Washington, Dinah (1924-1963), was an American singer equally skilled at performing jazz, rhythm and blues, and popular songs. Washington had a turbulent personal life that included at least seven marriages and problems with alcohol and drugs. She died of a drug overdose at the age of 39.
Washington was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and grew up in Chicago. Her real name was Ruth Lee Jones. She sang in choirs as a child and won an amateur contest at the age of 15. She sang in nightclubs in Chicago and then performed with Lionel Hampton’s band from 1943 to 1946. Her success as a band singer led her to start a solo career.
Washington became a leading rhythm and blues singer in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. She had five hit songs in 1950 alone, including “I Wanna Be Loved” and “It Isn’t Fair.” She recorded in the mid-1950’s with such jazz musicians as trumpeters Clifford Brown and Clark Terry, saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, and pianist Wynton Kelly.
Washington’s biggest hit was “What a Diff’rence a Day Makes” (1959). Her other popular recordings include “Unforgettable” (1959), “This Bitter Earth” (1959), “September in the Rain” (1960), and “Where Are You” (1962). She also made two hit recordings with the American singer Brooke Benton, “Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)” in 1959 and “A Rockin’ Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall in Love)” in 1960. Washington was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 as a performer who had an early influence on rock music.
