The Complete Dinah Washington On Mercury Vol.5 (1956-1958)
Ruth Lee Jones (born August 29, 1924 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; died December … Read Full Bio ↴Ruth Lee Jones (born August 29, 1924 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; died December 14, 1963 in Detroit, Michigan), better known by her stage name Dinah Washington and also as the Queen of the Blues, was an American Grammy award winning jazz singer best known for singing classic torch songs and her hit single What a Diff'rence a Day Makes. Her penetrating voice, excellent timing, and crystal-clear enunciation added her own distinctive style to every piece she undertook. While making extraordinary recordings in jazz, blues, rhythm and blues and light pop contexts, Washington refused to record gospel music despite her obvious talent in singing it, as she believed it wrong to mix the secular and spiritual.

Washington was born Ruth Jones in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. As she was growing up in Chicago, she played piano and directed her church choir. Later, she studied in Walter Dyett's renowned music program at DuSable High School. For a while, she split her time between performing in clubs as Dinah Washington while singing and playing piano in Salle Martin's gospel choir as Ruth Jones.

Washington began performing in 1942 and soon joined Lionel Hampton's band. In 1943, she began recording for Keynote Records and released "Evil Gal Blues", her first hit. By 1955, she had released numerous hit songs on the R&B charts, including "Baby, Get Lost", "Trouble in Mind", "You Don't Know What Love Is" (arranged by Quincy Jones), and a cover of "Cold, Cold Heart" by Hank Williams. In 1958 she made a well-received appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival.

With "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" 1959, Washington won a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Performance; the song was her biggest hit, reaching #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The commercially driven album of the same name, with its heavily reliance on strings and wordless choruses, was slammed by jazz and blues critics as being far too commercial, not keeping with her blues roots. Despite this, the album was a huge success and Washington continued to favor more commercial, pop-oriented songs rather than traditional blues and jazz songs. She also dealt in torch songs; her rendition of The Platters' "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" was well-regarded.

She was married seven times, and divorced six times while having several lovers, including Quincy Jones, her young arranger. She was known to be imperious and demanding in real life, but audiences loved her. In London she once declared, "...there is only one heaven, one earth and one queen...Queen Elizabeth is an impostor", but the crowd loved it.

Dinah Washington died from an accidental overdose of diet pills and alcohol at the age of 39 in 1963.
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The Complete Dinah Washington On Mercury Vol.5 (1956-1958)
Dinah Washington Lyrics


After You've Gone Now won't you listen honey, while I say, How could…
Ain't Misbehavin' (I'm Saving My Love for You) No one to talk with All by myself No one to walk…
Ain't Nobody Home Once upon a time A long, long time ago Wherever you'd lead…
Backwater Blues When it rained five days And the skies turned dark at…
Bargain Day It's bargain day Wanna buy a heart? It's bargain day…
Black And Blue Cold empty bed, springs hard as lead Pains in my head,…
Careless Love Love, oh love, oh careless love You've fly through my head…
Christopher Columbus Mr. Christopher Columbus Sailed the sea without a compass We…
Honeysuckle Rose Every honey bee fills with jealousy When they see you out…
Honky Tonk I′ve been in every bar, Been in every honky-tonk, Been tryin…
I Know I ran around, with my own little crowd The usual laughs,…
I'll Drown In My Tears It brings a tear, Into my eyes, When I begin, To realize,…
I'm Gonna Keep My Eyes On You I'm gonna laugh you right out of my life, Laugh, and…
I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling Now, I'm flyin' high but I've got a feelin' I'm…
If I Could Be with You One Hour Tonight Baby, baby I wanna be with you tonight If I could be…
Jailhouse Blues You hear me singin, Down in the bottom of the world, A…
Jitterbug Waltz The night is getting on The band is getting slow The crowd…
Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now Don't even go to a movie show If you're not by…
Make Me a Present of You I don't want a mountain of diamonds And a valley of…
Me and My Gin Stay away from me 'Cause I'm in my sin I said stay…
Relax Max Relax, Max Your nerves are just like jumpin' jacks, Max Your…
Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair Judge you wanna hear my plea Before you open up your…
Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat Someone's rocking my dreamboat, Someone's invading my dream…
Tain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do There ain't nothing I can do Or nothing I can say That…
Tears to Burn I Can See A Place And In The Distant Sun The Bitter…
The Kissing Way Home Let′s get away from all the lights on the street Let's…
To Love And Be Loved I want to be loved with inspiration I want to be…
Trombone Butter I know a fool that blows a horn, He came from…
You've Been a Good Old Wagon Well now let me tell you baby, Please get out of…


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