Dinah Washington: The Queen of Blues
On this, the twenty-ninth of August, a jazz/blues legend was born. Though she was cut down in her prime by the cruel hands of fate (or, rather, her own cruel hands shovelling diet pills and whisky), her legacy is undeniable. The Dwarf pays tribute to the Queen.
Born Ruth Lee Jones in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Dinah Washington- as she was later christened- was a burgeoning success on the jazz scene before she was nineteen. Although not “typically” beautiful (the beauty trends of the time was for blacks to be as “light” as possible, skin-wise), she had a dazzling smile, deep, soulful eyes and a voice that could bring walls down.
Beginning in gospel music, she grew to ache for the life of an entertainer (much to the chagrin of resolutely religious mother), she found her big break with Lionel Hampton’s band at the Garrick Stage Bar in Chicago. Dinah won a Grammy in 1959 for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance with her classic What a Diff'rence a Day Makes and had three songs inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 1948, her track Am I Asking Too Much? was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 songs that shaped rock n roll. There is also a Dinah Washington Park in Southern Chicago, Illinois (8215 S. Euclid Avenue, if you’re ever in the area!). She was even commemorated on a stamp!
Dinah was famous for more than seven marriages; though her name is not as synonymous with jazz and blues as Aretha Franklin or Billie Holiday, she is considered one of the greatest vocalists ever to hit a glittering stage. She was able to swing from tender-hearted balladry to booming, vivacious songs to crack your teeth, and everything delicious note in between. Dinah sadly passed away from an accidental overdose of diet pills and alcohol at the age of 39 on December 14, 1963.
Must Own: Dinah Washington’s Finest Hour.
That title was chosen for a reason; this record has the crème de la crème of Dinah’s short but prolific career. There is the cheeky TV Is The Thing This Year and Long John Blues; the towering inferno of control that is Baby, Get Lost (currently my ringtone; yup, music nerd, ahoy) and I Just Couldn’t Stand It No More; her delicate, earnest cover of Hank Williams’ Trouble in Mind; I’ll Remember April that utilizes both Dinah’s sweet, powerful voice and the mastery of the medley of jazz musicians behind her over almost twelve minutes (!); her most well-known and celebrated track What a Diff'rence a Day Makes and personal favourite; the tender coming-of-age number; Teach Me Tonight. I can chuck this CD on and never has to skip a track, and I’m sure you will too.
For fans, Queen: The Life and Music of Dinah Washington is regarded as the tome of all biographies; extremely in-depth and comprehensive, funny and sad, it's an amazing read.
