A long time resident of Vancouver, but born and raised in Oakland, California, Dee Daniels is a jazz vocalist with a lot of soul. Her discography, which started in 1984 with the album All of Me, primarily focuses on a combination of jazz, blues, R&B and gospel music.

The stepdaughter of a minister, she grew up singing in church choir, which gave her, as she states in an interview “a strong foundation” for the rest of her musical style. After realizing that music was her true calling, she quit her job as a high school art teacher, and moved to Europe. While living in Holland and Belgium for 5 years, Daniels shared that this was where she “was able to hone the craft of jazz”. During this time she also performed with many jazz legends such as Clark Terry, Benny Green and many others. Later, she relocated to Vancouver in 1985 through an invitation to perform. She decided to live in Vancouver full time after meeting the person whom she would later call her husband.

Throughout her career she has won many awards both for her music and for her personal accomplishments. Some such examples include the Spiritual Artist of the Year Award in the 2020 Western Canadian Music Awards and a Legacy Award by the National Congress of Black Women of Canada in 2020. As well, she has obtained a Commemorative Medal during Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee in 2003, an induction into the British Columbia Entertainment Hall of Fame in 2002 and is a member of the Granville Street Walk of Fame among many more accomplishments.

The Promise, an album released in 2021 has won many awards, such as the Silver Album, Contemporary Gospel and Female Vocalist at the Global Music Awards. Her latest album released in 2023, Let it Shine! Let it Shine!, has also obtained her a nomination for Spiritual Artist of the Year in the 2023 Western Canadian Music Awards.

Dee Daniels has given a lot back to her community, she is devoted to community service. She not only works as a vocal clinician, hosting workshops and clinics globally, she also created a Jazz Vocal Scholarship now at the DeMiero Jazz Festival but originally at Capilano University. She also has created a secondary scholarship using the Jazz Education Network and has also served as faculty to multiple universities.

Awards

• Western Canadian Music Award (2020/2023)
• Legacy Award from the National Congress of Black Women (2020)
• The Commemorative Medal for the Golden Jubilee of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (2003)
• Induction into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame (2002)
• Global Music Award
• Granville Street Walk of Fame