Dinah Washington

Dinah Washington was one of the most beloved and versatile singers of the mid-20th century, at home in all kinds of music, be it R&B, blues, jazz, gospel, and pop. Hers was a gritty voice, marked by absolute clarity of diction and clipped, bluesy phrasing. Washington's personal life was turbulent and her interpretations showed it, for she displayed a tough, totally unsentimental, yet still gripping hold on the universal subject of lost love. From the 1940s onwards, she scored numerous Top Ten singles on the R&B charts before crossing over to the pop charts with 1959's What a Diff'rence a Day Makes!, which also won her Grammy for Best R&B Performance. Although she died young in 1963, she has had a huge influence on R&B and jazz singers who have followed in her wake, notably Nancy Wilson, Esther Phillips, and Diane Schuur. Her music as been collected on several large-volume series, including The Complete Dinah Washington on Mercury and The Complete Roulette Dinah Washington Sessions.