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.
Laughing on the Outside
Dinah Shore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Carefree and romancing
Happy with my someone new
I'm laughing on the outside
Crying on the inside
'Cause I'm still in love with you
They see me night and daytime
They don't know what I go through
I'm laughing on the outside
Crying on the inside
'Cause I'm still in love with you
No one knows it's just a pose
Pretending I'm glad we're apart
And when I cry, my eyes are dry
The tears are in my heart
My darling, can't we make up?
Ever since our breakup
Make believe is all I do
I'm laughing on the outside
Crying on the inside
'Cause I'm still in love with you
I'm laughing on the outside
Crying on the inside
'Cause I'm still in love with you
In Dinah Shore's song "Laughing on the Outside," the lyrics express the internal turmoil and emotional pain of a person who is pretending to be happy after a break-up. The singer is putting on a facade of being carefree and in love with someone new, but in reality, they are still deeply in love with their ex-partner. The character describes how people see them out dancing, laughing, and having a gay time, yet no one knows about the turmoil going on inside. They are crying on the inside while laughing on the outside, putting on a mask to hide the sadness they feel.
The lyrics use the contrasting images of laughing and crying to cleverly describe the torment a person can feel in the aftermath of a breakup. The singer even admits that no one knows that the facade they put up is merely a pose, and when they cry, their tears remain hidden in their heart. The song ends with the singer making a plea to their past lover, asking if they can make up, because pretending to be happy is all they have left.
Line by Line Meaning
The crowd sees me out dancing
People watch me as I go out to dance
Carefree and romancing
Appearing lighthearted and playful while flirting with others
Happy with my someone new
Appearing content with a new romantic interest
I'm laughing on the outside
Putting on a happy demeanor for others to see
Crying on the inside
Feeling sad and heartbroken internally
'Cause I'm still in love with you
Because I still have feelings for my old flame
They see me night and daytime
Others observe me throughout the day and night
Having such a gay time
Appearing to have a fun and carefree life
They don't know what I go through
Others are unaware of the emotional pain I endure
No one knows it's just a pose
People don't realize that my happiness is just a facade
Pretending I'm glad we're apart
Acting like I am happy without my old flame
And when I cry, my eyes are dry
My tears aren't visible to others
The tears are in my heart
The sadness and heartbreak are internal
My darling, can't we make up?
Expressing a desire to reconcile with old flame
Ever since our breakup
Since we ended our romantic relationship
Make believe is all I do
Pretending to be happy without old flame is my only option
'Cause I'm still in love with you
Because my feelings for my old flame still exist
I'm laughing on the outside
Putting on a fake happy demeanor for others to see
Crying on the inside
Feeling sad and brokenhearted internally
'Cause I'm still in love with you
Because I have not moved on from my old flame
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ben Raleigh, Bernie Wayne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Trombonology
Although all posted versions of this poignant one are very good, I find it most difficult to choose between this one and Teddy Walters' as my favorite -- I'd probably go with Dinah's take, as both her vocal and the accompaniment are very special.