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.
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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.
Someone To Watch Over Me
Dinah Shore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Still were often told, seek and ye shall find
So I'm going to seek a certain lad I've had in mind
Looking everywhere, haven't found him yet
Hes the big affair I cannot forget
Only man I ever think of with regret
I'd like to add his initial to my monogram
There's a somebody I'm longing to see
I hope that he turns out to be
Someone who'll watch over me
I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood
I know I could always be good
Someone who'll watch over me
Although he may not be the man some
Girls think of as handsome
To my heart he carries the key
Won't you tell him please to put on some speed
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me
The song "Someone To Watch Over Me" by Dinah Shore is a classic love ballad that speaks to the universal longing for companionship and safety. The lyrics begin with a recognition of the oft-repeated adage that "love is blind," and yet people are still encouraged to seek it out. The singer then admits to having a certain man in mind that she cannot forget, even though he is the only one she thinks of with regret. She longs to find him and add his initial to her monogram, but feels lost and in need of guidance, asking "where is the shepherd for this lost lamb?"
The second half of the lyrics shift from describing the search for love to expressing the hope that the man she finds will be someone who will watch over her. The singer compares herself to a "little lamb who's lost in the wood," acknowledging her need for protection and direction. She declares her willingness to always do good if she can just find "someone who'll watch over me." The final lines express a desire for the man to hurry and follow her lead, highlighting the urgency of the singer's need for companionship and safety.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a saying old says that love is blind
A commonly held ideology is that love is blind to flaws and mistakes.
Still were often told, seek and ye shall find
However, we are still encouraged to actively seek out love.
So I'm going to seek a certain lad I've had in mind
In accordance with this, I am actively searching for a specific person.
Looking everywhere, haven't found him yet
Yet, despite my efforts, I have not found him.
Hes the big affair I cannot forget
This person is of great importance to me, and I cannot forget them.
Only man I ever think of with regret
The only person I regret not being able to find is him.
I'd like to add his initial to my monogram
I am so taken with him that I want to add his initial to my own name.
Tell me, where is the shepherd for this lost lamb?
Where is the person who will guide me, like a shepherd, towards this man?
There's a somebody I'm longing to see
There is someone whom I desire to see greatly.
I hope that he turns out to be
I hold out hope that he is the person I am seeking.
Someone who'll watch over me
I want a person who will protect and care for me.
I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood
I feel vulnerable and lost, like a small lamb wandering through the woods.
I know I could always be good
I have faith that I could be a worthwhile and loyal partner.
Someone who'll watch over me
Again, I want someone who can be my protector and confidant.
Although he may not be the man some
Despite the fact that he may not measure up to some other people's standards,
Girls think of as handsome
particularly regarding physical attractiveness.
To my heart he carries the key
To me, he is the one who holds the key to my heart.
Won't you tell him please to put on some speed
I would ask that someone urge him to come to me faster.
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
I am urging others to follow my lead in seeking out the man I desire.
Someone to watch over me
As before, I am searching for someone who can watch over and care for me.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Peermusic Publishing
Written by: IRA GERSHWIN, GEORGE GERSHWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
William Hamilton
Gosh she's sweet.
Philip Chretien Karlsson
As sweet as candy....