Canadian born Dorothy Collins started singing on local radio stations at a young age. She was recruited by Raymond Scott in 1942 as a featured vocalist for his band at the age of 15. From that point on, Collins became a bit of a protégée of Raymond Scott's and years later, his wife.
Her vocal pitch, phrasing, and delivery were top notch and in the late 1940's and early 50's began to receive national attention from her great performances on the CBS radio show "Lucky Strike's Your Hit Parade." You can hear Dorothy's voice in many of those early Lucky Strike commercial spots as a spokeswoman for the company. In fact, she became known as "The Sweetheart of Lucky Strike."
When "Your Hit Parade" made the jump to television Dorothy also made the transition. Collins was truly a fantastic and versatile performer. Her television credits also included The Steve Allen Show, The Bell Telephone Hour, and The Hollywood Palace.
As I stated above, Collins eventually went on to marry Raymond Scott in 1952 and they remained married into the mid 1960's.
"Singing in the Rain" performed by Dorothy Collins & Raymond Scott Quintet in 1955
You can hear the beautiful voice of Dorothy Collins backed by Raymond Scott on many songs featured right here on Swing City Radio.
Consider supporting Swing City Radio by becoming a Hepcat. Learn more at: SupportSwing.com.
