Dinah Washington (August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, one of the most popular female recording artists of the 1950s. Raised in Chicago, she became deeply involved in gospel music, playing piano for her church choir while still in elementary school. In her teens she continued to sing, play piano and direct the church choir until she dropped out of school to sing lead with the Sallie Martin Gospel Singers. Winning a talent contest at the famed Regal Theater led to her professional singing debut. Success on the Chicago club circuit led to a string of recording opportunities which proved very popular in the local market. Singing regularly with the Lionel Hampton band in 1946, she signed a contract with Mercury Records. Her first record for the label, Fats Waller's "Ain't Misbehavin'" was a big hit, launching her into national prominence. Between 1948 and 1956, she had 27 R&B top-10 hits, confirming Dinah Washington as one of the biggest stars of the era. Equally comfortable in a jazz context, she recorded albums with Clifford Brown, Clark Terry, Cannonball Adderley and Ben Webster. Then in 1959 she had her first top-ten Pop hit, "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" which peaked at Number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Sadly, she died of an accidental prescription-drug overdose in 1963.