Dee Dee Bridgewater
A dynamic force of nature, she moves seamlessly from Grammy-winning jazz vocals to Tony-winning Broadway stages with unstoppable energy.
Born 1950 (age 76)·American jazz singer·Birthday: May 27·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dee Dee Bridgewater's career is a masterclass in artistic fearlessness. Born in Memphis and raised in Michigan, she was singing professionally by her teens. Her big break came not in a club, but on Broadway, where she won a Tony for her electric portrayal of Glinda in 'The Wiz.' Instead of settling into musical theatre, she plunged into the heart of the jazz world, moving to New York and collaborating with giants like Max Roach and Sonny Rollins. Her voice, a powerful instrument capable of both tender nuance and roof-raising scat, earned her multiple Grammys. Never one to be pigeonholed, she then embarked on a celebrated series of albums paying tribute to jazz greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Horace Silver, while also exploring her African roots. For over two decades, she brought jazz into homes as the host of NPR's 'JazzSet,' and she continues to act as a global ambassador for the music, proving that artistic curiosity has no limits.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Dee was born in 1950, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dee Was Born
The biggest hits of 1950
#1 Movie
Cinderella
Best Picture
All About Eve
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Dee's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1950Born
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1955Started school
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1963Became a teenager
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Could drive
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1968Could vote
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Turned 21
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1980Turned 30
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 40
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 50
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 60
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 70
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 76 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a Tony Award in 1975 for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Glinda in 'The Wiz.'
- Has won three Grammy Awards, including Best Jazz Vocal Album for 'Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie with Love from Dee Dee.'
- Served as the host of National Public Radio's 'JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater' for 23 years.
- Appointed a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization in 1999.
Did You Know?
She lived in Mali for several years and recorded the album 'Red Earth,' which fused jazz with Malian music.
She was the first singer to perform at the legendary Village Vanguard in over 30 years when she headlined in 1993.
Her daughter, Tulani Bridgewater, is also a singer and actress.
She performed the role of Billie Holiday in the play 'Lady Day' in London's West End.
“Jazz is the mother of all hip-hop, of all popular music forms that we have in America.”
