Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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GRAY, Dolores

(b 7 June '24, Chicago IL) Singer, dancer, actress. She sang on Rudy Vallee's radio shows, then Wayne King '45; starred in musical Sweet Bye And Bye '46 (music by Vernon Duke, lyrics by Ogden Nash, book by S. J. Perelman and Al Hirschfield): it opened and closed during a printers' strike against NYC newspapers; no reviews appeared and good word-of-mouth couldn't save it. She starred in Annie Get Your Gun in London; on Broadway in Two On The Aisle '51, Carnival In Flanders '53, Destry Rides Again '59; films It's Always Fair Weather, Kismet '55; The Opposite Sex '56, Designing Woman '57; London revival of Stephen Sondheim's Follies '87. She had her own TV show in the early '50s; Decca singles included covers of hits such as Jo Stafford's 'Shrimp Boats', Hank Williams's 'Kawliga'; LPs included original cast and soundtrack albums, Warm Brandy on Capitol. She deserved to be more successful, but her strong voice and good showmanship always delivered the goods.