English veteran jazz singer and actress Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth (born Clementine Dinah Hitching) has sadly passed away.
Cleo Laine – Send in the Clowns
Lyrics: American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. Vocals: Veteran jazz singer and actress Dame Cleo Laine.
Born to a then single mother, Ms Minnie Hitching, a farmer’s daughter from Swindon. Her father, Jamaican World War I veteran, Mr Alex Campbell and her mother both married after her birth.
Lady Dankworth, who began singing aged 3, during her career was nominated for five Grammy awards and would become the first British singer to win a Grammy Award, in a jazz category, having shared the stage with such accomplished performers as Duke Ellington, Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra.
She made her first film appearance, at the age of 12 years, as an urchin in Alexander Korda’s film “The Thief of Baghdad” in 1940. With parents now divorced, she left school at 14, working as a hairdressers assistant, as a hat maker assistant and in a pawnbroker’s shop.
In 1946, Lady Dankworth married Mr George Langridge, a roof tiler, with whom she gave birth to one son, Stuart. The couple divorced some eleven years, in 1957. Her son from that marriage, predeceased Lady Dankworth in 2019, aged 72 years.
On receiving an invitation to try out with the jazz group, “The Johnny Dankworth Seven” in 1951, Clementine was offered a job at £7:00 per week.
One problem now arose; her name was too long to fit on posters, so the band put some shorter alternatives into a hat. “Cleo” and “Laine” got pulled out, so she now became newly christened as “Cleo Laine”.
Following her divorce from George Langridge, in 1958, she married, her band leader in secret, at Hampstead Registry Office, the now late English jazz composer, saxophonist, clarinettist and writer of film scores John Phillip William Dankworth, (Johnny Dankworth, 1927-2010). The couple had two children together, bassist Alec Dankworth and singer Jacqui Dankworth. They would remain married until his death and on that same day, having performed at a concert at “The Stables”, Buckinghamshire, UK, (to mark the venue’s 40th anniversary) Lady Dankworth announced Johnny’s death, on stage, at the end of her performance.
Awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1979, she reluctantly became a ‘Dame’ in 1997; an honour she hesitated to accept, but finally deciding to do so “for jazz”.
Once described as “quite simply the best singer in the world,” Lady Dankworth passed away yesterday, July 24th, at her home in Wavendon, Milton Keynes, UK, at the ripe old age of 97 years.
Lyrics and Vocals: American country-folk singer, songwriter and guitarist, the late John Edward Prine, (1946-2020).
Paradise.
When I was a child my family would travel, Down to Western Kentucky, where my parents were born. And there’s a backwards old town that’s often remembered, So many times that my memories are worn.
Chorus. And Daddy, won’t you take me back to Muhlenberg County? Down by the Green River where Paradise lay. Well, I’m sorry, my son, but you’re too late in asking, Mister Peabody’s coal train has hauled it away.
Well, sometimes we’d travel right down the Green River, To the abandoned old prison, down by Airdrie Hill, Where the air smelled like snakes we’d shoot with our pistols, But empty pop bottles was all we would kill.
Repeat Chorus.
Then the coal company came with the world’s largest shovel, And they tortured the timber and stripped all the land. Well, they dug for their coal till the land was forsaken, Then they wrote it all down as the progress of man.
Repeat Chorus.
When I die, let my ashes float down the Green River, Let my soul roll on up to the Rochester Dam. I’ll be halfway to Heaven with Paradise waitin’, Just five miles away from wherever I am.
Update (3)recall of various branded prepared meals and side dishes produced by Ballymaguire Foods due to the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes
Third Alert Summary dated Thursday, July 24th 2025
Note: One adult has died with a confirmed case of the bacterial infection listeriosis, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has confirmed same. It said nine other confirmed cases of listeriosis had been identified as of two days ago.
Category 1: For Action. Alert Notification: 2025.34 (Update 3). Product Identification: Tesco Finest Creamed Spinach. Also, please see updated list of all implicated products HERE and HERE. Note:All pack sizes are implicated. Establishment approval number IE 4008 EC. Batch Code: All batches and all use by dates Country Of Origin: Ireland
Message: Further to FSAI food alert 2025.34, 2025.34 Update 1 and 2025.34 Update 2, the above additional product is also being recalled due to the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes. The full list of recalled products can be found HERE. Recall notices will be displayed at point-of-sale.
Nature Of Danger: Symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes infection can include mild flu-like symptoms, or gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. In rare cases, the infection can be more severe, causing serious complications. Some people are more vulnerable to Listeria monocytogenes infections, including pregnant women, babies, and people with weakened immune systems, including the elderly. The incubation period (time between initial infection and first symptoms appearing) is on average 3 weeks but can range between 3 and 70 days.
Action Required: Manufacturers, Wholesalers, Distributors, Caterers and Retailers: Retailers: Same are requested to remove the implicated products from sale and display recall notices at point-of-sale. Wholesalers/Distributors: Same are requested to contact their affected customers and recall the implicated products and provide a point-of-sale recall notice to their retailer customers. Caterers: Same should not use the implicated products.
Consumers: Consumers are advised not to eat the implicated products. Consumers are also advised to check their fridges and freezers for the implicated products and dispose of them or return them to the store where purchased, as directed by the retailer.
Pre-deceased by his loving son Michael; Mr Brennan passed away peacefully, while in the care of staff at South Tipperary, University Hospital, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, surrounded by his loving family.
His passing is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his sorrowing family; loving wife Breda, daughters Bridget and Eileen, sons James and Patrick, aunt Mary, grand-children Michael, JJ, Patrick, Liam Og, Ada and Tadhg, daughter-in-law Gillian, sons-in-law James and James, extended relatives, neighbours and a wide circle of friends.
For those persons who would wish to attend Requiem Mass for Mr Brennan, but for reasons cannot, same can be viewed streamed live online, HERE.
The extended Brennan family wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time, and have made arrangements for those persons wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.
The Brennan family would like to express their sincere thanks to all those who cared for Mr Brennan throughout his illness.
Note Please: Family flowers only. Donations in lieu, if desired to the South Tipperary Hospice Movement, in memory of Mr Patrick (Pat) Brennan.
Rain did not dampen the party in Semple’s Field in Thurles Co. Tipperary on Monday last as queues formed at the main entrances from 4:30pm, with Tipperary band Seskin Lane taking to the stage to begin the promised concert, which also featured Callini Lua, Acquiesce, Una Healy and The 2 Johnniesall topping the bill.
Things could only get better through the afternoon as Thurles native; professional singer/songwriter and TV star, the talented Ms Una Healy(Former member of the five-piece girl group The Saturdays) took to her guitar with, appropriately, Amy McDonald’s “This is the Life”, before ending with Guns N’ Roses ballad, “Sweet Child O’ Mine”.
Ms Una Healy.
Sadly two metal bars, crossing the front of the erected stage, prevented the gathered 45,000 spectators from gaining a clear vision of those performing. Perhaps for next year’s celebrations, and yes, I prophesize, there will be a next year for these All-Ireland Champions, this small oversight can be corrected.
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