Dorothy Squires

Dorothy Squires (born Edna May Squires, 25 March 1915 – 14 April 1998) was a Welsh singer. Her early successes were achieved with "The Gypsy", "A Tree in the Meadow" and "I'm Walking Behind You" by her partner Billy Reid, and "Say It with Flowers" written by Squires with piano accompaniment by Russ Conway. Among her later well-known recordings were versions of "Till", "My Way", and "For Once in My Life". Other notable cover songs included "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". In later life, Squires filed multiple frivolous lawsuits. She was banned from the High Court by 1982, and formally declared a "vexatious litigant" from 1987, requiring the court's permission to file any further cases. The legal expenses ultimately led to her bankruptcy. Biography Born in her parents' carnival 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. Career While working as a nurse in London, Squires sought singing jobs; she met agent Joe Kay, who got her night time work in various clubs. Squires performed at an East End club that gave her the name Dorothy, which she liked and adopted as her stage name. Squires did most of her work with the orchestra 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.