Cleo Laine

Cleo Laine entered the world in 1927 in London’s Southall district, born to a Jamaican father and an English mother. Endowed with a multi-octave instrument reminiscent of Betty Carter’s, an extraordinary gift for scat, and a seamless range that moved from husky murmur to piercing trills, she received vocal and dance instruction during her teenage years at her parents’ urging. Professional singing did not begin, however, until she turned 25, when an audition secured her a place with Johnny Dankworth’s orchestra. Throughout the late ’50s both singer and ensemble cut sides for Esquire, MGM, and Pye; by 1958 she and Dankworth had married.

Her independent path opened decisively in 1964 with Shakespeare: And All That Jazz, an album setting Shakespearean texts to Dankworth’s charts. Three live recordings made at New York’s Carnegie Hall further elevated her profile, beginning with the 1973 release Cleo Laine Live! At Carnegie Hall and continuing through Return to Carnegie and The 10th Anniversary Concert. The last of these earned her, in 1983, the first Grammy awarded to a British performer. Stage work proved equally durable: her portrayal in the Broadway production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood brought a Theater World Award plus Tony and Drama Desk nominations.

A 1976 collaboration yielded a jazz treatment of Porgy and Bess alongside Ray Charles, while additional pairings united her with flutist James Galway and guitarist John Williams. Laine and Dankworth maintained an active touring schedule into the 1990s. The capstone of her career arrived when she became the first jazz musician named Dame Commander, the highest distinction conferred in the performing arts.