Cleo Laine

Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth, DBE (born Clementina Dinah Campbell; 28 October 1927 – 24 July 2025) was a British jazz singer and an actress. She was born in Southall, Middlesex to a white English mother and black Jamaican father. She was famous for her scat singing and for being able to sing very high and very low notes.

She was the only female performer to have received Grammy nominations in the jazz, popular and classical music categories. Laine was the widow of jazz composer Sir John Dankworth.

Laine died on 24 July 2025 at her home in Wavendon, Buckinghamshire at the age of 97.

References

Category:1927 births
Category:2025 deaths
Category:Black British musicians
Category:British jazz musicians
Category:British Grammy Award winners
Category:Musicians from Middlesex
Category:Knights and Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Actors from Middlesex