In spite of the criticisms, nobody disputed her talent or the quality of her voice. It was clear as a bell, strong and distinctive, and her phrasing became the model for many later singers, including Nancy Wilson and Diane Schuur. She was fiercely independent, intelligent and proud, and boldly called herself the queen of the blues — or just the queen. Nobody disputed it.
Her personal life too was filled with turmoil, as she was married at least seven - possibly eight - times and had some high-profile affairs along the way, but her music was always outstanding. She began attracting attention as a songbird for the Lionel Hampton band during the war years, and moved on to working with a lot of good jazz groups, eventually building a solid solo career with hits such as "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)", "A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall In Love)", and "September In the Rain".
Her biggest hit started life as a Dorsey Brothers Latin tune, and its title translated as "What A Difference A Day Made". You still see it titled that way sometimes, but it's more commonly known as "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes". Her version made its debut in 1959 and became her biggest crossover hit and the song she's most remembered for — but modern listeners should give some of her other songs a chance too.
Here's one I like (followed by a video of another):
Dinah Washington - "Blue Gardenia"
Article comments
1 - j Valentine
Great article about Diana, but what is an "accidental" over dose???????
2 - BIg Geez
There seems to be some confusion about how Dinah died. The info I found was that she was always dieting, popping pills constantly, and took too many one night...or that she mixed sleeping pills with alcohol. Difficult to say for sure 40+ years later.