Cutting Her Hair Off and Joining the Group
After finishing high school, Dusty started to sing with her brother Tom in local folk clubs and at holiday camps. Then in 1958, Dusty responded to an advertisement in the local newspaper, The Stage, to join The Lana Sisters. The group was described as an “established sister act” with Iris ‘Riss’ Long and Lynne Abrams (who weren’t actual sisters).
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To be part of the singing group, she had changed her name to Shan. She also had to “cut her hair, lost the glasses, experimented with makeup, fashion” to be one of the “sisters.” It was as a member of the pop trio that Dusty developed her vocal skills in harmonizing and microphone technique. She got to record, perform on TV, and play live shows in the UK and US Air Force bases in Europe.