Dinah Shore was the daughter of Jewish immigrants from Russia and had to overcome childhood polio — a dreaded disease in those days — before moving from her Tennessee home to New York, where she latched on with Xavier Cugat's band. (This was way before his "Charo" days.) During World War II she was one of the most popular and respected stars.
North Dakota was the birthplace of Peggy Lee, who had to overcome everything from a wicked step-mother straight out of
Cinderella to being so poor that she was literally singing for her supper. Eventually she managed to work her way into performing at a small nightclub where she caught the attention of Benny Goodman, and later became a star with her first million-seller, "Why Don't You Do Right?".
Anita O'Day got her start as a marathon dance contestant and progressed to singing for tips before managing to land a job as a chorus girl in a club. She auditioned for Benny Goodman but the prickly King of Swing rejected her when she improvised on the song. She latched on with Raymond Scott's band but was fired after three days for forgetting the lyrics of a piece. Finally, she hung on with Gene Krupa's band and had several hits with him.
Ella Jane Fitzgerald overcame a broken home that led to being an unwanted orphan, life on the streets, and time spent in a reformatory before finally starting her musical career by performing as a teenager with Chick Webb's band in Harlem's Savoy Ballroom. Over a career spanning almost 60 years, she became one of the most respected and admired singers of all time.
Jo Stafford grew up during the Depression and originally wanted to be an opera singer, but in a more practical frame of mind became instead a part of a singing group called The Pied Pipers. They went through some tough times until they finally signed with Tommy Dorsey's band. Jo was the lead singer and as often happens, became the most famous member of the group, eventually going out on her own and forging a solid solo career. She was beloved by the guys in World War II and earned the nickname "GI Jo".
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