Sir John Dankworh CBE, jazz maestro and husband of Dame Cleo Laine for sixty years, has died aged 82.
The saxophonist, whose career spanned more than half a century, died yesterday in King Edward VII hospital, London.
He had been ill for several months after a tour of the USA with Cleo. Dankworth enjoyed a parallel career as a film and television composer, and wrote the theme tune for television shows The Avengers and Tomorrow's World, as well as scores for films of the 1960s, such as Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, The Servant and Modesty Blaise.
Johnny and Cleo have two children, Alec and Jacqui, who are both jazz musicians. Laine announced his death at a concert at The Stables theatre, in Buckinghamshire, last night which the couple founded in the grounds of their home in Wavendon.
The concert, marking the venue's 40th anniversary, went ahead as planned and featured performances from Laine, Alec and Jacqui, as well as performers including Paul O'Grady, Prunella Scales, Maureen Lipman, and Victoria Wood.
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