Dorothy Squires
Encyclopedia
Dorothy Squires was a Welsh
vocalist
. Among her recordings were versions of "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening
", "I'm in the Mood for Love
", "Anytime
", "If You Love Me (Really Love Me)" and "And So to Sleep Again
".
caravan
in Pontyberem
(about 12 miles from Llanelli
), Carmarthenshire
, Wales
, to a steelworker, Archibald James Squires and his wife, Emily, she wanted a piano
as a child. Her mother bought her a ukulele
. While working in a tin plate factory, she began to perform professionally as a singer at the age of 16 in the working men's club of Pontyberem.
of Billy Reid, who was her partner for many years. After she joined his orchestra in 1936, he began to write songs for her to perform.
, she worked on the BBC radio show Variety Bandbox
, which subsequently made her the highest paid female singer in the UK. Squires and Reid bought a 16-bedroom house in Bexhill on Sea, and working with Reid recorded
the original version of Reid's composition, "A Tree in the Meadow
", best known in the United States
for the recording by Margaret Whiting
, which reached No.1 on the U.S.
pop
chart
.
Her version of another Reid-penned song, "I'm Walking Behind You
" was covered
by Eddie Fisher
which became a No.1 hit single
in the U.S., and her recording of "The Gypsy" also became a No.1 hit there after being waxed by The Ink Spots
— their biggest hit. It was also a major hit for Dinah Shore
.
Whilst working with Billy Reid, Dorothy Squires lived at 16 Chaucer Road, Herne Hill Brixton
(12 years her junior) in New Jersey
in 1953. Resident in New York
, Hollywood and Llanelli
, the marriage lasted until 1961, when Moore left her and moved in with Luisa Mattioli. Moore was unable to marry
legally until Squires granted him a divorce in 1969 - the day on which Squires was convicted of drunk driving.
Returning to living in the UK, Squires had a career revival in the late 1960s at the age of 55 with a set of three singles making the UK Top 40, including a cover of "My Way
". New album
s and concert
s followed included a sell out set of concert
s at the London Palladium
. Squires herself had hired the Palladium for a series of shows, and they exceeded expectations and sold out of tickets within hours. A double album
of the event was issued.
over the story "When Love Turned Sour", and was awarded £4,000. In 1972 she took out a libel action against the actor Kenneth More
for mistakenly referring to Mattioli as Roger Moore's 'wife' (Michael Havers acted for Kenneth More). In 1973 she was charged with high kicking a taxi driver who tried to throw her out of his cab. She was also one of several artists charged with allegedly trying to bribe a BBC radio producer as part of a scheme to make him play her records - the case was dropped.
In 1974 her Bexley
mansion burned down, from which she escaped with her dog and all her love letters from Roger Moore. She then moved into a house in Bray
next to the River Thames
, which flooded three weeks later.
By 1982 she had been banned from the High Court
, and had spent much of her fortune on legal fees. Her litigiousness
was so excessive that, on 5 March 1987, the High Court declared her to be a vexatious litigant, preventing her from commencing any further legal actions without the permission of the Court. In 1988 she lost her home in Bray following bankruptcy
proceedings - which she returned to the following night to recover her love letters from Moore. Her last concert was in 1990, to pay her poll tax
.
, Rhondda
, South Wales
by a fan
, Esme Coles. Squires retired there a recluse
. Squires died in 1998 of lung cancer
, aged 83, in Llwynypia
Hospital, Rhondda. She is buried in a family plot in Streatham Park Cemetery, South London.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
vocalist
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
. Among her recordings were versions of "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening
A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening
"A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening" is a popular song with music by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Harold Adamson, published in 1943.The song is considered a pop standard, recorded by many artists.-Recorded versions:*The Angels*Shirley Bassey*Shocky...
", "I'm in the Mood for Love
I'm in the Mood for Love
"I'm in the Mood for Love" is a popular song. The music was written by Jimmy McHugh, the lyrics by Dorothy Fields. The song was published in 1935. It was introduced by Frances Langford in the movie Every Night at Eight released that year...
", "Anytime
Anytime (1921 song)
"Anytime" is a popular song written by Herbert "Happy" Lawson. The song was published in 1939.The song is best known in a 1952 recording by Eddie Fisher...
