Little-Known Facts About Dinah Shore, The Loveless American Sweetheart
This American sweetheart dazzled the country with music hits like “Buttons and Bows” and an impressive TV career. But behind all the glitz and glamor, Dinah Shore hid the details of a turbulent life.
1. She Barely Survived
Born Frances “Fanny” Rose Shore in 1916, she faced a huge life challenge before she even turned two years old. At just eighteen months, doctors diagnosed her with polio. The disease rendered the child unable to move and sentenced her to a life of painful bed rest. Luckily for her, her mother didn’t take the doctors’ word for it.
2. Her Mom Saved Her
Rather than leave her child to an unfulfilled life without movement, her mother took it upon herself to see to her rehabilitation. She engaged Shore’s affected limbs with massage and exercise, eventually bringing her close to full recovery.
The disease left her with a life-long limp, but sadly, this wasn't her only childhood struggle.
3. She Didn’t Fit In
Shore struggled to blend in when she was growing up because she looked much different than the other girls in her Tennessee neighborhood. Born to Jewish parents, she often felt her culture made her stand out in the wrong way—that is, until she figured out that standing out might just be the best thing she could ever do.
4. She Started Young
At a young age, Shore recognized she loved to sing. Her parents fostered her love for it, with her father even letting her host mini concerts for customers at the store he owned. With her disease healed, things seemed to be shaping up for her. To her total surprise, though, one more impending tragedy came to derail her completely.
