Dinah Washington

Dinah Washington

Genres: jazz, blues, female vocalists, jazz vocal, vocal jazz

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About Dinah Washington

Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, recognised as one of the most popular African American female recording artists of the 1950s. Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performed and recorded in a variety of styles including blues, R&B, and traditional pop music, and was sometimes referred to as the "Queen of the Blues" and the "Queen of the Jukeboxes". She was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Ruth Lee Jones was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to Alice and Ollie Jones, and moved to Chicago during her childhood. She became involved in gospel music, playing piano for her church choir at St. Luke's Baptist Church while in elementary school, and directing the choir in her teens. She was a member of the Sallie Martin Gospel Singers and performed lead vocals for the first female gospel ensemble formed by Sallie Martin. Her involvement in gospel music followed a win in an amateur contest at Chicago's Regal Theater, where she performed "I Can't Face the Music". After winning a talent contest at age 15, she began performing in Chicago clubs such as Dave's Café and the Downbeat Room of the Sherman Hotel. While performing at the Three Deuces, she was introduced to Billie Holiday at the Garrick Stage Bar, and club owner Joe Sherman encouraged her to adopt the stage name Dinah Washington. She subsequently joined Lionel Hampton's band as a female vocalist, performing at the Chicago Regal Theatre. Washington made her recording debut in December 1943 for the Keynote label with "Evil Gal Blues", written by Leonard Feather and featuring Hampton and members of his band. Both this recording and its follow-up, "Salty Papa Blues", reached the Billboard Harlem Hit Parade in 1944. In 1945, she recorded 12 tracks for Apollo Records with the Lucky Thompson All Stars, of which ten were issued. After leaving Hampton's band in 1946, she signed with Mercury Records as a solo artist. Her first record for Mercury, a version of Fats Waller's "Ain't Misbehavin'", achieved commercial success. Between 1948 and 1955, she had 27 R&B top-10 hits, including "Am I Asking Too Much" (1948) and "Baby Get Lost" (1949), both of which reached number one on the R&B chart. Her version of "I Wanna Be Loved" (1950) crossed over to reach number 22 on the US pop chart. Other notable recordings included blues, standards, pop covers, and a rendition of Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold Heart" (R&B number three, 1951). She also recorded with prominent jazz musicians such as Clifford Brown, Clark Terry, Cannonball Adderley, and Ben Webster, including on the album "Dinah Jams" (1954). Washington performed at the Cavalcade of Jazz concerts at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles, appearing in 1950 alongside Lionel Hampton, PeeWee Crayton's Orchestra, Roy Milton and his Orchestra, and Tiny Davis and Her Hell Divers, and again in 1956 with Little Richard, The Mel Williams Dots, Julie Stevens, and other artists. In 1959, she achieved her first top ten pop hit with "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes", which reached number four on the US pop chart. She later recorded "Unforgettable" and two duets with Brook Benton in 1960: "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" (number five Pop, number one R&B) and "A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall in Love)" (number seven Pop, number one R&B). Her last major hit was "September in the Rain" in 1961 (number 23 Pop, number five R&B). Washington also recorded songs in the dirty blues genre, including "Long John Blues" and "Big Long Slidin' Thing", and was known for her performances of torch songs. In 1962, she employed a male backing trio called the Allegros, which included Jimmy Thomas on drums, Earl Edwards and later John Payne on saxophone, and Jimmy Sigler on organ. Between 1948 and 1961, she produced 45 R&B-charted hits, including 16 top 15 placements from 1948 to 1950. During the 1950s and early 1960s, Washington performed in Las Vegas and other venues. She appeared at festivals such as the Newport Jazz Festival (1955–1959), the Randalls Island Jazz Festival in New York City (1959), and the International Jazz Festival in Washington, D.C. (1962), and performed with Count Basie and Duke Ellington in 1963. Washington's personal life included several marriages; reports vary between six and nine husbands. She died on December 14, 1963, at the age of 39 from a lethal combination of prescription drugs, and was buried in Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. Studio albums After Hours with Miss "D" (1954) Dinah Jams (1955) For Those in Love (1955) Dinah! (1956) In the Land of Hi-Fi (1956) The Swingin' Miss "D" (1957) Dinah Washington Sings Fats Waller (1957) Dinah Sings Bessie Smith (1958) Newport '58 (1958) What a Diff'rence a Day Makes! (1959) September in the Rain (1960) Unforgettable (1961) Drinking Again (1962) Tears and Laughter (1962) Back to the Blues (1963) Dinah '63 (1963) This Is My Story (1963) Late, Late Show (1963) A Stranger on Earth (1964)

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