Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth (born Clementine Dinah Bullock; 28 October 1927)Cleo Laine birth registry in Uxbridge via Free UK Genealogy CIO, a charity registered in England and Wales, Number 1167484, under the auspices of the General Register Office of England and Wales
Accessed 22 November 2022. is an English

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

and pop singer and an actress, known for her scat singing and for her vocal range. Though her natural range is that of a

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...

, she is able to produce a G above

high C C or Do is the first note and semitone of the C major scale, the third note of the A minor scale (the relative minor of C major), and the fourth note (G, A, B, C) of the Guidonian hand, commonly pitched around 261.63 Hz. The actual frequen ...

, giving her an overall compass of well over three octaves. Laine is the only female performer to have received

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nominations in the

, popular and

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" al ...

categories. She is the widow of jazz composer and musician Sir John Dankworth.

Early life

Laine was born Clementine Dinah Bullock in Southall,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

to Alexander Sylvan Campbell, a

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

Jamaican who worked as a building labourerInterview Jonathan Sale
"Passed/Failed CLEO LAINE"
''The Independent'', 10 June 1998. and regularly busked, and Minnie Bullock, a white English farmer's daughter from

Swindon Swindon () is a town and unitary authority with borough status in Wiltshire, England. As of the 2021 Census, the population of Swindon was 201,669, making it the largest town in the county. The Swindon unitary authority area had a population ...

, Wiltshire, whose maiden name was reportedly Hitching. The family moved constantly, but most of Laine's childhood was spent in Southall. She attended the Board School there on Featherstone Road (later known as Featherstone Primary School) and was sent by her mother for singing and dancing lessons at an early age. She went on to attend Mellow Lane Senior School in

Hayes Hayes may refer to: * Hayes (surname), including a list of people with the name ** Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th president of the United States * Hayes (given name) Businesses * Hayes Brake, an American designer and manufacturer of disc brakes * Hay ...

before going to work as an apprentice hairdresser, a hat-trimmer, a librarian, and in a pawnbroker's shop.Michael Church
"Caribbean Cleo? The amazing Cleo Laine"
''Caribbean Beat'', Issue 13, Spring 1995. In 1946, under the name Clementina Dinah Campbell, Laine married George Langridge, a roof tiler, with whom she had a son, Stuart. The couple divorced in 1957. It was not until 1953, when she was 26 and applying for a passport for a forthcoming tour of Germany, that Laine found out her real birth name, owing to her parents not being married at the time and her mother registering her under her own name (Hitching).

Career

Laine auditioned successfully, at the age of 24, for

John Dankworth Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, CBE (20 September 1927 – 6 February 2010), also known as Johnny Dankworth, was an English jazz composer, saxophonist, clarinettist and writer of film scores. With his wife, jazz singer Dame Cleo Laine, he ...

's small group, the Dankworth Seven, and later his orchestra, with which she performed until 1958. Dankworth and Laine married that year. She played the lead in a new play at London's Royal Court Theatre, home of the new wave of playwrights of the 1950s such as

John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter and actor, known for his prose that criticized established social and political norms. The success of his 1956 play '' Look Back in Anger'' tr ...

and

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that span ...

. This led to other stage performances, such as the musical '' Valmouth'' in 1959, the play ''A Time to Laugh'' (with Robert Morley and Ruth Gordon) in 1962, ''Boots With Strawberry Jam'' (with John Neville) in 1968, and eventually to her role as Julie in Wendy Toye's production of '' Show Boat'' at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receivin ...

in London in 1971.Cleo Laine Biography
Quarternotes. ''Show Boat'' had its longest run to date in that London season with 910 performances staged. During this period, she had two major recording successes. "You'll Answer to Me" reached the British Top 10 while Laine was "prima donna" in the 1961

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh F ...

production of

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...

