Claudia Lennear

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Claudia Lennear
Birth nameClaudia Joy Offley
Also known asJoy Lennear[1]
Born1946 (age 77–78)[2]
Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer, teacher
Years active1968–present
LabelsReal Gone Music
Websitehttp://claudialennear.com/

Claudia Lennear (born Claudia Joy Offley; 1946) is an American soul singer and educator. Lennear began her performing with the Superbs before becoming an Ikette in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. She was also a background vocalist for various acts, including Joe Cocker, Leon Russell, and Freddie King. She released her only solo album in 1973. Lennear was featured in the 2013 Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom.[3] She was inducted in the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2019.[4]

Early life[edit]

Lennear was born Claudia Joy Offley at Providence Lying-In Hospital in Rhode Island. Her last name was changed after her mother married Leo V. Lennear, a Navy man stationed in Newport.[3] She grew up in different neighborhoods in Providence. Although raised a Catholic, her grandmother taught her to sing gospel songs as a child.[5]

In elementary school, Lennear studied music theory and took French at St. Charles Borromeo parochial school. Her career goal was to become a translator at the United Nations.[3] She also took private piano lessons. In high school, she was in the chorale program. As a teenager she listened to Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Carla Thomas, and Ike & Tina Turner.[5] During her senior year at Hope High School, her stepfather retired from the Navy and she moved to Pomona, California with her family in 1964.[3][6]

Career[edit]

After graduating from high school, Lennear enrolled in college and began fronting the Los Angeles-based soul group the Superbs.[5] They performed local gigs around Los Angeles. Lennear made her recording debut with the group on the single "One Bad Habit," released on Doré Records in 1968.[2]

The Ikettes[edit]

Through her friend, singer Sherlie Matthews, Lennear landed an audition with bandleader Ike Turner in 1968.[2][5] She passed the audition and left the Superbs to become an Ikette. "He [Ike Turner] was a terrific business person, very disciplined, and he was a visionary," she said.[7] Lennear was with Ike & Tina Turner for a few years until she had a spat with Tina Turner.[8] However, Lennear recalls her time with the Turners fondly, telling The Providence Journal: "Without Ike and Tina, I'd probably be 20 miles from stardom, not 20 feet....they taught me how to perform, how to work with other singers and musicians. Ike taught me how to support Tina on stage. And Tina taught me how to present myself....During the three years I was an Ikette, I never witnessed any physical abuse."[3]

Post-Ikette career[edit]

After leaving the Ikettes in 1970, Lennear worked with many acts including Humble Pie and Joe Cocker. She was part of a trio of backup singers for Delaney and Bonnie, that also included Rita Coolidge.

Lennear was one of Leon Russell's Shelter People. She sang back-up vocals on Joe Cocker's 1970 Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour and live album, on Leon Russell and the Shelter People, released in 1971 and on George Harrison's The Concert for Bangla Desh.[3] Her lead vocal live recording of "Let It Be" from the Mad Dogs and Englishmen movie was the B side of Leon Russell's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" single on A&M Records in 1971.

In 1973, Lennear released her first and only solo album for Warner Bros. Records entitled Phew!.[3][9] She had a bit part in the 1974 film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, playing the secretary who asks Clint Eastwood's character for his Social Security number. Lennear appeared in the August 1974 issue of Playboy magazine in a pictorial entitled "Brown Sugar."[3]

Lennear appeared in the Academy Award-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom (2013), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.[5] After the success of the film, David Bowie contacted Lennear and offered to write songs for her next project.[10]

Since 2014, Lennear has performed and recorded in Los Angeles with The New Ash Grove Players with S S Jones & Claudia Lennear. They have performed at the McCabes Guitar Shop, The Coffee Gallery, the Pasadena Pavilion for the Performing Arts, and The Improv[11] At the Lockn' Festival on September 11, 2015, Lennear performed with the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Rita Coolidge, Leon Russell and other alumni from the 1970 Joe Cocker Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour in a memorial concert for Cocker.[12][13]

Academic career[edit]

Lennear received degrees in French literature and art history from Pitzer College. She began teaching first in high school and then at Mt. San Antonio College, where she teaches French, Spanish, English and remedial math.[3][14]

