dinah washington

Biography

Dinah Washington was born Ruth Lee Jones on August 29, 1924, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and became one of the most versatile and influential female vocalists in American popular music history.[1][2] She began her musical career singing and playing piano in church, where she developed her distinctive high-pitched, penetrating voice marked by crystal-clear enunciation and absolute clarity of diction.[1][3] In 1943, talent agent Joe Glaser introduced her to bandleader Lionel Hampton, who was so impressed with her abilities that he hired her as his female band vocalist. During her three years with Hampton's orchestra (1943-1946), she recorded her first major hit, "Evil Gal Blues," and acquired her stage name from club owner Joe Sherman at the Garrick nightclub in Chicago.[1][2]

After leaving Hampton's band in 1946, Washington launched a highly successful solo career with Mercury Records, establishing herself as the "Queen of the Blues" through her remarkable versatility across gospel, jazz, blues, rhythm-and-blues, and pop music.[1][3] Between 1948 and 1955, she achieved 27 R&B top-10 hits, making her one of the most popular recording artists of the era.[1] Her career reached its commercial peak in 1959 with "What a Difference a Day Makes," a Grammy Award-winning crossover hit that reached number 4 on the US pop charts and introduced her artistry to mainstream audiences.[1][2] Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, she performed at prestigious venues including the Newport Jazz Festival, Birdland, and collaborated with legendary musicians including Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and arranger Quincy Jones.[1][4]

Washington's legacy was defined by her extraordinary ability to interpret any musical style with emotional depth and technical mastery, as evidenced by her successful recordings spanning from Fats Waller standards to Hank Williams' country classics.[3] Her gritty, salty vocal delivery combined with her dramatic timing and unsentimental approach to torch songs influenced generations of female vocalists.[1][3] She passed away on December 14, 1963, at age 39 from an accidental overdose of diet pills and alcohol, but her influence endured through her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1986.[2][3]

Fun Facts

• Washington gave herself the title "Queen of the Blues" with complete confidence in her own abilities, and this self-bestowed nickname became her defining moniker throughout her career.[3][4]
• Known for her bold personality, Washington famously told an audience at the London Palladium: "There is but one heaven, one hell, one queen, and your [Queen] Elizabeth is an imposter."[2]
• Washington was married at least seven times and once quipped, "I change husbands before they change me," reflecting her independent spirit and turbulent personal life that informed her emotionally complex torch song interpretations.[2][3]
• Quincy Jones described Washington's vocal mastery with poetic precision: "Dinah had a voice that was like the pipes of life. She could take any melody in her hand and hold it like an egg, crack it open, fry it, let it sizzle, reconstruct it, put the egg back in the box and back in the refrigerator, and you would've still understood every single syllable of every single word of everything she sang."[4]

Associated Acts

• The Sallie Martin Singers

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Lionel Hampton - Bandleader who discovered Washington and hired her as his female band vocalist, providing her breakthrough opportunity and stage name (Lionel Hampton Orchestra recordings including "Evil Gal Blues") [1943-1946]
• Joe Sherman - Club owner at the Garrick nightclub who suggested the stage name change from Ruth Jones to Dinah Washington (Garrick nightclub performances) [Early 1940s]

Key Collaborators

• Quincy Jones - Legendary arranger and conductor who worked with Washington on multiple recordings, creating rich orchestrations for her ballads (Various orchestral recordings between 1955-1961) [1955-1961]
• Brook Benton - Duet partner on two major hits that reached number 1 on R&B charts and top 10 on pop charts ("Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" and "A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall in Love)") [1960]
• Kenny Burrell - Guitarist in Washington's backing band (Various recordings and performances) [Late 1950s]
• Joe Zawinul - Pianist in Washington's backing band (Various recordings and performances) [Late 1950s]
• Panama Francis - Drummer in Washington's backing band (Various recordings and performances) [Late 1950s]
• Count Basie - Jazz legend with whom Washington performed (Live performances) [1963]
• Duke Ellington - Jazz icon with whom Washington performed (Live performances) [1963]

Artists Influenced

• Nancy Wilson - Jazz and pop vocalist who cited Washington as one of her principal musical influences (Wilson's vocal interpretations and ballad recordings) [Post-1963]
• Esther Phillips - Jazz and blues singer influenced by Washington's vocal style and emotional delivery (Phillips' jazz and blues recordings) [Post-1963]
• Diane Schurr - Jazz vocalist influenced by Washington's interpretive approach (Schurr's jazz vocal recordings) [Post-1963]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. What A Diff'rence A Day Made (What A Diff'rence A Day Makes! (Expanded Edition))
2. Teach Me Tonight (The Complete Dinah Washington On Mercury, Vol.4 (1954-1956))
3. September In The Rain (September In The Rain)
4. Mad About The Boy (The Complete Dinah Washington On Mercury Vol. 2 (1950-1952))
5. Cry Me A River (What A Diff'rence A Day Makes! (Expanded Edition))
6. I Could Write A Book (The Complete Dinah Washington On Mercury, Vol.4 (1954-1956))
7. This Bitter Earth / On The Nature Of Daylight (The Blue Notebooks (15 Years))
8. Baby, You’ve Got What It Takes (The Complete Dinah Washington On Mercury Vol. 6 (1958-1960))
9. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Dinah! (Expanded Edition))
10. Mad About The Boy (The Complete Dinah Washington On Mercury Vol. 7 (1961))

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #blues, #jazz, #r&b