A new biopic centered on the life of legendary jazz and blues vocalist Dinah Washington is officially in development, with acclaimed British playwright Winsome Pinnock attached to write the screenplay and veteran actor and activist Danny Glover on board as executive producer.
Titled Queen of the Blues, the large-scale feature will spotlight a pivotal two-week period in London at the height of Washington’s fame, following the international success of her 1959 Grammy-winning crossover hit “What a Diff’rence a Day Made.” Rather than attempting to compress her entire life into one sweeping narrative, the film will focus on a defining moment that captures both her global dominance and the personal costs that came with it.
Who Was Dinah Washington?
Born Ruth Lee Jones in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Washington moved to Chicago as a child, where she was raised in the church. A gifted musician early on, she played piano, directed her church choir, and immersed herself in gospel before transitioning into secular music as a teenager. At 15, she won an amateur contest at Chicago’s Regal Theater, a breakthrough that launched her professional career.
Throughout the 1950s and early ’60s, Washington became one of the most formidable voices in American music. Her catalog spanned jazz, blues, R&B, and pop, and her crisp phrasing and emotional precision earned her the nickname “Queen of the Blues.” Songs like “Mad About the Boy,” “Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning,” and “What a Diff’rence a Day Made” became standards, later covered and sampled across generations.
Her influence can be traced through artists ranging from Etta James and Ruth Brown to Amy Winehouse and Ledisi. Though Washington died in 1963 at just 39 years old, her legacy endured, culminating in her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
The Creative Team Behind Queen of the Blues
Pinnock, known for her groundbreaking work in British theatre, brings a deep understanding of complex, interior storytelling. She was the first Black British woman to have a play produced by London’s National Theatre and has built a career chronicling the lives of women navigating race, identity, and power structures. Her involvement signals a character-driven approach that will likely center Washington’s emotional landscape as much as her musical triumphs.
Glover’s participation as executive producer adds further weight to the project. Long associated with films that foreground Black history and culture, he has spent decades supporting stories rooted in social consciousness and artistic legacy. His role behind the scenes suggests the film will treat Washington’s life with both cultural reverence and political awareness.
The project is being shepherded by producer Angie Lee Cobbs of Rolling Fork Productions, who secured the life rights from the Washington estate after more than two decades of development. Washington’s grandchildren are also supporting the film, underscoring a collaborative effort to preserve and honor her legacy.
A Story About Power, Cost, and Reinvention
By focusing on a concentrated moment in London during the peak of her fame, Queen of the Blues aims to explore more than just the hits. Washington was known not only for her vocal precision but for her independence and refusal to be boxed in by industry expectations. In an era when Black women artists were often constrained by both racism and sexism, she carved out her own lane — sometimes at personal and professional cost.
Her rebellious spirit, genre-bending artistry, and ability to command both jazz clubs and mainstream pop charts made her a singular force. The upcoming biopic appears poised to examine that duality: the glamour and the grit, the applause and the isolation.
Washington has been portrayed on stage and screen before, including by Mary J. Blige in the 2021 Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, but Queen of the Blues marks one of the most ambitious standalone film projects dedicated entirely to her life.
With Pinnock crafting the script and Glover helping steer the vision, Queen of the Blues is shaping up to be a long-awaited cinematic tribute to one of music’s most influential — and often under-celebrated — pioneers.