Shore was the first female member of the Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles. In acknowledgment of her contributions to golf, Shore was elected an honorary member of the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1994. Shore became a member of the
World Golf Hall of Fame The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single site honors both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 go ...
when it absorbed the LPGA Hall in 1998. She received the 1993
Old Tom Morris Award The Old Tom Morris Award is the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America's most prestigious honor. It is presented each year to an individual who "through a continuing lifetime commitment to the game of golf has helped to mold the welfare ...
from the
Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wit ...
, GCSAA's highest honor. In 1963, she hired mid-century modern architect
Donald Wexler Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the ...
to design her home in
Palm Springs Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land ...
. The house was sold to actor Leonardo DiCaprio in 2014 for almost $5.5 million.


Death

In the spring of 1993, Shore was diagnosed with
ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different c ...
. She died of complications from the disease at her home in
Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...
, on February 24, 1994, five days before her 78th birthday. Her body was cremated the same day. Some of the ashes were interred in two memorial sites: the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in
Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most d ...
, and
Forest Lawn Cemetery (Cathedral City) Forest Lawn Cemetery (Cathedral City), renamed from Palm Springs Mortuary & Mausoleum in 2005, is a mausoleum in Cathedral City, California near Palm Springs, California, Palm Springs. It is operated by Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries. Not ...
. Other ashes went to relatives.


Tributes

In both
Cathedral City Cathedral city is a city status in the United Kingdom. Cathedral city may also refer to: * Cathedral City, California, a city in Southern California, United States * Cathedral City Cheddar, a brand of Cheddar cheese * Cathedral City High Scho ...
and
Rancho Mirage, California Rancho Mirage is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal (part-time) population can exceed 20,000. Incorporated in 1973 and located ...
, streets are named after her. Her hometown of Winchester, Tennessee, honored her with Dinah Shore Boulevard. In 1989, she received the Golden Plate Award of the
American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet ...
. In 1991, she was inducted into the
Television Hall of Fame The Television Academy Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to U.S. television. The hall of fame was founded by former Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) president John H. Mitchell (1921–1988). ...
. In 1996, a Golden Palm Star on the
Palm Springs Walk of Stars The Palm Springs Walk of Stars is a walk of fame in downtown Palm Springs, California, where "Golden Palm Stars", honoring various people who have lived in the greater Palm Springs area, are embedded in the sidewalk pavement. The walk includes po ...
was dedicated to her.


Singles


Albums

* ''NBC's Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street'' (1941, RCA Victor Records 78 Set P-56 Three Record Set) * ''Musical Orchids'' (1943, RCA Victor Records
78 rpm A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts near ...
Four Record Set) * ''Gershwin Show Hits'' (1945, RCA Victor Records 78 rpm Three Record Set) * ''Bongo from Walt Disney'' (1947,
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...
78 rpm Three Record Set) * ''A Date with Dinah'' (1948, Columbia Records 78 rpm Four Record Set) * ''The Blue Velvet Voice of Dinah Shore'' (1948,
Victor The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
78 rpm Five Record Set) * ''Dinah Shore Sings'' (1949, Columbia 10") * ''Reminiscing'' (1949, Columbia 10") * ''Torch Songs'' (1950, Columbia Set D-1 10") * ''Dinah Shore & Sidney Bechet ~ Lower Basin Street'' (1950, RCA Victor 78 Set P-56 Four Record Set) * ''
The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the chil ...
'' (1951, RCA Victor 10") * ''Dinah Shore ~ Lower Basin Street Volume 2'' (1951, RCA Victor 78rpm Four Record Set) * ''Dinah Shore Sings the Blues'' (1953, RCA Victor 10") * ''
Call Me Madam ''Call Me Madam'' is a musical written by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. The musical is a satire on politics and foreign policy that spoofs postwar America's penchant for lending billions of dollars to ...
Original Cast'' (1953, RCA Victor 10") * ''The Dinah Shore TV Show'' (1954, RCA 10", 1955, RCA Victor 12") * ''Holding Hands at Midnight'' (1955, RCA Victor) * ''Bouquet of Blues'' (1956, RCA Victor) * ''Call Me Madam Original Cast'' (1956, RCA Victor) * ''Dinah Shore Sings Porter and Rodgers'' (1957,
Harmony In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...
) * ''Love Songs'' (1958, Harmony) * '' General Motors 50th Anniversary Show'' (1958, RCA Victor) * ''Moments Like These'' (1958, RCA Victor) * ''
Dinah, Yes Indeed! ''Dinah, Yes Indeed!'' is a 1958 studio album by Dinah Shore, arranged by Nelson Riddle. Track listing # "It All Depends on You" (Ray Henderson, Buddy DeSylva, Lew Brown) – 2:36 # " Falling in Love with Love" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – ...
'' (1959,
Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...
) * ''Lower Basin Street'' (1959, RCA Camden) * ''I'm Your Girl'' (1959,
RCA Camden The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westin ...
) * ''Lavender Blue'' (1959, Harmony) * ''
Somebody Loves Me "Somebody Loves Me" is a popular song, with music written by George Gershwin, and lyrics by Ballard MacDonald and Buddy DeSylva. The song was published in 1924 and featured in ''George White's Scandals'' of 1924. This is not to be confused with ...
'' (1959, Capitol) * '' Dinah Sings Some Blues with Red'' (1960, Capitol) * ''Vivacious'' (1960, RCA Camden) * ''Buttons and Bows'' (1960, Harmony) * '' Dinah Sings, Previn Plays'' (1961, Capitol) * ''Dinah Down Home!'' (1962, Capitol) * ''The Fabulous Hits of Dinah Shore'' (1962, Capitol) * ''My Very Best to You'' (1963, Capitol) * ''Lower Basin Street Revisited'' (1965,
Reprise In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repe ...
) * ''Songs for Sometime Losers'' (1967, Project 3) * ''Country Feelin'' (1969,
Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...
) * ''Once Upon A Summertime'' (1975, Stanyan) * ''Dinah!'' (1976, Capitol) * ''Dinah!: I've Got a Song'' (1979, CTW/
Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...
)


