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An internationally recognized jazz vocalist and musical theater performer, Dee Dee Bridgewater was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. While still in college she began singing and touring with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, and made her New York debut with the band in 1970. She was soon making successful recordings with Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Max Roach, Roland Kirk, and others.

Bridgewater first won fans outside jazz circles in 1974, when she created the role of Glinda the Good in the original Broadway production of The Wiz, winning a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Her signature song in the show, If You Believe, became an anthem for fans.

Bridgewater has continued to pursue both stage work and her packed recording and concert careers. She appeared in the Los Angeles and touring productions of Sophisticated Ladies, with Gregory Hines, Hinton Battle, and was nominated for a Laurence Oliver Award for her London performance as Billie Holiday in the musical Lady Day.

Since relocating to Europe in the early 1990s, Bridgewater has won two Grammy awards for her acclaimed tribute album Dear Ella (Polygram, 1997), which also won the French Victoire de la Musique award as Best Jazz Vocal Album. Her most recent release was Live At Yoshi's (Universal/Verve, 2000), recorded during a tour of Japan.

Dee Dee Bridgewater lives in Paris with her husband and three children.