Dame Cleo Laine, the groundbreaking British jazz vocalist whose extraordinary four-octave range and versatility made her one of the most celebrated singers in music history, died Thursday at her home in Wavendon. The first British singer to win a Grammy in a jazz category died at 97.
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Her death was confirmed by her daughter, Jacqui Dankworth, ending a career that spanned more than seven decades and broke numerous barriers for British performers in jazz and beyond.
Born Clementine Dinah Hitching (Campbell) in Southall, West London, on October 28, 1927, her distinctive contralto voice, electric green eyes, and corkscrew hair made her instantly recognisable, while her musical ability earned praise from critics who declared her “quite simply the best singer in the world.”
Laine’s remarkable vocal range allowed her to perform everything from complex Arnold Schoenberg compositions to novelty songs, establishing her as what one critic called one of Britain’s “two great contributions to jazz – the other being gin.”
Her career began in hardship. The daughter of a Jamaican World War I veteran who sang on streets to help feed his family, Laine was forced to leave school at 14 during wartime. She worked various jobs, including hairdressing and hat-making, while pursuing her performing dreams through countless auditions.
The breakthrough came in 1951 when she auditioned for the Johnny Dankworth Seven jazz group. Arriving in a fur coat during summer heat, she impressed bandleader John Dankworth, who offered her £6 per week. She negotiated for £7, beginning a professional and personal partnership that would define her career.
Because her birth name was too long for posters, the band drew shorter alternatives from a hat, creating “Cleo Laine.” She became renowned for scat singing, using her voice as an instrument to improvise melodies in the ragtime tradition.
By 1958, she had married Dankworth, later joking that “he married me because he wanted a cheap singer, but what he got was an expensive wife.” Their musical collaboration produced acclaimed albums, including “Shakespeare and All That Jazz” in 1964.
Determined to avoid being typecast as merely a band singer, Laine successfully pursued acting, earning critical acclaim in London’s Royal Court Theatre. Her stage career culminated in a Tony nomination for her 1986 Broadway performance as Princess Puffer in “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” based on Charles Dickens’s unfinished novel.
The role in the murder mystery, where audiences voted nightly on the culprit, earned her both theatrical recognition and numerous mock “murder indictments” as audience members suspected her character.
Laine’s recording career included a top 10 hit with “You’ll Answer Me” in 1961 and collaborations with jazz legends, including Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra. Her versatility extended from opera to popular music, demonstrating an artistic range that defied categorisation.
Together with Dankworth, she established The Stables arts centre in Buckinghamshire, aimed at breaking down barriers between musical genres and introducing diverse audiences to live performance. The venue hosted artists ranging from folk singer Cerys Matthews to jazz saxophonist Courtney Pine.
The couple’s partnership ended tragically in February 2010 when Dankworth died just hours before they were scheduled to perform a concert celebrating The Stables’ 40th anniversary. Laine and family members proceeded with the show, announcing his death only after the performance concluded.
Even after her husband’s death, Laine continued performing into her 90s, often appearing with her musician children Jacqui and Alec. In 2024, she witnessed her granddaughter Emily begin her professional singing career, extending the family’s musical legacy into a fourth generation.
Honoured with an OBE in 1979 and elevated to Dame Commander in 1997 – an honour she initially hesitated to accept before deciding to do so “for jazz” – Laine remained committed to her craft until the end.
“I want to keep on going unless my voice develops a wobble, for as long as people want to hear me sing,” she said months after Dankworth’s death. “Singing is the one thing that keeps me going, really.”
David Meadowcroft, chairman of The Stables charity, praised her lasting impact: “Dame Cleo was a remarkable performer who was loved by audiences around the world, and her commitment to ensuring young people had access to great music and music education will continue through the work of The Stables.”
“Dame Cleo was admired greatly by fans, other musicians, and by The Stables staff and volunteers. She will be greatly missed, but her unique talent will always be remembered,” the Chief Executive and Artistic Director, Monica Fergusson, said.
Laine’s death marks the end of an era in British jazz, closing the career of a performer whose talent transcended musical boundaries and whose influence extended far beyond her extraordinary voice. Her legacy lives on through The Stables, her recordings, and the generations of musicians she inspired throughout her remarkable seven-decade career.
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