There are all kinds of stars: Small ones that twinkle bright and long, and bigger ones that explode in a supernova of unimaginable intensity. Dinah Washington belonged to the latter category. She lived big, shone bright, and left us all too soon. Grab a pair of shades as we explore the turbulent, explosive life of this mega-watt star. Dinah Washington Facts1. She Had Humble BeginningsDinah Washington was born Ruth Lee Jones, in August 1924, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Though her father had a steady job that paid the bills, the family faced hard times. The Ku Klux Klan was gaining influence in the …