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
Born	Augusta Marie (1918-11-21)November 21, 1918 Yakima, Washington, U.S.
Died	June 17, 1994(1994-06-17) (aged 75) Willits, California, U.S.
Genres	Jazz
Occupation	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 With Kid Ory (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)