Cleo Laine

Cleo Laine, a British jazz singer whose voice shaped British jazz and standards singing, passed away on July 24th in Wavendon, England. She was 97. Born Clementine Dinah Bullock in Southall, she joined John Dankworth’s Seven in 1951, adopting her stage name and performing jazz at London clubs. She married Dankworth and later sang with his big bands, recording albums like Jazz Routes (1958) and Shakespeare and All That Jazz (1964). Her 1961 single “You’ll Answer to Me” reached the UK Top 10, boosting her early jazz career.

Laine’s U.S. debut at Lincoln Center in 1972 led to Carnegie Hall performances, earning a Grammy for Cleo at Carnegie (1984). She recorded duet albums with Ray Charles and Mel Tormé, and collaborated with the Duke Ellington orchestra. She co-founded The Stables venue with her husband in 1970, hosting jazz concerts. She was made a Dame in 1997.