Dodie Stevens facts for kids

Dodie Stevens (born Geraldine Ann Pasquale on February 17, 1946) is an American rock and traditional pop singer. She is most famous for her 1959 song "Pink Shoe Laces." This song became a big hit when Dodie was almost 13 years old. It reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart.

Early Life and First Steps in Music

Dodie Stevens was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States. When she was three, her family moved to the San Gabriel Valley in California. There, she began taking singing and dancing lessons.

In 1954, at just eight years old, she recorded her first song. It was called "Merry-Go Merry-Go Round." She performed this song on the Art Linkletter's House Party TV show. The song was released under the name Geri Pace.

The Hit Song "Pink Shoe Laces"

Carl Burns, who was the president of Crystalette Records, saw Dodie perform. He saw her in a local show called Strictly Informal. He gave her the stage name Dodie Stevens. He also gave her the song "Pink Shoe Laces."

Dodie recorded "Pink Shoe Laces" in 1959. At first, she didn't really like her new name or the song. But the song became very popular! It was released by Dot Records for everyone to hear. "Pink Shoe Laces" reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It sold over one million copies and earned a gold disc.

Because of this huge success, Dot Records signed her to a recording contract. Her first song with Dot was "Mairzy Doats" in 1959. In the early 1960s, she had other popular songs. These included "No" and "Yes I'm Lonesome Tonight." She also recorded ""Merry, Merry Christmas Baby." This Christmas song is still played on the radio during the holiday season.

Dodie also recorded three albums for Dot Records:

• Dodie Stevens (1959)
• Over the Rainbow (1960)
• Pink Shoe Laces (1963)

She also appeared in a few films:

• Hound-Dog Man (1959)
• Alakazam the Great (1961)
• Convicts 4 (1962)

Later Career and What She's Doing Now

Dodie took a break from her music career to start a family. She later returned to singing. In 1969, she had another song on the Billboard charts. It was called "Billy, I've Got to Go to Town." She recorded this song under the name Geraldine Stevens.

She continued to improve her singing skills. In 1972, she started performing with Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '77. Over the years, she toured as a backup singer for many famous artists. These included Loretta Lynn, Frankie Avalon, Boz Scaggs, and Mac Davis.

In the 1990s, Dodie toured with Fabian. She also had her own show called "Dodie Stevens and The Pink Shoe Laces Review." Today, she still performs at oldies concerts across the country. She often performs with her daughter, Stephanie. Dodie also teaches singing and stage performance from her studio in San Diego County.

Her famous song "Pink Shoe Laces" has appeared in popular culture. It was featured in the game LittleBigPlanet 3. It also appeared in the television show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Popular Songs

Here are some of Dodie Stevens' popular songs:

• "Pink Shoe Laces" (1959)
• "Yes-Sir-Ee" (1959)
• "Five Pennies" (1959)
• "No" (1960)
• "Yes, I’m Lonesome Tonight" (1960)