Accolades[edit]

In 2019, Lennear was inducted in the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame.[4]

Personal life[edit]

In 1969, Lennear dated Mick Jagger when Ike & Tina Turner were the opening act for the Rolling Stones on their American tour.[15] Lennear's relationships with Mick Jagger and David Bowie are often cited as inspiration for The Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar" (1971) and Bowie's "Lady Grinning Soul" (1973).[16][17][18] NME editors Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray noted in 1981 that she was "yet to reply in song to either Mick or David."[16] However, in a 1973 article in Rolling Stone, she was quoted as saying that she wrote the song "Not At All" "to inform Mick Jagger of his dispensability".[19]

Discography[edit]

Singles[edit]

Year Title Label
1971 "Let It be" A&M Records
1973 "Two Trains" / "Not At All" Warner Bros. Records

Albums[edit]

As a solo artist[edit]

Year Album Label
1973 Phew! Warner Bros. Records

As an Ikette[edit]

Release date Album Label
June 1969 In Person Minit Records
July 1969 So Fine Pompeii Records
August 1969 Cussin', Cryin' & Carryin' On Pompeii Records
October 1969 The Hunter Blue Thumb Records
May 1970 Come Together Liberty Records
November 1970 Workin' Together Liberty Records

With other artists[edit]

Year Album Artist Credits
2016 Lost Studio Sessions 1964–1982 Gene Clark Featured Artist
2014 Face the Music Nils Lofgren Vocals
2014 The Best of the Superbs The Superbs Photo Courtesy
2011 Easy Does It/New York City (You're a Woman)/
A Possible Projection of the Future: Childhood's End		 Al Kooper Vocals (Background)
2010 Rarities Edition: Mad Dogs & Englishmen Joe Cocker Choir/Chorus, Primary Artist
2007 Less Than the Song/Life Machine Hoyt Axton Main Personnel, Vocals (Background)
2006 Mad Dogs & Englishmen: Fillmore March 28, 1970 Joe Cocker Vocals, Primary Artist
2006 The Complete Fillmore East Concerts Joe Cocker Vocals, Primary Artist
2006 The Definitive Collection Humble Pie Additional Personnel, Vocals (Background)
2006 The Definitive Collection Dave Mason Vocals (Background)
2006 What It is! Funky Soul and Rare Grooves: 1967–1977 Primary Artist
2005 Mad Dogs & Englishmen [2005 DVD] Joe Cocker Performer
2005 The Essential Taj Mahal Taj Mahal Main Personnel, Vocals (Background)
2001 Rare + Well Done: The Greatest & Most Obscure Recordings Al Kooper Vocals
2001 Right On! Box Set Primary Artist
2001 Right On, Vol. 3: Break Beats & Grooves from the Atlantic & Warner Vaults Primary Artist
2001 Sing a Happy Song: The Warner Bros. Recordings Taj Mahal Vocals (Background)
2001 Ultimate Collection Freddie King Vocals (Background)
2000 The Best of Freddie King: The Shelter Records Years Freddie King Vocals (Background)
1999 Ultimate Collection Dave Mason Vocals (Background)
1999 Ultimate Collection Nils Lofgren Vocals (Background)
1997 Retrospective Leon Russell Vocals
1997 Soft Fun, Tough Tears Nils Lofgren Vocals (Background)
1991 Key to the Highway [Del Rack] Freddie King Vocals, Vocals (Background)
1985 Takin' Care of Business Freddie King Choir/Chorus
1977 Brothers Taj Mahal Vocals, Vocals (Background)
1976 Cry Tough Nils Lofgren Vocals, Vocals (Background)
1976 Glass Heart Allan Rich Sound Effects
1976 The Best of Leon Russell [DCC/Shelter] Leon Russell Vocals
1975 Stills Stephen Stills Vocals
1974 Compartments José Feliciano Vocals (Background)
1974 Mo' Roots Taj Mahal Vocals, Vocals (Background)
1974 No Other Gene Clark Main Personnel, Vocals, Vocals (Background), Voices
1973 Chris Jagger Chris Jagger Vocals
1972 A Possible Projection of the Future Al Kooper Vocals
1972 Artist Proof Chris Darrow Vocals (Background)
1972 Bring Me Back Tony Kelly Vocals
1971 Getting Ready... Freddie King Vocals, Vocals (Background)
1971 Into the Purple Valley Ry Cooder Vocals
1971 Klatu Berrada Nitku Dependables Vocals, Bass, Group Member
1971 Leon Russell and the Shelter People Leon Russell Vocals
1971 Living by the Days Don Nix Vocals, Vocals (Background)
1971 New York City (You're a Woman) Al Kooper Vocals, Vocals (Background)
1971 Rock On Humble Pie Vocals
1970 Alone Together Dave Mason Vocals
1970 Mad Dogs & Englishmen Joe Cocker Main Personnel, Vocals, Vocals (Background), Choir/Chorus, Featured Artist, Primary Artist
1970 Stephen Stills Stephen Stills Vocals
All the Funk & Groove Primary Artist
My Perfect List 60 Titres Soul 1 Primary Artist
Truckers, Kickers, Cowboy Angels: The Blissed-Out Birth of Country Rock, Vol. 6: 1973 Vocals (Background)
U.F.O. Ron Davies Vocals (Background)

