Cleo Laine, a renowned British jazz singer and Tony-nominated actress, has died. She was 97.
News of her death was confirmed by The Stables, a U.K. arts center that Laine founded with her late husband, John Dankworth, in Buckinghamshire, England. The New York Times confirmed she died on Thursday at her home in Wavendon, England. Laine’s cause of death has not yet been revealed.
“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,” David Meadowcroft, chairman of the charity wrote in a statement.
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Cleo Laine in 1976
Monica Ferguson, chief executive and artistic director of The Stables added that “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,” she concluded.
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Cleo Laine in 1961
Born Clementine Dinah Campbell in Middlesex, England, Laine — who was known for her more than four-octave range — began her career performing throughout London jazz clubs in the early 1950s.
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Cleo Laine and John Dankworth in 1963
Along the way, she recorded several albums — including acclaimed ones like 1975’s Cleo Laine Sings Pierrot Lunaire And Songs By Ives and 1988’s Cleo Sings Sondheim — and collaborated with jazz composer and saxophonist Dankworth, with whom she was married from 1958 until he died in 2010.
The couple was British jazz royalty, and they performed together throughout the world.
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Cleo Laine and John Dankworth
Throughout her career, Laine recorded collaborative albums with Ray Charles, James Galway, Mel Tormé, Annie Ross, the Duke Ellington Orchestra and more. She even performed with a five-night residency with Frank Sinatra in 1992 at the Royal Albert Hall.
Laine — who was the only female artist to earn Grammy nods in the pop, classical and jazz categories — took home a Grammy Award in 1986 for best female jazz vocal performance for her 1983 live album, Cleo at Carnegie: The 10th Anniversary Concert.
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Cleo Laine in 1995
Laine also had a brief, but successful acting career on Broadway, earning the role of Princess Puffer in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which helped her land a Tony nomination in 1986.
She also had small roles in a handful of films and performed in operas.
Laine is survived by her children: a daughter, Jacqui Dankworth, and a son, Alec Dankworth.
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