Cleo Laine Leaves Band for Solo Career, Marries John Dankworth in 1958
In 1958, a pivotal year that saw her divorce from her first husband, George Langridge, acclaimed singer Cleo Laine made a significant career decision. Feeling underutilized in John DankworthS prospering band, Laine opted to pursue a solo career. “I thought, no, I’m not going to just sit on the band and be a singer of songs every now and again when he fancied it,” she explained in a BBC documentary. “So it was then that I decided I wasn’t going to stay with the band and I was going to go off and try to do something solo-wise.” Dankworth responded to her departure by proposing marriage, a move Laine humorously described as “a good ploy.” the couple married on March 18, 1958, and welcomed two children: son Alec in 1960 and daughter Jacqueline in 1963.
Despite her happy marriage,Laine consistently carved out an independent career path. “Whenever anybody starts putting a label on me, I say, ‘Oh, no you don’t,’ and I go and do something different,” she told The associated Press in 1985. Her theatrical journey began in 1958 with a lead role in the West Indian play Flesh to a Tiger at the Royal Court Theater, earning her a moscow Arts Theatre Award. Subsequent stage successes included Valmouth (1959), The Seven Deadly Sins (1961), The Trojan Women (1966), and Hedda Gabler (1970). Her portrayal of Julie in jerome Kern’s Show Boat in 1971 featured the memorable song “Bill.”
Laine’s popularity in the United States began to grow in 1972 with a concert at New York’s Alice tully Hall, which, despite a modest attendance, garnered a glowing review from The New York times. The following year, a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall with Dankworth marked the beginning of a series of triumphant appearances. Their album Cleo at Carnegie received a Grammy award in 1986, the same year Laine earned a Tony nomination for The Mystery of Edwin Drood. A 2002 Variety review praised her enduring vocal talent,describing her voice as “dark,creamy,remarkable range and control from bottomless contralto to a sweet clear soprano. Her perfect pitch and phrasing is always framed with musical imagination and good taste.”
One of Laine’s most poignant performances occurred on February 6,2010,during a concert celebrating the 40th anniversary of a venue she and Dankworth founded. During the show, which featured Laine and her children, she shared the news of her husband’s passing earlier that day. Reflecting on her vocal longevity in a 2003 interview with the Boston Globe, Laine attributed her success to a cautious approach: “I was never a complete belter. There was always a protective side in me, and an inner voice always said, ‘Don’t do that – it’s not good for you and your voice.'” cleo Laine is survived by her son and daughter.
