THE GUARDIAN: SOUL VETERAN JEAN CARNE
At 21, the singer Jean Carne had uprooted her life in Atlanta, Georgia, to elope to Hollywood with jazz pianist Doug Carn. It was 1969, and like so many American kids of the flower-power years, Carne was moving west to try her luck in the world of entertainment.
While most of her generation would have struck out, Carne found herself living in an apartment block with members of a new funk collective from Chicago. These vegetarian men, who expounded on the benefits of clean living and astrology called themselves Earth, Wind & Fire. Doug and Jean soon hit it off with the band, recording backing vocals and keys on their first two albums, and even adopting their vegetarianism. The group went on to sell more than 90m records, becoming one of the best-selling pop acts of all time.
In the ensuing five decades, Carne has honed her five-octave vocal range to perform with a roll call of the 20th century’s finest American singers. Her highlights include being the last singer to perform with jazz great Duke Ellington, performing with Stevie Wonder, Minnie Riperton and the Temptations, vocal coaching a young Michael Jackson, and featuring on albums from jazz fusion luminaries including Grover Washington Jr and Roy Ayers. She has also produced solo hits, including the 1978 rare groove classic Don’t Let It Go to Your Head and the 1986 R&B ballad Closer Than Close.