Filmography

* '' Thank Your Lucky Stars'' (1943) – Herself * ''
Up in Arms ''Up in Arms'' is a 1944 musical film directed by Elliott Nugent and starring Danny Kaye and Dinah Shore. It was nominated for two Academy Awards in 1945. Plot Danny Weems works as an elevator operator in a New York Medical building, so he can b ...
'' (1944) – Virginia * '' Follow the Boys'' (1944) – Herself * ''
Belle of the Yukon ''Belle of the Yukon'' is a 1944 American comedy musical Western film produced and directed by William A. Seiter and starring Randolph Scott, Gypsy Rose Lee, Dinah Shore and Bob Burns. Based on a story by Houston Branch and set in the days of ...
'' (1944) – Lettie Candless * '' Make Mine Music'' (1946) – Narrator (voice) * ''
Till the Clouds Roll By ''Till The Clouds Roll By'' is a 1946 American Technicolor musical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A fictionalized biopic of composer Jerome Kern, portrayed by Robert Walker, Kern was originally involved with the production, but died before ...
'' (1946) – Julia Sanderson / Dinah Shore * '' Fun and Fancy Free'' (1947) – Narrator (voice) * ''Bongo'' (1947) (short subject) – Narrator (voice) * ''
Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick ''Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick'' (also known as ''Marshmallow Moon'' in the U.K. and the Philippines and ''Härkiä, heiniä ja hakkailua'' in Finland) is a 1952 Paramount Pictures hillbilly musical film directed by Claude Binyon and produced b ...
'' (1952) – Josie Berry * '' A Great New Star'' (1952) (short subject) * ''Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Stars on Parade'' (1954) (short subject) * ''Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Small Fry'' (1956) (short subject) * ''Premier Khrushchev in the USA'' (1959) (documentary) * '' Oh, God!'' (1977) – Herself (cameo) * ''
HealtH Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
'' (1980) – Herself (cameo)


