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Dinah Washington, 1924-1963
Dinah Washington was just nineteen when she joined Lionel Hampton's big band as a vocalist in 1943. After hearing her perform at New York City's Apollo Theater, jazz critic Leonard Feather arranged a recording session that yielded Washington's first rhythm and blues hits, "Salty Papa Blues" and "Evil Gal Blues." Leaving Hampton's band in 1946 to pursue a solo career, Washington quickly emerged as one of R&B's most popular artists. She also retained a loyal following among jazz enthusiasts, who cheered her appearances at the Newport Jazz Festival and welcomed albums such as Dinah Jams (1954), on which she was backed by an ensemble featuring jazz greats Clifford Brown and Max Roach. Long a fixture on the R&B charts, Washington scored a crossover pop hit in 1959 with her Grammy-winning single, "What a Difference a Day Makes." Tragically, an accidental prescription drug overdose claimed her life four years later. |