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Biography
Infobox musical artist| name = Dinah Washington| image = Dinah Washington.jpg| caption =| image_size =| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Ruth Lee Jones| alias = Queen of the Blues| birth_date = Birth date|1924|8|29|mf=y| death_date = death date and age|1963|12|14|1924|8|29|mf=y| origin = Tuscaloosa, Alabama , United States | instrument =| genre = Blues , Rhythm and blues|R& B , vocal jazz | occupation = Singer | years_active = 1942-1963| label = Keynote Records|Keynote , Mercury Records|Mercury , EmArcy Records|EmArcy , Roulette Records|Roulette | associated_acts = Lionel Hampton Clifford BrownBrook Benton | website = Dinah Washington , born Ruth Lee Jones (August 29, 1924 & ndash; December 14, 1963), was an United States|American blues , R& B and jazz singer. She has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the '50s", http://www.allmusic.com/artist/dinah-washington-p7773/biography Richard S. Ginell, Biography at Allmusic.com and called "The Queen of the Blues". http://books.google.co.uk/books? id=FdsDAAAAMBAJ& pg=PA122& dq=%22Queen+of+the+Blues%22+Washington& hl=en& ei=ax5PTcjFCs2FhQe3rbGoDg& sa=X& oi=book_result& ct=result& resnum=7& ved=0CEYQ6AEwBg#v=onepage& q=%22Queen%20of%20the%20Blues%22%20Washington& f=false Ebony , April 1971, p.122 She is a 1986 inductee of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame ,Bogdanov et al. All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues p. 373. Backbeat Books. ISBN 0879307366 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Career
Ruth Jones was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama , United States , and moved to Chicago as a child. Dinah became deeply involved in gospel and played piano for the choir in St. Luke's Baptist Church while she was still in elementary school. She sang gospel music in church and played piano, directing her church choir in her teens and being a member of the Sallie Martin Gospel Singers. She sang lead with the first female gospel singers formed by Ms Martin, who was co-founder of the Gospel Singers Convention. Jones' involvement with the gospel choir occurred after she won an amateur contest at Chicago's Regal Theater where she sang "I Can't Face the Music".citation needed|date=April 2011 After winning a talent contest at the age of 15, she began performing in clubs. By 1941-42 she was performing in such Chicago clubs as Dave's Rhumboogie and the Downbeat Room of the Sherman Hotel (with Fats Waller ). She was playing at the Three Deuces, a jazz club, when a friend took her to hear BillieHoliday at the Garrick Stage Bar. Joe Sherman was so impressed with her singing of "I Understand", backed by The Cats & The Fiddle, who were appearing in the Garrick's upstairs room, that he immediately hired her. During her year at the Garrick - she sang upstairs while Holiday performed in the downstairs room - she acquired the name by which she became known. Joe Sherman is generally credited with suggesting the change from Ruth Jones, but both Joe Glaser, the booker-manager who brought Lionel Hampton to hear Dinah at the Garrick, and Hampton himself have occasionally been given the responsibility for the name change.citation needed|date=April 2011 Hampton's visit brought an offer, and Dinah went to work as his female vocalist in 1943 after she had sung with the band for its opening at the Chicago Regal Theatre. She sang with the Hampton band for two years.
She made her recording debut for the Keynote Records|Keynote label that December with "Evil Gal Blues", written by Leonard Feather and backed by Hampton and musicians from his band, including Joe Morris (trumpeter)|Joe Morris (trumpet) and Milt Buckner (piano). http://www.jazzdisco.org/mercury-records/keynote-records-catalog-78rpm-500-600-1300-100-series/ Keynote Records discography http://rockhall.com/inductees/dinah-washington/bio/ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: induction profile Both that record and its follow-up, "Salty Papa Blues", made Billboard (magazine)|Billboard s R& B chart|"Harlem Hit Parade" in 1944.cite book |title= Top R& B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=469
She stayed with Hampton's band until 1946 and, after the Keynote label folded, signed for Mercury Records as a solo singer. Her first record for Mercury, a version of Fats Waller 's " Ain't Misbehavin' ", was another hit, starting a long string of success. Between 1948 and 1955, she had 27 R& B top ten hits, making her one of the most popular and successful singers of the period. Both "Am I Asking Too Much" (1948) and " Baby Get Lost " (1949) reached # 1 on the R& B chart, and her version of " I Wanna Be Loved " (1950) Crossover (music)|crossed over to reach # 22 on the Hot 100|US pop chart . Her hit recordings included blues, standards, novelties, pop covers, and even a version of Hank Williams ' " Cold, Cold Heart " (R& B # 3, 1951). At the same time as her biggest popular success, she also recorded sessions with many leading jazz musicians, notably Clifford Brown on the 1954 live album Dinah Jams , and also recorded with Cannonball Adderley , Clark Terry , and Ben Webster .
