Childhood and rise to success
Born to Solomon and Anna Stein Shore, Jewish immigrants from Russia, she lived in Winchester, Tennessee. When she was two years old, she was stricken with polio (infantile paralysis), a disease that was not handled well at the time. Thankfully, her parents cared enough to provide intensive care for her, and she recovered and overcame the disease. However, she suffered from having a slightly deformed foot and limp, which did not physically impede her. She performed at a night club when she was only 14 years old.
When her mother died unexpectedly of a heart attack, Dinah went to Vanderbilt University, where she participated in many events and activities. She graduated from the university in 1938. She decided to get back into pursuing her career in singing, so she went to New York to audition for orchestras and radio stations. In many of her auditions, she sang the popular song "Dinah." When disc jockey Martin Block could not remember her name, he called her the "Dinah girl," and soon after the name stuck, becoming her stage name. She eventually was hired as a vocalist at radio station WNEW, where she sang with Frank Sinatra. She also recorded and performed with the Xavier Cugat orchestra. Eventually, she got her recording contract with RCA Victor records in 1940.
Career in the 1940s and 1950s
While recording on RCA Victor's Bluebird label, she released her first recording, "Yes, My Darling Daughter" and it became a major hit for her. Dinah's singing came to the attention of Eddie Cantor, and he signed her as a regular on his popular radio show, "Time to Smile", in 1940. Dinah credits him for teaching her self-confidence, comedic timing and the ways of connecting with an audience.
She was a featured vocalist on The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street and soon became a successful radio and music star with her own radio show in 1943, "Call to Music". Also in 1943, she appeared in her first movie, "Thank Your Lucky Stars". The movie starred Eddie Cantor, and she soon went to another radio show, "Paul Whiteman Presents". During this time, America had been actively involved in World War 2 and Dinah became a popular favorite with the troops, similar to the popularity of Bing Crosby. She was having major record hits, like "I will Walk Alone" and "Blues In the Night", one of her first of many number-one hits to come. To support the troops overseas, who adored her singing, she participated in USO tours to Europe. She met a young actor ready to go into military service named George Montgomery. They married on December 3, 1943. Despite their marriage, Montgomery soon went into service. When he returned from the service, they settled in San Fernando, California. In 1948, their first child was born, a daughter named Messina, and they also adopted a son in 1954 named John David and then moved to Beverly Hills.
Dinah continued appearing in radio shows throughout the 1940s. She performed in radio shows like "Birds Eye-Open House" and "Ford Radio Show". One of her most popular recordings was "Baby It's Cold Outside" with Buddy Clark. The song was covered by many other artists, Ella Fitzgerald for example. Other hits followed this success like "Buttons and Bows" and "The Gypsy". She was a regular with Jack Smith on his radio show on CBS, which ran for 15 minutes. She went into many more movies. As an actress, Shore appeared in many musical films, such as "Belle of the Yukon" and "Up in Arms" (both in 1944), and "Till the Clouds Roll By" (1946). She was also featured in numerous TV movies and series. She lent her musical voice to two Disney films: "Make Mine Music" (1946) and "Fun and Fancy Free" (1947). In early 1946, she moved to another label, Columbia Records. In 1950 she made her television show debut on "The Ed Wynn Show" and also made a guest appearance on Bob Hope's first television show. After being on many other people's television shows, she got her own, "The Dinah Shore Show" in 1951. She did two fifteen minute shows a week for NBC. She won her first Emmy for the show in 1955. The show was sponsored by Chevrolet automobiles. The sponsor's theme song ("See the USA in your Chevrolet") became the singer's signature piece. She continued to appear in Chevrolet advertising through the 1950s.
Later career
From 1970 through 1980, Shore hosted two daytime programs, "Dinah's Place" (1970-1974) on NBC and "Dinah!" (later "Dinah and Friends") in syndication from 1974 through 1980. On her show "Dinah!", she once had the misfortune of interviewing the comedian Andy Kaufman in his Tony Clifton guise. He took deliberate offense at her questions and eventually tipped a pan of eggs over her head. This happened live on the air in front of a huge TV audience and Shore's producers cut to an impromptu commercial as Kaufman was escorted out of the studio.
TV screenshot image
Shore, with her Dixie drawl and demure manner, was always identified with the South, and guests on her shows often commented on it.
Shore won nine Emmys, a Peabody Award and a Golden Globe.
Shore guest starred on "Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special", calling Pee-wee on his picturephone and singing "The 12 Days of Christmas". Throughout the special, Pee-wee walks past the picture phone, only to hear her going past the original 12 days ("...on the 500th day of Christmas...")
Personal life
Shore was married to actor George Montgomery from 1943 to 1962 and had a daughter, Melissa Ann (known today as Melissa Montgomery-Hime, executor of the Dinah Shore Trust and the owner of the rights to most of Shore's television series). Shore later adopted a son, John David 'Jody' Montgomery. After her divorce from Montgomery, she briefly married Maurice Smith. In the early 1970s, Shore had a long and happy public romance with actor Burt Reynolds, who was 20 years her junior. The relationship gave Shore an updated, sexy image, and took some of the pressure off Reynolds in maintaining his image as a ladies' man.
Death and legacy
Dinah Shore died in Beverly Hills, California of ovarian cancer at age 77 (5 days before her 78th birthday). Her ashes were divided and she has two burial sites. Half were interred in the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California and the other half interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery (Cathedral City) near her beloved second home in Palm Springs, California.
Shore's legacy resonates posthumously, with a 1998 album featuring the arrangement skills of Andre Previn combined with the re-releasing of some of her classic recordings like 'April in Paris', and 'My Funny Valentine', garnering moderate success.
I'll Close My Eyes
Dinah Shore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A song through its doors
Just as if it seems to know
I'm exclusively yours
Knowing this
I feel but one way
You will understand too
I'll close my eyes
To everyone but you
And when I do
I'll see you standing there
I'll lock my heart
To any other caress
I'll never say yes
To a new love affair
Then I'll close my eyes
To everything that's gay
If you are not there
Oh, to share each lovely day
And through the years
In those moments
When we're far apart
Don't you know I'll close my eyes
And I'll see you with my heart
The lyrics of "I’ll Close My Eyes" by Dinah Shore are a declaration of love, devotion, and exclusive commitment to a specific person. The opening verse evokes the idea of destiny, or some higher power that has sent the singer a song that speaks to her exclusive status as the object of her lover's affection. The singer emphasizes her sense of oneness with her partner, declaring that she feels just one way about this person, and that this person will also understand the depth of her feelings. The chorus then expresses the singer's intention to close her eyes to everyone but her beloved, implying that she only wants to see this person in her mind's eye. She also locks her heart to any other caress and turns away from new love affairs. She explains that she'll close her eyes to everything that's gay if her beloved is not there to share each lovely day. The closing lines of the song express the enduring nature of her love and the power of her imagination to keep her connection with her beloved even when they are far apart.
Overall, the song emphasizes the many ways that love can transcend conventional boundaries and structures. The lyrics suggest that love can create a sense of shared destiny, exclusive commitment, and a deep sense of psychic connection that endures even in the absence of physical proximity. The song reflects the popular romantic themes of the post-World War II era, when Americans, after years of deprivation and sacrifice, were eager to embrace the pleasures and comforts of domestic life as a symbol of their renewed vitality and optimism.
Line by Line Meaning
Heaven sends
A feeling of blessing comes over me
A song through its doors
As if a message relayed to me through the language of music
Just as if it seems to know
It's almost as if the universe is aware of who we are
I'm exclusively yours
Knowing that I am completely devoted to you
Knowing this
With this understanding present
I feel but one way
I can only approach this situation in one manner
You will understand too
I believe you feel the same way
In these words that I say
Through the following sentiments I am about to express
I'll close my eyes
I will focus intently on only you
To everyone but you
Shutting out all other distractions and people
And when I do
During that moment of intense focus
I'll see you standing there
All I will see is you, standing before me
I'll lock my heart
I will protect my heart from being engulfed by anyone else
To any other caress
There will be no one else permitted to touch me in that way
I'll never say yes
I will never allow myself to fall for someone else
To a new love affair
Or embark on a new path of love.
Then I'll close my eyes
Once again I will zone in solely on you
To everything that's gay
Ignoring all other joy in my life without you
If you are not there
If you're not present in my life
Oh, to share each lovely day
I'll be missing out on the simple pleasure of experiencing each day with you
And through the years
Over time as we age
In those moments
When we're separated
Don't you know I'll close my eyes
I'll visualize you in my mind's eye
And I'll see you with my heart
Seeing you crystal clear in my thoughts with all my passionate affection for you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BUDDY KAYE, BILLY REID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind