Dinah Shore

Dinah Shore (born February 29, 1916, Winchester, Tennessee, U.S.—died February 24, 1994, Los Angeles, California, U.S.) was an American singer and television personality who projected a sunny disposition and exuded an effervescent Southern charm that, combined with her sultry contralto renditions of such favorites as "Blues in the Night," "I’ll Walk Alone," and "Buttons and Bows," endeared her to record buyers and television audiences for some 40 years.

Shore, who graduated in 1938 from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, with a degree in sociology, sang with newcomer Frank Sinatra on New York radio and was rejected as a vocalist by some of the top bandleaders of the 1930s before making a recording debut with Xavier Cugat’s orchestra in 1939. Shore recorded 75 hits between 1940 and 1955, among them "Yes, My Darling Daughter," "Dear Hearts and Gentle People," and "The Anniversary Song." Shore starred on Eddie Cantor’s radio show and made an unspectacular foray into films before finding her niche on television.

In 1951 Shore debuted as the host of a 15-minute variety program, The Dinah Shore Show. She followed this with The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (1956–63), on which she established the jingle "See the USA in Your Chevrolet" as her trademark along with a signature sign-off kiss for the audience. During her years on television, Shore garnered six Emmy Awards, was repeatedly named one of America’s most admired women, and continued to delight viewers as the host of Dinah’s Place (1970–74), Dinah (1974–79), Dinah and Friends (1979–84), and A Conversation with Dinah (1989–91), which appeared on the Nashville Network.

Shore was married twice, first to actor George Montgomery and then briefly to tennis player Maurice Smith. She raised eyebrows in the 1970s because of her romance with actor Burt Reynolds, who was almost 20 years her junior. Shore was also an avid tennis player and golfer and the sponsor of a professional golf tournament.