In 1959, she had her first top ten pop hit, with a version of " What a Diff'rence a Day Made|What a Diff'rence a Day Makes ", which made # 4 on the US pop chart. Her band at that time included arranger Belford Hendricks , with Kenny Burrell (guitar), Joe Zawinul (piano), and David "Panama" Francis|Panama Francis (drums). She followed it up with a version of Nat "King" Cole 's " Unforgettable (song)|Unforgettable ", and then two highly successful duets in 1960 with Brook Benton , " Baby (You've Got What It Takes) " (# 5 pop, # 1 R& B) and " A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall in Love) (# 7 pop, # 1 R& B). Her last big hit was " September in the Rain " in 1961 (# 23 pop, 5 R& B).
According to Richard S. Ginell at Allmusic :
"She was at once one of the most beloved and controversial singers of the mid-20th century - beloved to her fans, devotees, and fellow singers; controversial to critics who still accuse her of selling out her art to commerce and bad taste. Her principal sin, apparently, was to cultivate a distinctive vocal style that was at home in all kinds of music, be it R& B, blues, jazz, middle of the road pop - and she probably would have made a fine gospel or country singer had she the time. Hers was a gritty, salty, high-pitched voice, marked by absolute clarity of diction and clipped, bluesy phrasing..."
Washington was well known for singing torch song s. http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html? pagewanted=print& res=9E07EFDB113AF934A35757C0A96E958260 New York Times. April 7, 1998. Peter Marks. Theater Review: Queen Of Blues Is Royally Annoyed With Life In 1962, Dinah hired a male backing trio called the Allegros, consisting of Jimmy Thomas on drums, Earl Edwards on sax, and Jimmy Sigler on organ. Edwards was eventually replaced on sax by John Payne. A Variety (magazine)| Variety writer praised their vocals as "effective choruses".Cohodas, Nadine (2004). Queen: The Life and Music of Dinah Washington
Washington's achievements included appearances at the Newport Jazz Festival (1955–59), the Randalls Island Jazz Festival in New York City (1959), and the International Jazz Festival in Washington D.C. (1962), frequent gigs at Birdland (jazz club)|Birdland (1958, 1961–62), and performances in 1963 with Count Basie and Duke Ellington .
Performing at the London Palladium, with Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth sitting in a box, Washington told the audience: "There is but one Heaven, one Hell, one queen, and your Elizabeth is an imposter."Citation needed|date=November 2011
Personal life
Washington was married eight times and divorced seven times, while having several lovers, including, according to Patti Austin in a documentary about Washington's frequent collaborator Quincy Jones .Patti Austin recorded in BBC documentary, The Many Lives of Quincy Jones , 2008 She had two children. Her husbands were John Young (1942–43), George Jenkins (1949), Walter Buchanan (1950), saxophonist Eddie Chamblee (1957), Rafael Campos (1957), Horatio Maillard (1959–60), Jackie Hayes (1960), and Dick Lane (American football)|Dick "Night Train" Lane (1963).
Early on the morning of December 14, 1963, Washington's eighth husband Lane went to sleep with his wife, and awoke later to find her slumped over and not responsive. Doctor B. C. Ross came to the scene to pronounce her dead. An autopsy later showed a lethal combination of secobarbital and amobarbital which contributed to her death at the age of 39. She is buried in the Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois .
Awards
Grammy Award
Year
Category
Title
Genre
1959
Best Rhythm & Blues Performance
What a Diff'rence a Day Makes
R& B
Grammy Hall of Fame
Recordings by Dinah Washington were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame Award|Grammy Hall of Fame , which is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old, and that have "qualitative or historical significance." http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/hall-of-fame Grammy Hall of Fame Database
Year
Title
Genre
Label
Year Inducted
1959
Unforgettable
pop (single)
Mercury
2001
1954
Teach Me Tonight
R& B (single)
Mercury
1999
1959
What a Diff'rence a Day Makes
traditional pop (single)
Mercury
1998
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listed a song of Dinah Washington as one of the 500 songs that shaped rock. http://www.rockhall.com/exhibithighlights/500-songs-wz/ 500 Songs That Shaped Rock
Year Recorded
Title
Genre
1948
Am I Asking Too Much?
