Home » Jazz Musicians » Clea Bradford

Clea Bradford

Clea Bradford, 67, a versatile jazz singer who toured the Soviet Union with Earl "Fatha" Hines and recorded with Clark Terry in the 1960s, died Aug. 19 of complications from breast cancer at Holy Cross Hospital. She lived in Silver Spring. Ms. Bradford, who settled into a second career as a voice coach in the Washington area after two decades of touring, was not a big star but a "huge twinkle," as she once joked to The Washington Post, and was a favorite of critics. She performed locally in the 1970s and '80s, and reviewers found her compelling, noting her range, versatility and hornlike phrasing. "Clea Bradford has been compared to other vocalists but the equation fails on two counts," former Washington Post critic W. Royal Stokes wrote. "One, despite surface similarities, she is not an imitation. Two, attentive listening reveals that her craft derives from horn players rather than singers." Critics commented on her striking looks as well as her vocal expertise. She was almost 6 feet tall with high cheekbones and long straight hair, characteristics that she attributed to her mixture of Choctaw Indian and Ethiopian ancestry. Continue...


Tags

112

Obituary

Singer Clea Bradford Dies at Age 67

Singer Clea Bradford Dies at Age 67

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

Clea Bradford, a jazz singer who spent her formative years in St. Louis, has died of complications from breast cancer at age 67 in a Washington, DC hospital.Born in Mississippi and raised in Charleston, MO and St. Louis, Bradford (pictured) was a protege of trumpeter Clark Terry and saxophonist Jimmy Forrest who in the 1960s gigged frequently in the St. Louis area with Quartette Tres Bien. She later toured the Playboy Club circuit, using the Gateway City as ...

188

Obituary

Clea Bradford, 67; Jazz Singer Was Known for Her Versatility

Clea Bradford, 67; Jazz Singer Was Known for Her Versatility

Source: All About Jazz

Clea Bradford, 67, a versatile jazz singer who toured the Soviet Union with Earl “Fatha" Hines and recorded with Clark Terry in the 1960s, died Aug. 19 of complications from breast cancer at Holy Cross Hospital. She lived in Silver Spring. Ms. Bradford, who settled into a second career as a voice coach in the Washington area after two decades of touring, was not a big star but a “huge twinkle," as she once joked to The Washington Post, and ...

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Anthem 1984

Mainstream Records
1983

buy

My Love's A Monster

Mainstream Records
1968

buy

Her Point Of View

Mainstream Records
1968

buy

...Now

Solid Records (6)
1965

buy

Clea Bradford With...

Mainstream Records
1961

buy

Videos

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.