[20]

Filmography/TV appearances[edit]

Year Title Role
1968 The Hollywood Palace Ikette
1969 Andy's Love Concert Ikette
1969 The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour Ikette
1969 Playboy After Dark Ikette
1970 The Ed Sullivan Show Ikette
1974 Thunderbolt and Lightfoot Secretary
2013 20 Feet from Stardom Herself

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Spotlights Turn On Her". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. June 2, 1969 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c Bernholm, Jonas (July 26, 2019), "Los Angeles: July 30 – August 8, 1968", Soul Music Odyssey USA 1968, York University Libraries
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Smith, Andy (June 22, 2014). "From Hope High to '20 Feet From Stardom' was an amazing journey". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015.
  4. ^ a b Bissonnette, Jonathan (May 2, 2019). "Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame welcomes class of 2019". The Independent.
  5. ^ a b c d e Wikane, Christian John, "Keeping Great Company: An Interview with Claudia Lennear", PopMatters, June 20, 2013.
  6. ^ Abrams, Ken (April 17, 2019). "WhatsUp Interview: Claudia Lennear, 2019 RI Music Hall of Fame Inductee". What's Up RhodeIsland.
  7. ^ "Soul singer to discuss star-crossed life during interview". Claremont Courier. July 24, 2014.
  8. ^ Mcleod, Pauline (March 30, 2014). "My favourite photograph by Mick Jagger's ex girlfriend, singer Claudia Lennear". Express.
  9. ^ "Claudia Lennear – Phew!" at Allmusic.
  10. ^ Michaels, Sean (March 6, 2014). "Bowie backing singer claims star has promised to write original songs for her". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.
  11. ^ "The New Ash Grove Players with Claudia Lennear and SS Jones". ashgrovemusic.net. January 6, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  12. ^ "Inside Tedeschi Trucks Band's All-Star Joe Cocker Tribute". Rollingstone.com. July 14, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  13. ^ "YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on September 16, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  14. ^ Tigerino, Adolfo, "Former professional singer rocks LAC", Mountiewire.com, June 4, 2013.
  15. ^ Marsh, Stefanie (February 25, 1969). "Me, Mick Jagger and the truth about Brown Sugar". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  16. ^ a b Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray (1981). Bowie: An Illustrated Record: p. 56
  17. ^ "The Ziggy Stardust Companion – Encyclopedia L". 5years.com. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  18. ^ "The lyrics were partially inspired by a black backing singer we knew in L.A. called Claudia Linnear" – Bill Wyman quoted from Rolling With The Stones (2002) at Time Is On Our Side.
  19. ^ Fong-Torres, Ben, "Keeping Great Company: An Interview with Claudia Lennear", Rolling Stone, April 12, 1973.
  20. ^ "Claudia Lennear – Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved January 20, 2018.

External links[edit]

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