Dinah Washington

At 39 years old, Dinah Washington has this physical status:

Ruth Lee Jones (born Ruth Lee Jones, 1924 – 1963) was an American singer and pianist who has been dubbed "the most popular black female recording artist of the '50s" by several publications.

Primarily a jazz vocalist, she appeared and recorded in a variety of genres, including blues, R&B, and classical pop, and even gave herself the nickname "Queen of the Blues."

She was a member of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1986 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

Early life

Ruth Lee Jones was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to Alice and Ollie Jones, who moved to Chicago as an infant. When she was still in elementary school, she became deeply involved in gospel music and performed piano for the choir in St. Luke's Baptist Church. She performed gospel music in church and played piano, directing her church choir in her teens, and was a member of the Sallie Martin Gospel Singers. She dropped out of Wendell Phillips High School when she joined the Sallie Martin group. Sallie Martin, a co-founder of the Gospel Singers Convention, was a leader for the first female gospel singers formed by the Gospel Singers Convention. The gospel choir's involvement came after she won an amateur competition at Chicago's Regal Theater, where she performed "I Can't Face the Music."

Personal life and death

Washington had been married seven times.

Dick "Night Train" Lane, Washington's sixth husband, went to sleep with Washington early in the morning and awakened later to find her slumped over and not responsive. Dr. B. Ross pronounced her dead on the scene at the age of 39. An autopsy revealed a lethal combination of secobarbital and amobarbital, prescriptions for her insomnia and diet, which contributed to her death. She is buried in Alsip, Illinois, in Burr Oak Cemetery.

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Career

She began performing in clubs after winning a talent competition at the age of 15. By 1941-42, she was in such Chicago clubs as Dave's Café and the Sherman Hotel's Downbeat Room (with Fats Waller). When a friend brought her to Billie Holiday at the Garrick Stage Bar, she was performing at the Three Deuces, a jazz club. Joe Sherman, the club's chairman, was so impressed with her rendition of "I Understand" that he was hired, backed by the Cats and Fiddle, who were in the Garrick's upstairs room, that he was fired. During her year at the Garrick, she sang upstairs, while Holiday performed in the downstairs room, and by which she was identified. Before Lionel Hampton appeared to hear Dinah at the Garrick, she credited Joe Sherman with suggesting Ruth Jones' changes. After she had sung with the band for its opening at the Chicago Regal Theatre, Hampton's return brought an invitation, and Washington starred as his female band vocalist.

"Evil Gal Blues," written by Leonard Feather and backed by Hampton and musicians from his band, including Joe Morris (trumpet) and Milt Buckner (piano), made her debut for the Keynote label in December. In 1944, both the record and its sequel, "Salty Papa Blues," made the Billboard "Harlem Hit Parade"; In December 1945, she produced a series of twelve recordings for Apollo Records, ten of which were released and featuring the Lucky Thompson All Stars.

She remained with Hampton's band until 1946, when the Keynote label was discontinued, and she signed for Mercury Records as a solo artist. Her first record for Mercury, a cloned version of Fats Waller's "Ain't Misbehavin," was another hit, sparking a long line of success. She had 27 R&B top ten hits between 1948 and 1955, making her one of the country's most popular and successful singers of the time. Both "Am I Asking Too Much" (1948) and "Baby Get Lost" (1949) reached Number 1 on the R&B charts, and her version of "I Wanted" (1950) reached Number 22 on the US pop chart, with her version of "I Want to Be Loved" (1950) advancing to Number 22. Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold Heart" was one of her hit records, with blues, standards, novels, poppies, and even a spin on Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold Heart." At the same time as her greatest commercial success, she also recorded sessions with many top jazz musicians, including Clifford Brown and Clark Terry on the album Dinah Jams (1954), and later with Cannonball Adderley and Ben Webster.

In 1950, Dinah Washington appeared at the sixth prestigious Cavalcade of Jazz concert in Los Angeles, which was hosted by Leon Hefflin, Sr. on June 25. Lionel Hampton, PeeWee Crayton's Orchestra, Roy Milton and his Orchestra, Tiny Davis and Her Hell Divers, and other performers were among the guests on the same day. While Lionel Hampton performed "Flying High," 16,000 people were estimated to be in attendance, and the performance had to be postponed due to a fracas. On September 2, 1956, Washington returned to Wrigley Field in Los Angeles to perform at the twelfth Cavalcade of Jazz. The Premiers, Gerald Wilson and His 20-Pc were among the many entertainers on the day. Jerry Gray and his Orchestra, The Recording Orchestra and Jerry Gray and his Orchestra.

With a version of "What a Difference a Day Made," she had her first top ten pop hit in 1959, and she debuted on the US pop chart as Number 4 on the Top ten. Belford Hendricks, arranger and conductor, was a member of the Newport Symphony Orchestra, as well as Kenny Burrell (guitar), Joe Zawinul (piano), and Panama Francis (drums). She began with a version of Irving Gordon's "Unfortable" and then two extremely successful duets in 1960 with Brook Benton, "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" (No. No. 5 pop. (No. 1) and "A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall in Love)" A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall in Love)" No. 7 Pop. 1R&B;s R&B) is a television showman. In 1961, she had "September in the Rain" for her last big hit (No. 59). No. 23 Pop. 5 R&B).

In the dirty blues genre, Washington dominated by two figures. "Long John Blues" about her dentist had lyrics that read, "He took out his trusty drill." Told me to open wide. He said he wouldn't hurt me, but he filled my entire body." "Big Long Slidin' Thing" was also recorded, ostensibly about a trombonist.

According to one source, Washington "produced 45 R&B hits between 1948 and 1961, including 16 Top 15 placements between 1948 and 1950."

Washington appeared on the Las Vegas Strip in the 1950s and early 1960s before her death. During a recording session with Amy Winehouse, Tony Bennett spoke about Washington:

Richard S. Ginell of AllMusic:

Washington was well-known for performing torch songs. Dinah hired the Allegros, a male backing trio, consists of Jimmy Thomas on drums, Earl Edwards on sax, and Jimmy Sigler on organ. By John Payne, Edwards was replaced on sax by John Payne. Their voices were praised as "effective choruses," according to a Variety writer.

Washington's appearances at the Newport Jazz Festival (1955-1989), the Randalls Island Jazz Festival in New York City (1959), and the International Jazz Festival in Washington, D.C. (1962), Count Basie and Duke Ellington performed in 1963.

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