Collection: Dinah Washington

Born Ruth Lee Jones on 29 August 1924 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Around 1942 or 1943 she adopted the stage name Dinah Washington while working as a singer at the Garrick Stage Bar. She worked as female vocalist in Lionel Hampton's band. She made her recording debut for the Keynote label in December 1943 with "Evil Gal Blues", written by Leonard Feather and backed by Hampton and musicians from his band. She worked with Hampton from 1943 to 1946, then began a successful solo career in 1946.

She signed to Mercury Records in 1948. Between 1948 and 1955 she had 27 R&B top-10 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 number 1 on the R&B chart. Her version of "I Wanna Be Loved" (1950) crossed over to reach number 22 on the US Pop Chart. Her recordings included blues, standards, pop covers, and a version of Hank Williams's "Cold, Cold Heart" (R&B number 3, 1951). She recorded sessions with leading jazz musicians, including Clifford Brown and Clark Terry on Dinah Jams (1954), and with Cannonball Adderley and Ben Webster. Between 1955 and 1961 she recorded with various orchestras conducted by Quincy Jones. Her biggest hit "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" (1959) won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance. She also recorded for Roulette Records. Her personal life was turbulent, including seven failed marriages. She died of an accidental overdose on 14 December 1963 in Detroit, Michigan, aged 39. She was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.