Dorothy Squires

Dorothy Squires was born on March 25, 1915 in Pontyberem, Carmarthenshire, Wales as Edna May Squires. She was married to Roger Moore.

In the mid 1930s she joined her first dance band as vocalist, The Denza Dance Orchesta in Llanelli, Wales. Dorothy Squires is honoured with a Blue Plaque at her childhood home, Aston House, Dafen, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales.

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.

Squires met Roger Moore (12 years her junior) at one of her lavish parties at her mansion in Wansunt Road, Old Bexley, Kent (which has now been replaced by houses). He later became her second husband when they married in New Jersey on 6 July 1953. She said many times over the years "it started with a squabble, then he carried me off to bed." She took him to Hollywood and introduced him to all the right people, and they partied with Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Doris Day and Rock Hudson. As his career took off, hers started to slide. Their marriage lasted until 1961, when Moore left her and moved in with Luisa Mattioli. Moore was unable to marry legally until Squires granted him a divorce in 1969 - the day on which Squires was convicted of drunk driving.

Returning to living in the UK, Squires had a career revival in the late 1960s at the age of 55 with a set of three singles making the UK Singles Chart, including a cover of "My Way". New albums and concerts followed included a sell out set of concerts at the London Palladium.

In 1971 she undertook the first of 30 court cases over the next 15 years. In 1971 she successfully sued the News of the World over the story "When Love Turned Sour", and was awarded £4,000.

In 1972 she took out a libel action against the actor Kenneth More for mistakenly referring to Mattioli as Roger Moore's "wife" when he was still legally married to Squires.

In 1973 she was charged with high kicking a taxi driver who tried to throw her out of his cab. She was also one of several artists charged with allegedly trying to bribe a BBC radio producer as part of a scheme to make him play her records; the case was dropped.

In 1974 her Bexley mansion burned down, from which she escaped with her dog and all her love letters from Roger Moore. She then moved into a house in Bray next to the River Thames, which flooded three weeks later.

By 1982 she had been banned from the High Court, and had spent much of her fortune on legal fees.

Her litigiousness was so excessive that, on 5 March 1987, the High Court declared her to be a "vexatious litigant", preventing her from commencing any further legal actions without the permission of the Court.

In 1988 following bankruptcy proceedings she lost her home in Bray, to which she returned the following night to recover her love letters from Roger Moore.

Her last concert was in 1990, to pay her Community Charge (poll tax).

Squires was provided with a home in Trebanog, Rhondda, South Wales by a fan, Esme Coles. Squires retired there a recluse, and died in 1998 of lung cancer, aged 83, in Llwynypia Hospital, Rhondda.

Welsh singer-songwriter Christopher Rees wrote a tribute song to Dorothy Squires, 'Alright Squires', which appeared on his 2013 album 'Stand Fast'.