Dinah Washington

Dinah Washington, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, began touring with gospel pioneer Sallie Martin in 1940 as her accompanist. Even as a young vocalist who won first place in the Regal Theatre amateur contest, the lure of blues and rhythm and blues music remained strong.

After performing with one band leader but not earning much notoriety, Washington recorded three Los Angeles recordings under her own name for the Apollo label before signing with Mercury. Dinah Washington made her debut LP for Mercury in January 1946, and by the summer of 1948 and throughout the 1950s, she had established herself as a force to be reckoned with. Most crucially, with "What a Difference a Day Makes," Dinah Washington made the full-fledged jump to mainstream success in 1959.

Genres: Jazz, blues, R&B, gospel, traditional, pop