Dinah Shore
One of America's most popular entertainers long after her mid-'40s commercial peak, Dinah Shore was the first major vocalist to break away from the big-band format and begin a solo-billed career. During the '40s, she recorded several of the decade's biggest singles -- "Buttons and Bows," "The Gypsy," and "I'll Walk Alone" -- all of which spent more than a month at number one on the Hit Parade. After launching a television variety series in 1951, Shore appeared on one program or another, with few gaps, into the 1980s.
Born in rural Tennessee, Dinah Shore was performing on Nashville radio while still a teenager. Her professional career later took her to New York, where she sang with Xavier Cugat. After failing auditions with Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey however, she decided to simply become a solo singer. Shore signed to Bluebird, and recorded several hits during 1940-41, including "Yes, My Darling Daughter," "I Hear a Rhapsody" and "Jim." Her first million-seller came in 1942 with the prototypical blues crossover nugget, "Blues in the Night." Later that year, she moved to Victor and hit big with "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" and her first number one hit, 1944's "I'll Walk Alone." Shore also began appearing in films, including 1944's Up in Arms and 1946's Till the Clouds Roll By.
The late '40s proved to be her most popular era for recording. Between 1946 and 1949, she hit big with several songs, including "The Gypsy," "I Love You for Sentimental Reasons," "Anniversary Song," "I Wish I Didn't Love You So," "Buttons and Bows" and "Dear Hearts and Gentle People." Though her records didn't chart as high during the '50s, Dinah Shore enjoyed even more exposure with her top-rated variety show, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show. For many, Shore's opening and closing every show with "See the USA in your Chevrolet, America's the greatest land of all" practically defined the '50s. Her Chevrolet sponsorship lasted until 1963, but she returned in the '70s with a new format, the daytime talk-show. During the 1980s, she began performing once again, but returned to television once more with a series that ran for two years. She died of cancer in 1994.
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Essential
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by EMI Trade Marketing on 1 Jan 2001
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Sweet Violets
Folk - Released by American Popsongs on 27 Feb 2017
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Love Walked In
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Flare Records on 4 Jul 2005
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Presenting… Dinah Shore
Jazz - Released by Signature on 1 Jul 2011
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All the Hits and More 1939-60, Vol. 1
Pop - Released by ACROBAT on 7 Apr 2017
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Dinah Sings Some Blues with Red
World - Released by TP4 Music on 6 Jan 2021
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The A-Z of Dinah Shore, Vol. 5
Jazz - Released by Diamond Days on 23 Jun 2014
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NBC's Chamber Music Society Of Lower Basin Street
Dinah Shore, Lena Horne, Sidney Bechet
Jazz - Released by RCA - Legacy on 23 Mar 1964
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Moments Like These
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Flare Records on 23 Feb 2009
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100+ Timeless Classics: Dinah Shore
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Classic Music International on 24 Aug 2010
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Dinah Sings, Previn Plays
Jazz - Released by SKYLARK RECORDS on 10 Nov 2017
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Benny Carter, W.C. Handy, Dinah Shore
Benny Carter, William Christopher Handy, Dinah Shore
Jazz - Released by Nostalgia Arts on 27 Apr 2009
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Dinah Shore
Pop - Released by Alpha Center Digital on 31 Mar 2022
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With Andre Previn
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Dazzling Dames on 14 Jan 2011
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Bouquet of Blues
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Music Manager on 12 Sep 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bluegrass Breakdown, Vol. 4
Jazz - Released by Mile End on 5 May 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo