Diane Marie Jacobs (born 1946)[1] known as Dinah Lee, is a New Zealand singer who performed 1960s pop and adult contemporary music.
According to Australian rock music journalist, Ed Nimmervoll, in the 1960s, "Lee was the most successful female singer in both her New Zealand homeland and Australia ... on stage and on record Dinah had all the adventure and exuberance for the time the boys had".
As a 15-year-old, she had her first professional gig with Bobby Davis & the Dazzlers in a small hall and they later worked in a coffee lounge.
They relocated to Auckland for a residency at Top 20 Club, Lee shared lead vocals with Garland, one of her covers was Huey "Piano" Smith's "Don't You Know Yockomo?"
[4] Tour organiser James Haddleton became her manager and she was signed with Viking Records, an independent label based in Wellington, and she was promoted as 'Queen of the Mods'.
[5][8] Lee's second single, "Reet Petite" was a cover of Jackie Wilson's hit and had also been recorded with Merritt's band, when released in September it reached No.
[9] Lee toured New Zealand and Australia on Starlift '64, promoted by Harry M. Miller, with a bill headed by The Searchers, Peter and Gordon and Del Shannon.
[3][4] Backing Lee at some gigs were Ray Columbus & the Invaders and, in Sydney, a newly formed group – The Easybeats.
One of her Bandstand performances was at Myer Music Bowl with headlining Jamaican Blue beat singer Millie Small, and meeting her manager Chris Blackwell.
[11] She released two UK singles in 1965: "I'll Forgive You Then Forget You" and "I Can't Believe What You Say" on Island Records' label Aladdin (owned by Chris Blackwell), and appeared on Thank Your Lucky Stars.
Lee won 'Entertainer of the Year' at New Zealand's inaugural NEBOA Awards in late September – soon after she decided to base herself in Australia.
Late in the year, Viking released a string of singles, "He Can't Do the Blue Beat", "Nitty Gritty" and "That's it I Quit", in New Zealand.
On 29 June 1966, Australian teen newspaper, Go-Set published "The Dinah Lee Story" and she appeared on their front cover.
[3][4] Lee spent most of the late 1960s on the night club circuit with occasional variety TV appearances.
[2] Lee successfully sued her former manager, Haddleton, for money owed and re-took control of her financial interests.
In 1974, she joined O'Keefe on his comeback show, The Good Old Days of Rock'n'Roll, at St. George Leagues Club.
[17] Lee featured on "Episode 2: Ten Pound Rocker 1963–1968" where she discussed the mod look and her appeal to rebellious teens, "I had this image and it wasn't cute and pretty".
[18] The TV series inspired the Long Way to the Top national concert tour during August–September 2002, which featured a host of the best Australian acts of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
[20] As from October 2023 Lee was performing on the nostalgia circuit as the Good Old Days of Rock'n'roll, with fellow veterans, Digger Revell, Little Pattie and Lucky Starr.