For Dinah Washington's centennial, our own Bob Craig recounts some milestones in her recording career — a body of work that justifies but also transcends her main sobriquet, the Queen of the Blues. Tune in to WRTI on her birthday, Thursday, Aug. 29, to hear on-air tributes to the Queen of the Blues.
She sure loved to sing the blues. She sure loved to sing the standards. She sure loved to.... well, SING. Period. Dinah Washington was the “Slick Chick” in the 1940s who laid-down the “Evil Gal Blues” and the “Good Daddy Blues.” The woman known not only as Queen of the Blues but also the Queen of the Jukebox will have her centennial birth anniversary on Aug. 29.
For Ruth Lee Jones, from Tuscaloosa, AL, it all started in the world of gospel, where her penetrating message was first heard. From there, she was off to Chicago, where vibraphone great Lionel Hampton put her on the bandstand and in the recording studio. It was her stirring, fiery storytelling that kindled the soul. Her message caught on.
How ‘bout adding some of that gospel and soul to pop hits and Great American Songbook favorites? Songs like “Embraceable You” and “I Wanna Be Loved” got the DW treatment. Then came cover versions of early-'50s chart-toppers like “It Isn’t Fair,” a huge hit for the big barrel baritone of Don Cornell. Dinah belts it with an intense, soaring soprano. Others included Kay Starr’s “Wheel Of Fortune,” The Four Aces’ “Tell Me Why,” and Hank Williams’ “Cold, Cold Heart,” which had also yielded a hit for Tony Bennett.
As the 1950s unfolded, Dinah found she could fit into most any groove. She found an easy flow with a sloping big band arrangement of “Teach Me Tonight,” then jammed with jazzers Clark Terry and Maynard Ferguson on “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” and with Clifford Brown’s group with “Lover Come Back To Me.” There were sessions with the Quincy Jones and Ernie Wilkins band, and on and on.
But it wasn’t until the Spring of 1959, 25 years after it was written, that Dinah revived a 1934 Spanish song “When I Return To Your Side” (Cuando Vuelva A Tu Lado), retitled “What A Difference A Day Makes” and rolled it into a top 10 hit. With a lazy string ensemble, wordless background “whooing” and gentle drum brushing, the Queen Of The Jukebox found a new pop audience.
Other Top 10 pop-crossover hits followed, via duets with rhythm and blues singer Brook Benton for “Baby, You've Got What It Takes” and “A Rockin’ Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall in Love).” Quite a departure from “Fat Daddy” and “Blowtop Blues.”
As the early '60s unfolded, Miss "D" was recording and touring regularly, enjoying pricey club dates and appearances. The duets with Benton were about as rock 'n' roll as she would ever get. It also saw Dinah sharing the charts with two labels. Mercury Records, her home in the '50s, released a brisk two-minute take of a mid-1930s favorite "September In the Rain." Although the record was popular, it seemed to lack the affectivity of her previous hits. With a shift to Roulette records in the '60s, it was decided to stick with mostly ballads and strings. "Where Are You," another 1930s pop tune, nudged her into a semi-R&B setting.
By this time, the constant touring and club dates were beginning to conflict with a boozy lifestyle and ensuing lawsuits with club owners. It also led to unrest in the recording studio. There were five newly recorded albums for Roulette in a period of less than two years, most with strings — including a lovely session with the respected orchestrator Don Costa for "Drinking Again," and one last fling with Back to the Blues.
In Feb. 1963, Dinah partied with musicians and friends in Brooklyn. The occasion? A celebration of her 20 years in show biz, which all began onstage at the Apollo Theatre. For the next 10 months, her health was in sharp decline. On Dec. 14, 1963, The Queen died of an overdose of pills, ruled an accident, at 39.
Thirty years after her passing, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Over the 30-odd years since, there’s seemed to be a fading interest in her career. It would be sad to think that her legacy might diminish into a footnote of music history, but her memory and high achievements will always stay with those who cherish them.