Television

* ''
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show ''The Dinah Shore Chevy Show'' is an American variety series hosted by Dinah Shore, and broadcast on NBC from October 1956 to May 1963. The series was sponsored by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors and its theme song, sung by Shore, ...
'' (11/27/1951 – 7/18/1957) (15 minutes) * ''The Dinah Shore Chevy Show'' (10/5/1956 – 6/14/1957) (60-minute monthly specials) * ''The Dinah Shore Chevy Show'' (10/20/1957 – 6/26/1961) (60 minutes) * ''
The Danny Thomas Show ''The Danny Thomas Show'' (titled ''Make Room for Daddy'' for its first three seasons) is an American sitcom that ran from 1953 to 1957 on ABC and from 1957 to 1964 on CBS. Starring Danny Thomas as a successful night club entertainer, the show f ...
'' (episodes: "The Dinah Shore Show", 10/28/1957; "Dinah Shore and Danny are Rivals", 12/8/1958) * ''
The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Night M ...
'' – Season 18, Episode 20 (1/30/1960) * ''The Dinah Shore Special'' (10/6/1961 – 5/12/1963) (60-minute monthly specials) * ''The Dinah Shore Special'' (2/15/1965) * ''The Dinah Shore Special: Like Hep'' (4/13/1969) * '' Here's Lucy'', “Someone’s on the Ski Lift with Dinah” (10/25/1971) * ''Dinah's Place'' (8/3/1970 – 7/26/1974) * ''
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Da ...
'' – Season 4, Episode 21 (2/8/1971; guest appearance as herself) * '' Hold That Pose'' (1971) (one-week pilot for series) * '' Dinah in Search of the Ideal Man'' (11/18/1973) * ''
Dinah! ''Dinah!'' is a daytime variety talk show that was hosted by singer and actress Dinah Shore. The series was distributed by 20th Century Fox Television and premiered on October 21, 1974, in syndication. In 1979, the show became known as ''Di ...
'' (9/9/1974 – 9/7/1979) * ''
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman ''Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'' is an American satirical soap opera that aired in daily weeknight syndication from January 1976 to July 1977. The series follows the titular Mary Hartman, an Ohio housewife attempting to cope with various bizarre ...
'' (April 1976; guest appearance as herself) * ''Dinah and Her New Best Friends'' (6/5 – 7/31/1976) (summer series) * ''
The Carol Burnett Show ''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Har ...
'' – Episode 1002 (11/13/1976; guest star) * ''
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...
'' (11/10/1977) * ''Dinah and Friends'' (9/10/1979 – 9/5/1980) * ''
Death Car on the Freeway ''Death Car on the Freeway'' is a 1979 American made-for-television crime thriller film starring Shelley Hack. In a plot similar to Steven Spielberg's '' Duel'', this tells the story of an unseen driver who is dubbed "The Freeway Fiddler". The c ...
'' (1979) - Made for Television Movie * '' Alice'' (episode: "Mel's in the Kitchen with Dinah", 11/18/1979; guest appearance as herself) * ''
Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
'' (episode: "Past Tense", 1987) (as Katherine Woodbridge * ''
Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special This is the complete episode list for ''Pee-wee's Playhouse''. A total of 45 half-hour episodes and 1 primetime special were recorded for CBS from 1986 until 1990. Series overview Episodes Season 1 (1986) Season 2 (1987) Special (1988) S ...
'' (guest star 1988) * ''
Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...
'' (episode: "Alma Murder", 1989) (as Emily Dyers) (final television appearance) * ''A Conversation with Dinah'' (1989–1991) * ''Dinah Comes Home'' (1991)


Radio appearances


See also

* Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend *
ANA Inspiration The Chevron Championship is a professional women's golf tournament. An event on the LPGA Tour, it is one of the tour's five major championships, and has traditionally been the first of the season since its elevation to major status in 1983. Fou ...


References


External links

* * *
Dinah Shore biography
museum.tv
Dinah Shore biography
parabrisas.com
Dinah Shore File
at FBI Records: The Vault
Dinah Vegas
dinahshoreweekend.com *  – Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery *  –
Forest Lawn Cemetery (Cathedral City) Forest Lawn Cemetery (Cathedral City), renamed from Palm Springs Mortuary & Mausoleum in 2005, is a mausoleum in Cathedral City, California near Palm Springs, California, Palm Springs. It is operated by Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries. Not ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shore, Dinah 1917 births 1994 deaths People from Winchester, Tennessee American film actresses American television actresses American television talk show hosts Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from ovarian cancer Jewish American actresses Jewish American musicians Jewish singers Chevron Championship American people of Russian-Jewish descent World Golf Hall of Fame inductees Peabody Award winners RCA Victor artists Capitol Records artists Columbia Records artists Reprise Records artists Singers from Tennessee Traditional pop music singers Vanderbilt University alumni People with polio Burials at Forest Lawn Cemetery (Cathedral City) Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery American cookbook writers Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host winners 20th-century American actresses Women cookbook writers 20th-century American singers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American women writers United Service Organizations entertainers