Born Denise Eileen Garrett in Memphis, Tennessee, she grew up in Flint, Michigan. Her father, Matthew Garrett, was a jazz trumpeter and teacher at Manassas High School, and through his playing, Denise was exposed to jazz early on. At the age of sixteen, she was a member of a rock and rhythm'n'blues trio, singing in clubs in Michigan. At 18, she studied at Michigan State University before she went to the University of Illinois. With their jazz band, she toured the Soviet Union in 1969. The next year, she met trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater, and after their marriage, they moved to New York City, where Cecil played in Horace Silver's band.
In 1971, Dee Dee Bridgewater joined the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra as the lead vocalist. The next years marked the beginning of her jazz career, and she performed with many of the great jazz musicians of the time, such as Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Max Roach, and others. In 1974, her first own album, entitled Afro Blue, appeared, and she also performed on Broadway in the musical The Wiz. For her role as Glinda the Good Witch she won a Tony Award in 1975 as "best-featured actress", and the musical also won the 1976 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.
She subsequently appeared in several other stage productions. After touring France in 1984 with the musical Sophisticated Ladies, she moved to Paris in 1986. The same year saw her in Lady Day as Billie Holliday, for which role she was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, she returned from the world of musical to jazz. She performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1990, and four years later, she finally collaborated with Horace Silver, whom she had admired for a long time, and released the album Love and Peace: A Tribute to Horace Silver. Her 1997 tribute album Dear Ella won her the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album, and the 1998 album Live at Yoshi's was also worth a Grammy nomination. She has also explored on This is New the songs of Kurt Weill, and, on her latest album J'ai Deux Amours, the French Classics.
Dee Dee Bridgewater is the first American to be inducted to the Haut Conseil de la Francophonie. She has received the Award of Arts and Letters in France.
Dee Dee Bridgewater is mother to three children, Tulani Bridgewater (from her marriage to Cecil Bridgewater), China Moses (from her marriage to theater, film and television director Gilbert Moses) and Gabriel Durand (from her current marriage to French concert promoter Jean-Marie Durand).
There Is No Greater Love
Dee Dee Bridgewater Lyrics
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Than what I feel for you
No greater love,
No heart so true
There is no greater thrill
Than what you bring to me
No sweeter song
You're the sweetest thing
I have ever known
And to think that
You are mine alone.
There is no greater love
In all the world, it's true
No greater love
Than what I feel for you
You're the sweetest thing
I have ever known,
And to think that
You are mine alone.
There is no greater love
In all the world, it's true
No greater love
Than what I feel for you
The lyrics of Dee Dee Bridgewater's song "There Is No Greater Love" describe the immense love and devotion the singer has for her partner. She states that there is no greater love than the love she feels for her significant other, and no heart that is truer. The thrill of being with her partner is unmatched, and their love and connection is something she treasures greatly. The sweetness of her partner is emphasized, and the fact that they are hers alone brings her joy.
The song speaks to the transformative and powerful nature of love. The singer is emphasizing just how much her partner means to her and how their love is unmatched. This can be viewed as a commentary on the strength and importance of romantic love, and how it can bring joy and happiness into our lives. The simplicity of the lyrics and the beautiful melody make the song easy to listen to and understand, which adds to its appeal.
Line by Line Meaning
There is no greater love
The love I feel for you surpasses all.
Than what I feel for you
The love I have for you is unparalleled.
No greater love,
There is no love greater than ours.
No heart so true
Your heart is the most sincere and genuine one I know.
There is no greater thrill
The excitement you bring into my life is unmatched.
Than what you bring to me
No one can make me feel as alive as you do.
No sweeter song
Your voice is the most beautiful music to my ears.
Than what you sing to me
The sound of you singing to me is the most enchanting thing I've ever heard.
You're the sweetest thing
You are the most kind, loving, and endearing person I know.
I have ever known
I have not come across anyone as charming and delightful as you.
And to think that
It's hard to believe that
You are mine alone.
No one else can claim possession over you, and that makes me feel grateful and honored.
In all the world, it's true
I have looked everywhere, and I am sure that I won't find a love greater than ours.
No greater love
There is no love greater than ours.
Than what I feel for you
The love I have for you is unparalleled.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ISHAM JONES, MARTY SYMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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