Claire Austin

Claire Austin (November 21, 1918 - June 19, 1994)[1] (born Augusta Marie)[2] was an American blues and jazz singer and pianist.[2]

Claire Austin
Birth nameAugusta Marie
Born(1918-11-21)November 21, 1918
Yakima, Washington, U.S.
DiedJune 17, 1994(1994-06-17) (aged 75)
Willits, California
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Singer

Austin was born to Swedish-American parents in Yakima, Washington.[2] She played in nightclubs throughout the northwest in the 1930s[3] and toured with the Chuck Austin Band in the 1940s.[2] She retired from professional singing by the early 1950s and was working as an accountant in Sacramento for the state of California;[4] after singing with Turk Murphy, she frequently performed in San Francisco for two years.[4] She remained active through the 1970s.[5] Her singing style has been compared to Peggy Lee.[6]

Discography
  • Sings the Blues (Good Time Jazz, 1954)
  • When Your Lover Has Gone (Contemporary, 1956)
  • Claire Austin and the Great Excelsior Jazz Band (GHB, 1966)
  • Goin' Crazy with the Blues with Gene Mayl (Jazzology, 1975)
  • Memories of You with Don Ewell (Audiophile, 1993)

References
  1. "Claire Austin". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  2. Blues Who's Who. ISBN 0-87000-425-5.
  3. Ron Wynn (21 November 1918). "Claire Austin | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  4. Glackin, William (24 May 1996). "Revisiting Jazz Greats: A Force That Shaped the Music". The Sacramento Bee.
  5. "The Resurgence of Jazz". The Hour (Fairfield County CT). 19 June 1976. p. 21.
  6. "Claire Austin Sings When Your Lover Has Gone: Claire Austin". Concord Music Group. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2014.


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