Dinah Shore was born Frances Rose Shore on February 29, 1916 in Winchester, Tennessee. She was the second daughter born to her parents, Solomon and Anna Stein Shore who were Russian Jewish immigrants. Solomon owned a dry goods store. Her sister Bessie was several years older. When Fanny Rose was almost two years old she contracted polio, the dreaded disease of the time. Fortunately her family was able to obtain excellent care and she recovered, though she was left with a slightly deformed foot and limp. Through extensive therapy and encouragement from her mother she eventually lost the limp. As a small child she loved to sing encouraged by her mother, a contralto with operatic aspirations. Her father would often take her to his store where she would do impromptu songs for the customers.
When Fanny Rose was about eight years old the family moved to Nashville, where her father opened a department store. Shy because of her limp she began to participate in sports and other activities. Fanny Rose developed a strong will to succeed and be the best in everything. She attended Hume Fogg High School where she continued in music, sports, cheerleading and dramatics. Her love for dramatics and singing became her focus. She performed at a night club at age fourteen. She hung out at the "Grand Ol' Opry" and eventually got a job on the local radio station WSM. During this time her mother died suddenly of a heart attack. Her sister Bessie now married to Dr. Maurice Seligman stepped in to help her in this trying time. Solomon wanted her to forget about singing and pursue her education. She entered Vanderbilt University where she participated in many activities. She graduated in 1938 with a degree in sociology.