Cleo Laine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dame
Cleo Laine
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Laine in 1997
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Clementine Dinah Hitching |
| Born | 28 October 1927 Southall, Middlesex, England |
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| Years active | 1950s–2018 |
Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth, born Clementine Dinah Hitching on October 28, 1927, is a famous English singer and actress. She is especially known for her unique way of singing called scat singing, where she uses her voice to make sounds like musical instruments. Cleo Laine was married to the well-known jazz composer and musician Sir John Dankworth. She is also the mother of bassist Alec Dankworth and singer Jacqui Dankworth.
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Who is Cleo Laine?
Cleo Laine was born Clementine Dinah Hitching in Southall, Middlesex (which is now part of London). Her father, Alexander Sylvan Campbell, was from Jamaica and worked as a builder. He also often played music on the street for money, which is called busking. Her mother, Minnie Bullock, was an English farmer's daughter. Cleo's family moved around a lot, but she spent most of her childhood in Southall. When she was 26, Cleo found out her birth name was Hitching because her parents were not married when she was born, and her mother registered her under her own last name.
Her Early Life and Education
Cleo Laine went to the Board School on Featherstone Road in Southall. From a young age, her mother sent her for singing and dancing lessons. After school, she worked in different jobs like an apprentice hairdresser, a hat-trimmer, a librarian, and in a pawnbroker's shop.
A Star's Journey: Her Career
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When Cleo Laine was 24, she tried out for John Dankworth's jazz group, the Johnny Dankworth Seven, and got the part! She later sang with his bigger bands until 1958. That same year, Cleo and John Dankworth got married.
Cleo also became a talented actress. She starred in plays like Flesh to a Tiger and The Barren One in London. She also appeared in musicals such as Valmouth and A Time to Laugh. One of her most famous roles was playing Julie in the musical Show Boat in London in 1971. This show was very popular and ran for 910 performances!
During this time, Cleo had two big hit songs. "You'll Answer to Me" became a Top 10 hit in Britain. In 1964, her album with John Dankworth, called Shakespeare and All that Jazz, was also very popular. In 1970, Cleo and John started their own theatre called the Stables. It was built in the old stables on their property and now hosts over 350 concerts every year!
Global Fame and Awards
Cleo Laine's career went global in 1972 when she had a successful tour in Australia. Soon after, she started performing in the United States, with concerts at famous places like New York's Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. She toured all over the US and Canada, released many albums, and even appeared on The Muppet Show in 1977!
After being nominated several times, Cleo won her first Grammy Award for a live recording of her 1983 Carnegie Hall concert. She continued to tour and perform well into the 21st century, even performing live in the UK as recently as 2018.
Cleo Laine has worked with many other famous musicians, including James Galway, Nigel Kennedy, Julian Lloyd Webber, and John Williams. She also recorded duet albums with Ray Charles and received another Grammy nomination for her work on Pierrot Lunaire.
Her love for musical theatre continued in the United States. She starred in A Little Night Music and The Merry Widow. In 1985, she played Princess Puffer in the Broadway musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which earned her a Tony nomination. In 1989, she was praised for her role as the Witch in Sondheim's Into the Woods. In 1992, Cleo Laine performed with the legendary Frank Sinatra for a week of concerts in London.
Derek Jewel from the Sunday Times newspaper once called her "quite simply the best singer in the world."
Her Personal Life
In 1946, Cleo Laine married George Langridge, a roof tiler, and they had a son named Stuart. They later divorced in 1957.
In 1958, she married John Dankworth. They were married for many years until he passed away in 2010. On the day he died, Cleo Laine performed at a concert at The Stables theatre to celebrate its 40th anniversary. She announced John Dankworth's death at the end of the show.
As of 2018, Cleo Laine lives in Wavendon, Buckinghamshire.
Awards and Special Honours
Cleo Laine has received many important awards and honours throughout her career:
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1979
- Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female, in 1986
- Lifetime Achievement Award from the U.S. recording industry in 1991
- Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1997 (This title means she is called "Dame Cleo Laine")
- Lifetime Achievement Award from the Worshipful Company of Musicians in 2002
- Gold Award at the BBC Jazz Awards in 2008
- BASCA Gold Badge Award in 2016
- She is an Honorary Fellow at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge.
- A street in Adelaide, South Australia, was named after her.
- She has received honorary doctorates from several universities, including Berklee College of Music and the University of Cambridge.
See also
In Spanish: Cleo Laine para niños