's opera/ballet '' The Seven Deadly Sins'', directed and choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan. In 1964 her ''Shakespeare and All that Jazz'' album with Dankworth was well received. Dankworth and Laine founded

the Stables The Stables (also known as the Stables Theatre) is a music venue situated in Wavendon, a small village in south-east Milton Keynes. The Stables hosts over 400 concerts and around 250 education events a year including the National Youth Music C ...

theatre in 1970 in what was the old stables block in the grounds of their home. It eventually hosted over 350 concerts per year. Laine's international activities began in 1972, with a successful first tour of Australia, where she released six top-100 albums throughout the 1970s. Shortly afterwards, her career in the United States was launched with a concert at New York's

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

, followed in 1973 by the first of many

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...

appearances. Coast-to-coast tours of the US and Canada soon followed, and with them a succession of record albums an
television appearances
including ''

The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as ...

'' in 1977. This led, after several nominations, to her first Grammy award, in recognition of the live recording of her 1983 Carnegie concert. She has continued to tour periodically, including in Australia in 2005. She has collaborated with James Galway, Nigel Kennedy, Julian Lloyd Webber and

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review '' WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...

. Other important recordings during that time were duet albums with

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

(''

Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', ...

'') as well as

Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (, ; ; 13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian-American composer, music theorist, teacher, writer, and painter. He is widely considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He was as ...

's '' Pierrot Lunaire'', for which she received a Grammy Award nomination. Laine's relationship with the musical theatre started in Britain and continued in the United States with starring performances in Sondheim's '' A Little Night Music'' and Franz Lehár's ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt ...

'' ( Michigan Opera). In 1980 she starred in ''Colette'', a musical by Dankworth. The show began at

theatre, Wavendon, in 1979 and transferred to the Comedy Theatre, London, in September 1980. In 1985 she originated the role of Princess Puffer in the Broadway musical '' The Mystery of Edwin Drood'', for which she received a Tony nomination. In 1989, she received the Los Angeles critics' acclaim for her portrayal of the Witch in Sondheim's ''

Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

''. In May 1992, Laine appeared with

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

for a week of concerts at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

in London. Cleo Laine

Laine is famed for not only her interpretative style, but also her almost-four-octave range and vocal adaptability. As well as hitting deep soulful notes, Laine's scatting and top notes have become her signature. Though her natural range is that of a

, she is able to produce a G above high C. Derek Jewel of the ''

Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, w ...

'' dubbed her "quite simply the best singer in the world."

Awards and honours

* Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

, 1979 * Grammy Award nomination, Best Female Jazz Vocalist, ''Smilin' Through'' with Dudley Moore, 1983 *

Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female The Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for quality jazz vocal performan ...

, 1986 * Lifetime Achievement Award, U.S. recording industry, 1991 * Dame Commander of the

, 1997 * Lifetime Achievement Award, Worshipful Company of Musicians, 2002 * Gold Award, BBC Jazz Awards, 2008 * BASCA Gold Badge Award, 2016 * Honorary Fellow,

Hughes Hall Hughes Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England. It is the oldest of the University of Cambridge's postgraduate colleges. The college also admits undergraduates, though undergraduates admitted by the college must ...

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

* A street in

Adelaide, South Australia Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The demo ...

, was named after her. *

Honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

s: Berklee College of Music,

, University of York,

Open University The Open University (OU) is a British Public university, public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by List of universities in the United Kingdom by enrolment, number of students. The majority of the OU's underg ...

University of Luton The University of Bedfordshire is a public research university with campuses in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, England. The University has roots from 1882, however, it gained university status in 1993 as the University of Luton. The Univer ...

Discography

* ''She's the Tops!'' ( MGM, 1957) * ''Jazz Date'' with

Tubby Hayes Edward Brian "Tubby" Hayes (30 January 1935 – 8 June 1973) was an English jazz multi-instrumentalist, best known for his tenor saxophone playing in groups with fellow sax player Ronnie Scott and with trumpeter Jimmy Deuchar. Early life ...

(

Wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...

, 1961) * ''All About Me'' (

Fontana Fontana may refer to: Places Italy *Fontana Liri, comune in the Province of Frosinone *Fontanafredda, comune in the Province of Pordenone *Fontanarosa, comune in the Province of Avellino *Francavilla Fontana, comune in the Province of Brindisi * ...

, 1962) * ''Shakespeare and All That Jazz'' (Fontana, 1964) * ''Woman to Woman'' (Fontana, 1966) * ''Sir William Walton's Facade'' with Annie Ross (Fontana, 1967) * ''If We Lived on the Top of a Mountain'' (Fontana, 1968) * ''The Unbelievable'' (Fontana, 1968) * ''Soliloquy'' (Fontana, 1968) * ''Portrait'' (

Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), commonly shortened to Philips, is a Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, it has been mostly headquartered in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarters is ...

