WAVENDON, UK (CelebrityAccess) — Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth, the influential British jazz singer and actor, died at her home in Wavendon on July 24th. She was 97.
“It is with deepest sadness that we announce the passing of our dearly beloved mother, Cleo, who died peacefully yesterday afternoon. We will all miss her terribly. The family wish to be given space to grieve and ask for privacy at this very difficult time,” her family said in a statement provided to The Guardian.
Laine was best known for her long collaboration with her husband, the noted bandleader, composer and musician John Dankworth after auditioning to perform with his jazz ensemble, the Johnny Dankworth Seven in 1951.
In 1970, she and Dankworth founded The Stables, a live music venue in Wavendon, providing a key stage for music luminaries such as Dave Brubeck, Janis Ian, Amy Winehouse, Nils Lofgren, Uriah Heep, Jamie Cullum, Bill Wyman, and more.
Laine was also a fixture of British musical theater and was featured in leading roles in productions such as Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music and Into the Woods as well as Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow, among others.
She joined the Order of the British Empire in 1979 and elevated to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1997
Her other accolades included multiple Grammy nominations, finally winning the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Peromance in 1986. In 2002, she was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Jazz Awards among others.
