Cleo Laine, a renowned U.K. jazz singer and actress, has died.
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Laine died Thursday at the age of 97, per The Guardian.
The Stables, a British arts center founded by Laine and her late husband, musician and composer John Dankworth, announced her passing. The statement did not disclose the cause of death.
Laine, known for her four-octave vocal range, green eyes, curly hair, and husky contralto voice, became one of the most famous British jazz singers in history.
Our deepest condolences go to the family of our lovely friend Cleo Laine. She and her husband John Dankworth made some beautiful music. Sing in peace Dame Cleo. pic.twitter.com/zmId5qIQjU
— Henry Mancini (@henrymancini) July 28, 2025
While she achieved her greatest fame in her home country, she was also widely recognized in America, earning multiple Grammy accolades and even a Tony nomination in 1986 for her acclaimed performance as Princess Puffer in the Charles Dickens-inspired murder mystery, The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
Clementine Dinah Hitching was born on Oct. 28, 1927, in Southall, Middlesex, to Alex Campbell, a Jamaican WWI veteran and street singer, and Minnie Hitching, a farmer’s daughter from Swindon, disowned for her interracial relationship.
Clementine’s parents married after her birth, so her mother’s maiden name was listed on the birth certificate.
Her parents managed to afford music lessons, and she grew up inspired by her brother’s jazz records. She started singing at community events at age three and aspired to become an actor.
At just 12 years old, she made her film debut as a street urchin in Alexander Korda’s 1940 classic, The Thief of Baghdad.
Clementine left school at 14 due to financial struggles and took on various wartime jobs, including work as a hairdresser, hat maker, and pawnbroker. In 1947, she married George Langridge, a roofer, and had a son, Stuart. Meanwhile, she pursued her passion for singing through auditions.
Cleo Laine Gets Her Big Break… and Her Iconic Stage Name
In 1951, she auditioned for the Johnny Dankworth Seven, arriving in a fur coat despite the summer heat. Impressed, Dankworth offered her a job for £6 a week, but she negotiated for £7. Her name was too long for posters, so the band chose shorter alternatives from a hat. They picked “Cleo” and “Laine,” and she became Cleo Laine.
She became known for scat singing, using her voice to improvise melodies like an instrument.
By 1958, she had ended her marriage to Langridge and begun a new chapter with Dankworth as her husband.
She had a top 10 hit in 1961 with “You’ll Answer Me,” recorded while performing in Kurt Weill’s opera/ballet The Seven Deadly Sins. In 1964, she released the album Shakespeare and All That Jazz with her husband on clarinet and saxophone, earning critical acclaim.
Cleo Laine Earns Acclaim in the United States
She began her international career in 1972 with a tour of Australia, initially struggling to gain attention in the US. Invited back by jazz legend Duke Ellington, she impressed critics and sold out Carnegie Hall the following year.
Laine embarked on annual tours across America, earning multiple Grammy nominations along the way. She made history as the first artist to be recognized in both the pop and classical categories. Her career reached a pinnacle in 1983 when she won a Grammy for the live recording of her concert at Carnegie Hall.
Honored with an OBE in 1979, she was elevated to the title of Dame in 1997.
She and her husband founded The Stables, a theatre in Buckinghamshire, to make music accessible to all and bridge gaps between genres, hosting artists like Cerys Matthews and Courtney Pine.
In February 2010, hours before a concert marking 40 years of The Stables, John Dankworth passed away. Dame Cleo and her family performed as planned, sharing the news with the audience at the end. A month later, their final recording, Jazz Matters, was released.
After his death, she continued performing alone or with her children, Jacqui and Alec, who became musicians. In 2024, her granddaughter Emily also started a career as a professional singer.