Jazz Singer Cleo Laine, Grammy Winner And Tony-Nominated Actress, Dies At 97
Born in 1927 in a suburb of London to an English mother and Jamaican father, Laine's early life was far from glamorous. Before her rise to fame, she worked as a hairdresser, hat trimmer, and librarian. She married young in 1946 and had a son in her teenage years, but her aspirations led her down a different path.
Determined to follow her dream of becoming a singer, she divorced and found her breakthrough in 1951 when she joined the band of acclaimed English saxophonist and clarinettist John Dankworth at the age of 24. At the time, she believed her name was Clementine Campbell. However, a passport application later revealed her birth certificate listed her mother's surname, Hitching.
Her name, considered too long for a band poster, underwent a creative transformation. The members of the Dankworth Seven randomly selected 'Cleo" and 'Laine" from two hats, marking the beginning of her new stage identity.
Laine and Dankworth married in 1958, and their home became a gathering point for international jazz stars including Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, and Lester Young. The couple's musical bond was strong, with Dankworth eventually becoming her musical director.
Her international success grew through the 1960s and 70s, with highlights including a 1972 Australian tour and a Grammy-winning live performance at New York's Carnegie Hall. She also collaborated with Ray Charles on Porgy and Bess and performed alongside Frank Sinatra in 1992 at London's Royal Albert Hall.
The couple built their own auditorium near London, frequently hosting concerts. Even in personal grief, Laine remained dedicated to her art as she chose to perform on the day of Dankworth's death in 2010, revealing the news only at the end of the show.
May her soul rest in peace!
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