Dinah Washington: Wild And Cool Facts

1. She was a gospel music child genius—born Ruth Lee Jones, Dinah Washington was a gospel singer and piano virtuoso at her neighborhood Chicago church before she became a blues and jazz sensation. She was already leading the choir by eleven years old.


2. She derived her stage name from a club owner—Lionel Hampton found her; but it was Joe Sherman, a club owner, who proposed the name “Dinah Washington,” thinking it would distinguish her more than her birth name.

3. She was a flexible artist—though most recognized as a blues and jazz vocalist, Dinah Washington seamlessly transcended genres, singing R&B, pop, gospel, and even country tunes. Her adaptability enables her to remove racial barriers in the mainstream music business.

4. She Was the Jukebox “” Queen”—Earned the moniker “Queen of the Jukeboxes,” Dinah Washington was among the most often performed musicians on jukeboxes during the 1940s and 1950s.

5. She Married Seven Times—Washington had a turbulent personal life, having married seven times. NFL player Dick “Night Train” Lane, a Detroit Lions defensive back of note, was her last marriage.

**She Was an Early Civil Rights Movement Supporter—Washington quietly supported civil rights and refrained from performing at segregated events but was not as outwardly political as some of her colleagues.

7. She Once Had a Heated Confrontation with Aretha Franklin—Aretha Franklin idolized Dinah Washington, but one night in a club, Washington apparently chastised Franklin for performing one of her songs without permission, famously telling her, “B****, don’t you ever sing the Queen’s songs when the Queen is in the house!”?

8. She was in a love-hate relationship with record companies. Washington frequently ran afoul of record companies on her musical direction, particularly with relation to attempts at commercialization of her sound. Her resistance, nonetheless, helped open the path for more artistic freedom for the next generations.

Nine. She Died Young Under Mysterious Conditions— Just 39 years old, Dinah Washington died in 1963 from an accidental diet pill and drink overdose. The music industry was stunned by her untimely passing.

10. Her influence stretches outside jazz and blues. Artists include Aretha Franklin, Etta James, and even modern vocalists like Amy Winehouse and Adele, who name Dinah Washington as a major inspiration, still feel her influence today.

One of the most powerful voices in American music history still belongs to Washington.