Dinah Washington(1924-1963)
- Soundtrack
Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the former Ruth Lee Jones moved with her
family to Chicago as a young girl. She considered the Windy City her
true home. And it was there in early 1940s that a local nightclub owner
provided her first gig - and a new name that she would make famous. By
1959 she had earned a Grammy for her version of the song "What a
Diff'rence a Day Makes." In his 2001 biography Q, music legend Quincy
Jones vividly describes Washington's style, saying she "could take the
melody in her hand, hold it like an egg, crack it open, fry it, let it
sizzle, reconstruct it, put the egg back in the box and back in the
refrigerator and you would've still understood every single syllable."
But the singer's musical gifts were offset by a wild and extravagant personal life. Married seven times, Washington battled weight problems and raced through her profits buying shoes, furs and cars in an effort to lift her spirits. Washington also tried numerous prescription medications, primarily for dieting and insomnia. A mix of the pills she was taking in 1963 caused her death, which was ruled an accident. Her gift lives on through her rich musical legacy.
But the singer's musical gifts were offset by a wild and extravagant personal life. Married seven times, Washington battled weight problems and raced through her profits buying shoes, furs and cars in an effort to lift her spirits. Washington also tried numerous prescription medications, primarily for dieting and insomnia. A mix of the pills she was taking in 1963 caused her death, which was ruled an accident. Her gift lives on through her rich musical legacy.
