Dinah, All The Way

As is well known, for the greater part of the Forties, Dinah Shore was the most popular female singer in the United States. A regular performer on radio, and queen of the juke-boxes, her record sales were second only to those of Bing Crosby; for a considerable time she even outsold Frank Sinatra. And her popularity is not in the least surprising, for she had so much going for her - not least a voice like cream, like velvet, and a sense of warmth and closeness that were lacking in the voices of so many others - notably many of the band-singers of the era. She had great charm of personality too, and such qualities, combined with a not inconsiderable physical attractiveness, ensured that when America went to war she became the number one favourite singer of the fighting forces.