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 Got Lost in His Arms
Dinah Shore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wish I knew
I can't believe that it's happened
And still it's true
I got lost in his arms and I had to stay
It was dark in his arms and I lost my way
And it seemed to say
There you go
There you go
How I felt as I fell I just can't recall
But his arms held me fast and it broke the fall
And I said to my heart
As it foolishly kept jumping all around
I got lost but look what I found
(There you go, there you go)
How I felt as I fell I just can't recall
But his arms held me fast and it broke the fall
And I said to my heart
As it foolishly kept jumping all around
I got lost but look what I found
The lyrics to Dinah Shore's song "I Got Lost in His Arms" reflect a total surrender of oneself to love. The singer cannot explain how she fell so deeply for her lover or even how she ended up in his arms. Despite all of this, she feels grateful to be there, even if she has lost her way while being held by him. The darkness surrounding them and the voice calling out to her add to the mystique of this moment. These words create a picture of a love that is passionate and powerful.
However, it is interesting to note that the lyrics could also be interpreted as a warning about the dangers of losing oneself in love. When the singer says, "I can't believe that it's happened, And still it's true", she could be implying that she is both thrilled and terrified to have fallen for someone so deeply. Later in the song, she talks about how her heart was foolishly jumping all around, possibly indicating that she feels out of control in her love life. It's a subtle but nuanced interpretation that adds another layer to the song's meaning.
Overall, the lyrics to "I Got Lost in His Arms" seem to celebrate the joys of falling in love, but also acknowledge the uncertainties and dangers that come with it. It's a song that captures the complexity and beauty of human relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't ask me just how it happened
I cannot explain how I fell in love with him
I wish I knew
I wish I had a clear reason for why I fell in love with him
I can't believe that it's happened
I cannot believe that I am in love with him
And still it's true
Despite my disbelief, I truly am in love with him
I got lost in his arms and I had to stay
Being in his embrace made me lose myself and stay there
It was dark in his arms and I lost my way
His love was so intense that it made me lose track of time and direction
From the dark came a voice
Amidst the darkness of his embrace, I heard a voice
And it seemed to say
The voice appeared to be conveying something
There you go
You are giving into the feeling of love
There you go
You are falling deeper into his embrace
How I felt as I fell I just can't recall
I cannot remember how I felt when I fell in love with him
But his arms held me fast and it broke the fall
His love and embrace prevented me from feeling the impact of the fall
And I said to my heart
I spoke to myself
As it foolishly kept jumping all around
As my heart kept fluttering with love
I got lost but look what I found
Although I got lost in love, I found someone special to cherish
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
truefairytales
Love this version! Her voice sounds beautiful.
lee wyman
Great version. Warm and loving 🥰 voice.
Michael Fairbairn
What an unexpected pleasure! She sang this so beautifully.
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Dinah Shore was really underrated.
Remember Our Music
♫Remember Our Music♫ is honored to LIKE this recording of music featuring Dinah Shore.
If you are interested in more recordings by distinguished American musicians, please check out my historical youtube channel ‘Remember our Music’ a site which daily honors a great American musician born between 1745 and 1945. This year ROM will feature female musicians like Greta Keller, Lil Armstrong, Mamie Van Doren, Imogen Carpenter and Leontyne Price, all born in the month of February!