", "If You Love Me (Really Love Me)" and "And So to Sleep Again
And So to Sleep Again
"And So to Sleep Again" is a popular song, written in 1951 by Joe Marsala and Sunny Skylar.It was popularized by Patti Page in 1951.The Page recording was issued by Mercury Records as catalog number 5706, and first reached the Billboard chart on September 22, 1951, lasting 16 weeks and peaking at #4...
".
Biography
Born as Edna May Squires in her parents' carnivalCarnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
caravan
Travel trailer
A travel trailer or caravan is towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent . It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places...
in Pontyberem
Pontyberem
Pontyberem is a village situated in the Gwendraeth Valley halfway between Carmarthen and Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, South Wales.- History :...
(about 12 miles from Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
), Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, to a steelworker, Archibald James Squires and his wife, Emily, she wanted a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
as a child. Her mother bought her a ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
. While working in a tin plate factory, she began to perform professionally as a singer at the age of 16 in the working men's club of Pontyberem.
Career
Squires decided to pursue her dream in London, so while working as a nurse she would audition unsuccessfully for various jobs, during which she met agent Joe Kay, who got her night time work in various clubs. While working in the East End, Squires worked at a club which gave her the name Dorothy, which she liked and used on stage after that time. Squires did most of her work with the orchestraOrchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
of Billy Reid, who was her partner for many years. After she joined his orchestra in 1936, he began to write songs for her to perform.
Billy Reid
In the immediate post-warWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, she worked on the BBC radio show Variety Bandbox
Variety Bandbox
Variety Bandbox was a British radio variety show transmitted by BBC Radio on the Light Programme. Featuring a mixture of comic performances and music, the show helped to launch the careers of a number of leading British performers....
, which subsequently made her the highest paid female singer in the UK. Squires and Reid bought a 16-bedroom house in Bexhill on Sea, and working with Reid recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
the original version of Reid's composition, "A Tree in the Meadow
A Tree in the Meadow
"A Tree in the Meadow" is a popular song. It was written by Billy Reid, and the song was published in 1948.The songwriter, orchestra leader Billy Reid, recorded the first version in the United Kingdom, with Dorothy Squires as vocalist. It was recorded on 9 January 1948, and released by Parlophone...
", best known in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for the recording by Margaret Whiting
Margaret Whiting
Margaret Whiting was a singer of American popular music and country music who first made her reputation during the 1940s and 1950s.-Youth:...
, which reached No.1 on the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
.
Her version of another Reid-penned song, "I'm Walking Behind You
I'm Walking Behind You
"I'm Walking Behind You" is a popular song written by Billy Reid and published in 1953.Eddie Fisher's rendition of the song became a number-one hit single on both the Cash Box and Billboard record charts in 1953 in the United States, as well as reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart.The...
" was covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by Eddie Fisher
Eddie Fisher (singer)
Edwin Jack "Eddie" Fisher , was an American entertainer. He was one of the world's most famous and successful singers in the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show. His divorce from his first wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor, garnered...
which became a No.1 hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
in the U.S., and her recording of "The Gypsy" also became a No.1 hit there after being waxed by The Ink Spots
The Ink Spots
The Ink Spots were a popular vocal group in the 1930s and 1940s that helped define the musical genre that led to rhythm and blues and rock and roll, and the subgenre doo-wop...
— their biggest hit. It was also a major hit for Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality...
.
Whilst working with Billy Reid, Dorothy Squires lived at 16 Chaucer Road, Herne Hill Brixton
Roger Moore
Squires married actor Roger MooreRoger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
(12 years her junior) in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
in 1953. Resident in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Hollywood and Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
, the marriage lasted until 1961, when Moore left her and moved in with Luisa Mattioli. Moore was unable to marry
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
legally until Squires granted him a divorce in 1969 - the day on which Squires was convicted of drunk driving.
Returning to living in the UK, Squires had a career revival in the late 1960s at the age of 55 with a set of three singles making the UK Top 40, including a cover of "My Way
My Way (song)
"My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the...
". New album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s and concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s followed included a sell out set of concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
. Squires herself had hired the Palladium for a series of shows, and they exceeded expectations and sold out of tickets within hours. A double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
of the event was issued.
