Cleo Laine

The castaway on Desert Island Discs this week is the jazz singer Cleo Laine. Although driven by a great desire to be a performer, and travelling from one audition to another, she confesses to Sue Lawley that when her big break came, it wasn't jazz which attracted her, so much as the leader of the band - John Dankworth. Whether he spotted a cheap singer for the night, or recognised a great talent in the making, it was to be the start of a hugely successful partnership both professionally and personally.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Don't Look Back by Jacqueline Dankworth Book: The Jazz Revolution by John Dankworth Luxury: Perfume