R& B
Honors and Inductions
Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington is a 1964 album recorded by Aretha Franklin as a tribute.
In 1993, the List of people on stamps of the United States|U.S. Post Office issued a Dinah Washington 29 cent commemorative postage stamp.
In 2005, the Board of Commissioners renamed a park, near where Washington had lived in Chicago in the 1950s, Dinah Washington Park in her honor. http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/docs/2201f8e7-6968-4a4b-9a5e-ac6f795fa06c_document.pdf The Board of Commissioners of the Chicago Park District. FEBRUARY 9, 2005
In 2008, the city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Washington's birthplace , renamed the section of 30th Avenue between 15th Street and Kaulton Park "Dinah Washington Avenue." http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20081208/NEWS/812089970/ "Odetta should be memorialized" The Tuscaloosa News , Monday, December 8, 2008 The unveiling ceremony for the new name took place on March 12, 2009, with Washington's son Robert Grayson and three of her grandchildren, Tracy Jones, Tera Jones, and Bobby Hill Jr., in attendance. http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20090313/NEWS/903132984 "Sign links singer with local roots" by BebeBarefoot Lloyd, The Tuscaloosa News, Friday, March 13, 2009
Year
Title
Result
Notes
1993
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Inducted
Early Influences
1984
Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame
Inducted
Discography
Albums
1950: Dinah Washington (MG-25260) ref|compilation1|a
1950: Dynamic Dinah& #33; - The Great Voice of Dinah Washington ref|compilation1|a
1952: Blazing Ballads
1954: After Hours with Miss "D"
1954: Dinah Jams
1955: For Those in Love
1956: Dinah& #33; (Dinah Washington album)|Dinah!
1956: In the Land of Hi-Fi (Dinah Washington album)|In the Land of Hi-Fi
1963: Back to the Blues (Dinah Washington album)|Back to the Blues
1963: '' Dinah '63
1963: This Is My Story ref|compilation2|b
1964: In Tribute ref|compilation3|c
1964: Dinah Washington (SR-25269) ref|compilation3|c
1967: Dinah Discovered ref|compilation3|c
;Notes
note|compilation1|a Compilation albums with tracks of early 78 rpm era.
note|compilation2|b Compilation albums from Mercury Records which consist of previously unreleased tracks, released after Dinah moved to Roulette Records.
note|compilation3|c Posthumous compilation albums which consist of previously unreleased tracks.
;References
http://www.jazzdisco.org/mercury-records/ Mercury Records Discography Project - JAZZDISCO.org, retrieved June 24, 2010
http://microgroove.jp/mercury/ Mercury Records Collection, retrieved June 24, 2010
http://www.bsnpubs.com/roulette/roulettea.html Roulette Album Discography, Part 1, Both Side Now Publications, retrieved June 24, 2010
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p7773/discography/main|pure_url=yes allmusic ((( Dinah Washington > Discography > Main Albums ))), retrieved June 24, 2010.
Compilations
The Complete Dinah Washington on Mercury (7 x 3-CDs, PolyGram , 1987–1989)
*Vol. 1 (1946–1949)
*Vol. 2 (1950–1952)
*Vol. 3 (1952–1954)
*Vol. 4 (1954–1956)
*Vol. 5 (1956–1958)
*Vol. 6 (1958–1960)Though "1958 - 1960" in the title, it clearly contains only 1959 and 1960 recording sessions.
*Vol. 7 (1961)
The Complete Roulette Dinah Washington Sessions (5-CDs, Mosaic Records , 2004)
Persondata | NAME = Jones, Ruth Lee | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Washington, Dinah | SHORT DESCRIPTION = United States|American blues, R& B and jazz singer | DATE OF BIRTH = August 29, 1924 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Tuscaloosa, Alabama , United States | DATE OF DEATH = December 14, 1963 | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Washington, Dinah Category:1924 births Category:1963 deaths Category:Musicians from Alabama Category:American blues singers Category:American jazz singers Category:Blues Hall of Fame inductees Category:Dirty blues musicians Category:Torch singers Category:Musicians from Chicago, Illinois Category:Female jazz musicians Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Category:Mercury Records artists Category:Drug-related deaths in Michigan Category:Accidental deaths in Michigan Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:African American female singers
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