Later life
In 1971 she undertook the first of 30 court cases over the next 15 years. In 1971 she successfully sued the News of the WorldNews of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
over the story "When Love Turned Sour", and was awarded £4,000. In 1972 she took out a libel action against the actor Kenneth More
Kenneth More
Kenneth Gilbert More CBE was a highly successful English film actor during the post-World War II era and starred in many feature films, often in the role of an archetypal carefree and happy-go-lucky middle-class gentleman.-Early life:Kenneth More was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, the...
for mistakenly referring to Mattioli as Roger Moore's 'wife' (Michael Havers acted for Kenneth More). In 1973 she was charged with high kicking a taxi driver who tried to throw her out of his cab. She was also one of several artists charged with allegedly trying to bribe a BBC radio producer as part of a scheme to make him play her records - the case was dropped.
In 1974 her Bexley
Bexley
Bexley is an South East London]] in the London Borough of Bexley, London, England. It is located on the banks of the River Cray south of the Roman Road, Watling Street...
mansion burned down, from which she escaped with her dog and all her love letters from Roger Moore. She then moved into a house in Bray
Bray, Berkshire
Bray, sometimes known as Bray on Thames, is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. It stands on the banks of the River Thames, just south-east of Maidenhead. It is famous as the village mentioned in the song The Vicar of Bray...
next to the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, which flooded three weeks later.
By 1982 she had been banned from the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
, and had spent much of her fortune on legal fees. Her litigiousness
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
was so excessive that, on 5 March 1987, the High Court declared her to be a vexatious litigant, preventing her from commencing any further legal actions without the permission of the Court. In 1988 she lost her home in Bray following bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
proceedings - which she returned to the following night to recover her love letters from Moore. Her last concert was in 1990, to pay her poll tax
Poll tax
A poll tax is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount per individual in accordance with the census . When a corvée is commuted for cash payment, in effect it becomes a poll tax...
.
Death
Squires was provided with a home in TrebanogTrebanog
Trebanog is a village lying on the southernmost outskirts of the Rhondda Valley, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, located off the A4233 road between Porth the unoficial capital of the Rhondda, and the town of Tonyrefail which is at the head of the Ely Valley...
, Rhondda
Rhondda
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
by a fan
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
, Esme Coles. Squires retired there a recluse
Recluse
A recluse is a person who lives in voluntary seclusion from the public and society, often close to nature. The word is from the Latin recludere, which means "shut up" or "sequester." There are many potential reasons for becoming a recluse: a personal philosophy that rejects consumer society; a...
. Squires died in 1998 of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
, aged 83, in Llwynypia
Llwynypia
Llwynypia , is a village in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, near Tonypandy in the Rhondda Fawr Valley. Before 1850 a lightly populated rural farming area, Llwynypia experienced a population boom between 1860 and 1920 with the sinking of several coal mines after the discovery of large coal deposits...
Hospital, Rhondda. She is buried in a family plot in Streatham Park Cemetery, South London.
Hit singles
- "I'm Walking Behind YouI'm Walking Behind You"I'm Walking Behind You" is a popular song written by Billy Reid and published in 1953.Eddie Fisher's rendition of the song became a number-one hit single on both the Cash Box and Billboard record charts in 1953 in the United States, as well as reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart.The...
" (1953) - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
Number 12 - "Say It With Flowers" (1961) - UK Number 23 (with Russ ConwayRuss ConwayRuss Conway was a British popular music pianist. Conway had 20 piano instrumentals in the UK Singles Chart between 1957 and 1963, including two number one hits.-Career:...
) - "For Once in My LifeFor Once in My Life"For Once in My Life" is a pop song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Jobete publishing company in 1967 . The composition was originally recorded by Jean DuShon, while other artists, such as Tony Bennett and The Temptations, recorded slow ballad versions of the song...
" (1969) - UK Number 24 - "TillTill (song)"Till" is a popular song with music by Charles Danvers and English lyrics by Carl Sigman, released in January 1957 by Percy Faith. It was derived from the French song "Prière Sans Espoir", released in 1956 by Lucien Lupi on the EP L'Amour Viendra with original French lyrics written by Pierre Benoit...
" (1970) - UK Number 25 - "My WayMy Way (song)"My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the...
" (1970) - UK Number 25