| 1954 | Debuted on stage at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem alongside godmother Dinah Washington at age four, launching a performance relationship with the legendary singer. |
| 1969 | Scored her first R&B hit with "Family Tree," establishing herself as a New York session force while recording commercial jingles for brands including McDonald's, Burger King, and Meow Mix, earning the nickname 'Queen of the Jingles.' |
| 1980 | Contributed lead vocals to godfather Quincy Jones's Grammy-winning album 'The Dude,' cementing a two-decade creative partnership that also produced 'Stuff Like That' and 'From Q With Love.' |
| 1981 | "Baby, Come to Me," her duet with James Ingram from the album 'Every Home Should Have One,' climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it one of the biggest pop hits of the decade. |
| 1985 | Collaborated with production duo Jam & Lewis to craft the big R&B hit "The Heat of Heat," broadening her reach beyond pop into club-driven R&B. |
| 2002 | Released 'For Ella,' a Grammy-nominated tribute to Ella Fitzgerald that showcased her jazz artistry and set the stage for a decade of Fitzgerald-focused work. |
| 2007 | Won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album for 'Avant Gershwin,' recorded live with the WDR Big Band in Germany and a Top 5 hit on the Billboard Jazz Chart. |
| 2011 | Released 'Sound Advice' on Shanachie Entertainment, her 18th album, co-producing with Greg Phillinganes and drawing from Bob Dylan, Bill Withers, and original compositions. |
| 2017 | Returned to the Fitzgerald catalogue with 'Ella: Now & Then,' marking the centennial of the jazz icon's birth with a touring program celebrated across Europe, America, and the Far East. |
| 2024 | Received the SFJAZZ Lifetime Achievement Award at the SFJAZZ Gala in San Francisco, honored alongside incoming Executive Artistic Director Terence Blanchard in a ceremony that raised $1.7 million for jazz education. |
As the goddaughter of legends Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington, it’s no surprise that Patti Austin has been able to explore almost every genre of music through a career that has spanned three decades. The New York native first hit the stage with Washington at the tender age of four, debuting at the world-famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem. In her teens, she recorded a slew of soul hits, but her career really took off with her classic duets with James Ingram, such as their number one record, “Baby Come To Me.” She expanded her range with Jam & Lewis, creating the big R&B hit, “The Heat of Heat” with the producing duo. Her two decades of collaboration with Quincy Jones on works like “Juke Joint” and “The Dude” and her subsequent solo albums have shown her tremendous versatility. In 2011, Patti released Sound Advice. Patti has a loyal global fan base extending across Europe, America and the Far East.