Dinah Washington (August 29, 1924 - December 14, 1963) was a famous American blues, jazz, and gospel singer.

Washington was born Ruth Jones in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; her family moved to Chicago, Illinois before she started school. In Chicago she studied in Walter Dyett's renowned music program at DuSable High School.

Washington began performing in 1942 and soon joined Lionel Hampton's band. In 1943, she began recording for Keynote Records and released "Evil Gal Blues" her first hit. By 1955, she had released numerous hit songs on the R&B charts, including "Baby, Get Lost", "Trouble in Mind", "You Don't Know What Love Is" (arranged by Quincy Jones), and a cover of "Cold, Cold Heart" by Hank Williams.

With "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" 1959, Washington won a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Performance. This was followed by "September In The Rain", which made number 35 in the UK in November 1961, and a string of other hits.

She was married seven times, and divorced six times. She was married to football player Dick "Night Train" Lane when she died of an accidental overdose of diet pills and alcohol at age 39 in 1963. She is interred in the Burr Oak Cemetery, Alsip, Illinois

Samples

• Mixed Emotions.ogg of "Mixed Emotions"

Further reading

• Queen of the Blues: A Biography of Dinah Washington, Jim Haskins, 1987, William Morrow & Co. ASIN 0688048463

External links

• Dinah Washington profile (Verve Records website)
• Bio and discography (the Iceberg)