, 1971) * ''Feel the Warm'' (

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region i ...

, 1972) * ''An Evening with Cleo Laine & the John Dankworth Quartet'' (Philips, 1972) * ''I Am a Song'' (

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

, 1973) * ''Day by Day'' (Stanyan, 1973) * ''Cleo Laine Live!!! at Carnegie Hall'' (RCA Victor, 1974) * ''A Beautiful Thing'' (RCA Victor, 1974) * ''Sings Pierrot Lunaire'' ( RCA Red Seal, 1974) * ''Cleo Close Up'' (RCA Victor, 1974) * ''Spotlight On Cleo Laine'' (Philips, 1974) * ''Easy Livin'' (Stanyan, 1975) * ''Cleo Laine'' (MGM, 1975) * ''Best Friends'' with

(RCA Victor, 1976) * ''Born on a Friday'' (RCA Victor, 1976) * ''Porgy & Bess'' with

(RCA Victor, 1976) * ''At the Wavendon Festival'' (

Black Lion Black Lion, Black Lions, or Blacklions may refer to: Businesses and organisations * Black Lion, Hammersmith, a London pub * Black Lion, Kilburn, a London pub * Black Lion Records, a British jazz record company * Black Lions Films, associated w ...

, 1976) * ''A Lover and His Lass'' with Johnny Dankworth (

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...

, 1976) * ''Return to Carnegie'' (RCA Victor, 1977) * ''Cleo's Greatest Show Hits'' (RCA Victor, 1978) * ''Gonna Get Through'' (RCA Victor, 1978) * ''Cleo Laine Sings Word Songs'' (RCA Victor, 1978) * ''Cleo Laine in Australia'' with Johnny Dankworth (World Record Club, 1978) * ''Cleo's Choice'' ( Marble Arch, 1974) * ''Sometimes When We Touch'' with James Galway (RCA Red Seal, 1980) * ''Cleo Laine in Concert'' (RCA Victor, 1980) * ''One More Day'' (Sepia, 1981) * ''Smilin' Through'' with Dudley Moore (CBS, 1982) * ''Let the Music Take You'' with John Williams (CBS, 1983) * ''That Old Feeling'' (K West, 1984) * ''Cleo at Carnegie: The 10th Anniversary Concert'' (RCA Victor, 1984) * ''At the Carnegie: Cleo Laine in Concert'' (Sierra, 1986) * ''The Unforgettable Cleo Laine'' (PRT, 1987) * ''Cleo Sings Sondheim'' with

Jonathan Tunick Jonathan Tunick (born April 19, 1938, New York City) is an American orchestrator, musical director, and composer, and one of seventeen " EGOTs" - people to have won all four major American showbusiness awards: the Tony Awards, Academy Awards, Em ...

(RCA Victor, 1988) * ''Woman to Woman'' (RCA Victor, 1989) * ''Jazz'' (RCA Victor, 1991) * ''Nothing without You'' with Mel Torme (

Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the ...

, 1992) * ''On the Town'' with Michael Tilson Thomas ( Deutsche Grammophon, 1993) * '' Blue and Sentimental'' (RCA Victor, 1994) * ''Solitude'' with the Duke Ellington Orchestra (RCA Victor, 1995) * ''Quality Time'' (Sepia, 2002) * ''Loesser Genius'' with Laurie Holloway (Qnote, 2003)

References

External links

Official website
* * * *
Radio interview with Nathan Morley
from April 2010. Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation.
''Daily Telegraph'' profile
2 August 2007.

(interview with Cleo Laine and Johnny Dankworth), ''The Guardian'', 15 November 2007. {{DEFAULTSORT:Laine, Cleo 1927 births Living people 20th-century Black British women singers 21st-century Black British women singers Berklee College of Music alumni Black Lion Records artists British women jazz singers Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire English jazz singers English people of Jamaican descent English stage actresses Fellows of Hughes Hall, Cambridge Grammy Award winners People from Southall Scat singers Singers awarded knighthoods Singers from London Traditional pop music singers Wives of knights