Cleo Laine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dame Cleo Laine DBE
Laine in 1962
Background information
Birth name	Clementine Dinah Hitching
Born	(1927-10-28)28 October 1927 Southall, Middlesex, England
Died	24 July 2025(2025-07-24) (aged 97) Wavendon, Buckinghamshire, England
Genres	Jazz pop
Occupation(s)	Singer actress
Years active	1950s–2018

Cleo Laine, whose full name was Clementine Dinah Hitching, was a famous English singer and actress. She was born on October 28, 1927, and passed away on July 24, 2025. Cleo Laine was especially known for her unique "scat singing" style, where she used her voice to make sounds like musical instruments. She was married to the well-known jazz musician and composer Sir John Dankworth. Together, they had two children who also became musicians: Alec Dankworth, a bassist, and Jacqui Dankworth, a singer.

Early Life and Family Background

Cleo Laine was born Clementine Dinah Hitching on October 28, 1927, in a place called Southall, England. Her father, Alexander Sylvan Campbell, was from Jamaica and had served in the First World War. He worked in construction and also played music on the streets for money, which is called busking. Her mother, Minnie Hitching, was an English farmer's daughter from Swindon.

Cleo's family moved around a lot, but she spent most of her childhood in Southall. It wasn't until she was 26 years old, in 1953, that she learned her full birth name. This happened when she was getting a passport for a trip to Germany. Her parents hadn't been married when she was born, so her mother had registered her under her own last name, Hitching.

School Days and First Jobs

Cleo Laine went to the Board school on Featherstone Road in Southall. From a young age, her mother encouraged her to take singing and dancing lessons. After finishing school at Mellow Lane Senior School in Hayes, Cleo had several different jobs. She worked as an apprentice hairdresser, helped trim hats, was a librarian, and even worked in a pawnbroker's shop. These experiences helped her learn about different parts of life before she became a famous singer.

A Star is Born: Cleo Laine's Music Career

Cleo Laine in 1965

When Cleo Laine was 24, she successfully auditioned for a jazz group led by John Dankworth. She sang with his bands, including Johnny Dankworth & His Orchestra, until 1958. That same year, Cleo and John Dankworth got married.

From Stage to Screen: Acting Roles

Besides singing, Cleo Laine was also a talented actress. She performed in many plays and musicals. For example, she played the main character in Flesh to a Tiger at London's Royal Court Theatre. She also starred in the musical Valmouth and the play A Time to Laugh. One of her most famous roles was Julie in the musical Show Boat at the Adelphi Theatre in London in 1971. This show was very popular and ran for a long time, with 910 performances!

Hit Songs and International Fame

During this period, Cleo had some big hits with her songs. "You'll Answer to Me" became a British Top 10 song. In 1964, she released a well-loved album with John Dankworth called Shakespeare and All that Jazz.

In 1970, Cleo and John Dankworth created a special place called the Stables theatre. It was built in the old stables on their property and became a popular venue for over 350 concerts each year.

Laine in 1997

Cleo Laine's fame grew around the world starting in 1972. She had successful tours in Australia, where she released many popular albums. Soon after, her career in the United States was launched with a concert at New York's Lincoln Center, followed by her first of many appearances at Carnegie Hall in 1973. She toured across the U.S. and Canada, released more albums, and appeared on TV shows, including The Muppet Show in 1977.

Her amazing talent led to her first Grammy award in 1983 for a live concert recording. She continued to tour and perform well into the 21st century, including in Australia in 2005. She performed live in the UK as recently as 2018.

Working with Other Stars

Cleo Laine worked with many other famous musicians, including James Galway, Nigel Kennedy, Julian Lloyd Webber, and John Williams. She also recorded duet albums with legendary singer Ray Charles (Porgy and Bess) and received a Grammy Award nomination for her work on Pierrot Lunaire.

Her musical theatre journey continued in the United States. She starred in musicals like Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music and Franz Lehár's The Merry Widow. In 1985, she created the role of Princess Puffer in the Broadway musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which earned her a Tony Award nomination. She was also praised for her role as the Witch in Sondheim's Into the Woods in 1989. In May 1992, Laine appeared with the iconic singer Frank Sinatra for a week of concerts in London.

A famous writer, Derek Jewell of the Sunday Times, once called her "quite simply the best singer in the world."

Cleo Laine's Family Life

Cleo Laine performing in 2007

Cleo Laine was married twice. In 1946, she married George Langridge, and they had a son named Stuart. They later divorced in 1957. Sadly, her son Stuart passed away in 2019.

In 1958, Cleo married the jazz musician John Dankworth. They had two children together and shared a long and happy marriage until John's passing in 2010. It was a special and emotional moment when Cleo performed at a concert at The Stables theatre on the day John passed away, and she announced his death at the end of the show.

Cleo Laine passed away peacefully at her home in Wavendon on July 24, 2025, at the age of 97.

Awards and Recognitions

Cleo Laine received many important awards and honors throughout her life for her incredible talent:

• She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1979.
• She was nominated for several Grammy awards, which are very prestigious music awards.
• In 1986, she won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female.
• She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the U.S. recording industry in 1991.
• In 1997, she was given the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, which is a very high honor in the UK.
• She received a Jazz Lifetime Achievement Silver Medal in 1998.
• The BBC Jazz Awards honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 and a Gold Award in 2008, both shared with John Dankworth.
• A street in Adelaide, South Australia, was named after her.
• She also received special degrees from several universities, recognizing her contributions to music.

Discography

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