Cleo Laine

British jazz singer and occasional actress. Born 28 October 1927 in London, England, UK. Died 24 July 2025. Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth DBE, was a jazz singer and an actress, known for her scat singing and great vocal range. Though her natural range was that of a contralto, she was able to produce a "G above high C" giving her an overall compass of well over three octaves. She was the only female performer to have received Grammy nominations in the jazz, popular and classical music categories. Laine was also the wife of British jazz composer and saxophonist Sir John Dankworth.