Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. I love teachingits been a great career. Between 1948 and 1955, she had 27 R&B top-10 hits, making her one of the most popular and successful singers of the period. They had their fights, says Dukes, but who doesnt? ", This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 06:19. What was Dinah Washington childhood like? After what must have been an awkward wedding ceremony, it didnt take long for Washington and her third hubby to go their separate ways. Personal Life: Dinah Washington was married eight times in her short life, and seven times divorced. Following that guest performance, Hampton hired the young vocalist and may have given her the stage name Dinah Washington, although other sources claim that either Glaser or the Garrick's owner, Joe Sherman, was responsible for her name change. Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. The Ku Klux Klan was gaining influence in the south, and the Jones family weren't going to sit around and . Instead, Jacob should have acted as Prov. As a child, Ruth Jones moved with her family to Chicago. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Jacob is also known as Israel, the father of the 12 tribes of Israel. 5 R&B). Jacobs sons wanted to kill the baby, so it would not be said that there was harlotry in Jacobs tents. Her real name is Ruthie Lee Jones. She followed it up with a version of Irving Gordon's "Unforgettable", and then two highly successful duets in 1960 with Brook Benton, "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" (No. Her hometown, Tuscaloosa, renamed a section as the Dinah Washington Avenue, and renovated and renamed a building as the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center. Rather than disown her mother, Oberon passed her parent off as a servant. With Horrible Friends Like These, Who Needs Enemies? She always bought us presents. The last few years have been hard for Dukes. ", Welch later suffered from an identity crisis. "[20], The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listed her "TV Is the Thing (This Year)" as one of the songs that shaped rock and roll. The Rabbis state that Leah was actually pregnant with a son; when Rachel saw that her sister was pregnant, she prayed, resulting in a change of the embryos gender (JT Berakhot 9:3, 14a). Dinah was the only daughter of Jacob and Leah, and the Rabbis present her as possessing many positive qualities, as was fitting for the daughter of the progenitors of the Israelite nation. She died from an overdose on December 14, 1963, when she was only 39. Thanks for your help! And she'd stay as long as she wanted. A voice like that is a gift from God.. Dinah Washington was born in August 1924 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Instead of let my honesty toward you testify [ve-antah] for me, his daughter was abused [va-yeaneha]; and his honesty was not acknowledged (Gen. Rabbah 73:9). Statements that are not Scripturally dependent and that pertain to ethics, traditions and actions of the Rabbis; the non-legal (non-, Matriarchs: A Liturgical and Theological Category, Biblical Women in World and Hebrew Literature, Modesty and Sexuality in Halakhic Literature, Creation According to Eve: Beyond Genesis 3, Wife of Manoach; Samson's Mother: Midrash and Aggadah, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. Her band at that time included arranger and conductor Belford Hendricks, with Kenny Burrell (guitar), Joe Zawinul (piano), and Panama Francis (drums). Since you did not want to give her to Esau, who was circumcised, you are punished through her being taken by one who was uncircumcised (Shechem son of Hamor); you did not give her in legitimate matrimony, therefore you are punished by her being taken by Shechem illegitimately (Gen. Rabbah 76:9; Tanhuma [ed. Later, James said, Washington came to her dressing room to apologize. Were always looking for your input! Fast forward to modern days, and many actors today are bi-racial but still pass for white. At the same time as her biggest popular success, she also recorded sessions with many leading jazz musicians, including Clifford Brown and Clark Terry on the album Dinah Jams (1954), and also recorded with Cannonball Adderley and Ben Webster. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. She wanted the lands young men to see her beauty, and Shechem did indeed see her and desire her. But Shechem enticed her to come out, by bringing young women drummers who played outside her tent. After all, the wedding helped solve one of Washingtons biggest problems: Her son was now a legitimate child. Much to her mothers dismay, Washington left her education behind when she was just 15 years old. While that film chronicles the plight of a young mixed-race woman who passes for white, Gavins mixed-race background is never referenced in that film or in others, despite his dark hair and swarthy skin. Either way, Washington would soon learn that she chose the wrong guy. According to the Rabbis, Leah was bedecked as a harlot when she went to meet her husband. They split after a year of marriage in truly bombastic fashion: Washington got mad at him and fired him (apparently from both her band and her bed) on stage in front of a full audience. In an amazing detail, Washington acted out the role of femme fatale in this interaction, whipping out a revolver from under her negligee. Married for a time to Black trombonist Lawrence Brown, the only time Washington reportedly passed for white is to buy snacks from the establishments that refused to serve her husband and his bandmates because of their skin color. The pair quickly wed, only to divorce even faster. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Did Dinah Washington really lose it when she attended one of Aretha Franklin's shows and heard Franklin sing one of Washington's songs as depicted in the new movie "Respect"? I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. But as Washingtons star rose, her personal life hit a brand new low. In an attempt to come to terms with the rape of Dinah, the Rabbis suggest that this was a punishment for her father. Rachel, who was barren, asked Leah to sell them to her, in return for forgoing her right to be with Jacob that night. While working with the Lionel Hampton Band, Washington met a drummer named George Jenkins. While at home, shed sneak out to secretly sing at various nightclubs, using different stage names to hide her real identity at each show. My mama used to say, Youre just like Ruth, meaning were strong willed. Washington was one extravagant lady. In the Biblical account, Reuben found mandrakes (an aphrodisiac) in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. . Buber], Vayishlah 19). A third tradition suggests that Jacobs tardiness in honoring his vow was the cause of his punishment. [4] When she joined the Sallie Martin group, she dropped out of Wendell Phillips High School. After a few months, Maillard moved out of the couples shared home, leading a newspaper to contact Washington for comment. Jenkins had a very nasty temper. She also sang in the local churchs gospel choir, which gained her a tidy fan base. He told his protge to change her name to something the audience would remember, something that rolls of peoples tongues like rich liquor. With that, little ol Ruth Jones became the one and only Dinah Washington.. She gave people gifts. Dinah Washington: A Queen in Turmoil Before her death at 39 in 1963, singer Dinah Washington battled her seven husbands, her weight and even her fans. Dinah was the only daughter of Jacob and Leah, and the Rabbis present her as possessing many positive qualities, as was fitting for the daughter of the progenitors of the Israelite nation. Yeah, yeah, Washington was a diva. Is Brooke shields related to willow shields? A different midrash relates that Dinah was married to Job, basing this on Jobs telling his wife: You talk as any shameless woman [ha-nevalot] might talk! (Job 2:10), and on the episode of Dinah in Gen. 34:7: because he had committed an outrage [nevalah] in Israel (Gen. Rabbah 19:12). Dinah went HARD, guys. She drew a crowd. It soured less than a month after Washington and Jenkins said their vows. From 1943 to 1946 she sang with the Lionel Hampton band and in 1946 began a successful solo career. The 2002 documentary "The Trouble with Merle" examines Oberon's deceit about her origins. However, not all of Washingtons diva moves worked out for her. Dinah had two sons who were close to us in age and were more like our brothers than nephews, says Dukes. Thanks for your time! Gen. 30:16 tells that upon Jacobs return from the field, Leah came out to greet him and called him to come to her tent. He had some money, and he didnt have to be taken care of. She would leave her children with her mother or a friend when she had to go on tour, which was most of the time. One time, Washington famously lost her temper with one husband, whose name is lost to history and only known as a saxophonist. In her heart, Washington knew that her marriage would not last. [8] In December 1945 she made a series of twelve recordings for Apollo Records, 10 of which were issued, featuring the Lucky Thompson All Stars. Until then I had not experienced any death in my family. As per her romantic life, she was married to Western film and TV actor George Montgomery from 1943 to 1962. What are the qualities of an accurate map? In her golden years, Welch has played Latino characters in various film and TV roles, including Gregory Nava's series "American Family.". The students say, Here comes the speed demon. They part when Im coming, just like the Red Sea. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. These different midrashic accounts of Dinahs marriage teach that Dinah overcame the episode of her rape by Shechem, rehabilitated herself and was married. But for her sisters the story begins in Alabama, where their parents, Alice and Ollie Jones, were raised. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Oh, and she won a Grammy for it as well. She would simply leave performances if she saw a young man who caught her eye. There is no evidence for ", When she arrived in Hollywood, film execs reportedly urged her to lighten her skin and hair. Ill never forget what she gave me that Christmasa chinchilla stole., To a lot of people, Dinah Washingtons a star, says Dukes, but to me shes my generous big sister. Dinah was the only one of us born in Alabama, says Dukes. Its just like with Dinah. In contrast to these approaches, another conception stresses Dinahs responsibility for her conduct and the consequences of her actions. Gavin served as ambassador until 1986. Dinah Washington, original name Ruth Lee Jones, (born August 29, 1924, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.died December 14, 1963, Detroit, Michigan), American jazz and blues singer noted for her excellent voice control and unique gospel-influenced delivery. Dinah was married seven times. In the 1950s and early 1960s before her death, Washington occasionally performed on the Las Vegas Strip. Issachar, Zebulun, daughter Dinah, Joseph, and Benjamin, Continue Learning about Religious Studies. Gen. 30:21 therefore states: Afterwards she bore him a daughter,that is, after Leahs prayer. Before his encounter with the latter, Jacob sent his family across the Jabbok River, as we are told in Gen. 32:22: That same night he arose, and took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven children. The midrash asks: Where was Dinah? When Dinah emerged from her tent to see the daughters of the land playing, he kidnapped her. Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin both sang. gen. 46:15, exod. Washington was quite the party girl. In the 1950s, hit songs like Unforgettable and Teach Me Tonight took over the airwaves. Sleeping trouble and insecurity led Washington to yet another vice: Booze. Its the smaller, more personal details that upset her sisters. Dinah Washington was one of the most popular singers of her generation, and was dubbed the "Queen of the Blues". The Episode of Dinah and Shechem Son of Hamor. Neither Smith nor Dukes planned to see the Northlight production. Grab a pair of shades as we explore the turbulent, explosive life of this mega-watt star. Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, Prince of the Land, saw her. But shes very real to Clarissa Smith and Estrellita DukesDinah Washingtons sisters. Whoops! Also known as: Queen of the Blues, Ruth Lee Jones. She was constantly performing and recording songs because, lest we forget, she had two young sons to provide for. She entered singing contests, worked in the theater, and sang at lounges and clubs. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? By 1947 she was the Queen of the Jukeboxes, with a number one hitI Want to Cryand a large enough following that she could make almost $15,000 a performance. And she had a brand new target on her radar. it is not mentioned as the child was born though shame. > because she bore a child that was obviously black. But during his 40-year marriage to Martha, the Revolutionary War hero and first president presided over a . So, Washington did get heated when she heard one of her songs sung by someone else in a live show, but her anger was not aimed toward Franklin, at least in that instance. -Levi But for her sisters the story begins in Alabama, where their parents, Alice and Ollie Jones, were raised. She lived big, shone bright, and left us all too soon. Yeah, after learning about that, Washington left her second husband in the dust where he belonged. Washington's achievements included appearances at the Newport Jazz Festival (19551959), the Randalls Island Jazz Festival in New York City (1959), and the International Jazz Festival in Washington, D.C. (1962), frequent gigs at Birdland (1958, 19611962), and performances in 1963 with Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Washington, D.C.'s Dinah: Queen in Peril As a performer, Dinah Washington fought her weight, seven spouses, and even the admiration of her audience. In 1948 she bought her mother and siblings a home in Lawndale, at 1518 S. Trumbull, which is where Alice Jones lived almost until she died, in 1992. In addition to Hudson and Blige, new Aretha Franklin biopic Respect features performances by Forest Whitaker, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess and Marlon Wayans. > revealed a family skeleton--apparently Dinah Shore's mother had. Her sixth husband was the good-looking actor Rafael Campos, who also happened to be a whopping twelve years younger than his new bride. this either. But if they didnt give her the reverence she deserved, Washington knew exactly what to do. Jewish Women's Archive. You expect your children will outlive you. In the years that followed, the sisters moved on with their lives and careers. Heres a sign of how dang charming Dinah Washington was: Even after publicly humiliating Chamblee, she somehow managed to patch things up with him. Joyela wrote: > "Many, many years ago there was a tremendous scandal when popular. Washington married yet another (!) They had met when Lane was in his rookie NFL season. (Viewed on May 1, 2023) . Shechem's son. Her oldest son, Brandon, died in a car accident, and she suffers from degenerative arthritis.