Jazz breaking news: Jamie Cullum celebrates Dame Cleo Laine’s 85th birthday with radio show special
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Legendary British jazz singer Dame Cleo Laine will be joining Jamie Cullum (pictured left), on his popular Radio 2 show to celebrate her 85th birthday with a show dedicated to her life in music.
The programme will feature Cleo and Jamie performing a few pieces accompanied by Laine’s son, bassist Alec Dankworth. There will also be a discussion about Cleo’s illustrious career in music, from her first meeting her husband, the late Sir John Dankworth, at an audition to working with such luminaries as Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra.
The programme will also include a broadcast of ‘Woman Talk’, a classic Laine performance unearthed from the BBC archives. Cullum commented on his admiration for Laine, saying, “The word legend gets used far too much in my opinion, but in Dame Cleo’s case it’s absolutely deserved. My Mum was a huge Cleo fan and I became a fan as well at a very early age so to meet her and sing with her was a dream come true.”
The show will air tonight on BBC Radio2 at 7pm
– Miles Spilsbury