Ceil Clayton

Once again here's a great singer & pianist that defiantly comes under the obscure and neglected female singers category....Not very much info about her what there is is here !!

Born in New Bedford, Mass., Ceil Clayton - started in the entertainment business when she was 8, playing piano and singing on local radio stations. She studied music at the New England Conservatory in Boston. She moved in St. Louis after World War II and later became a featured performer at Mr. D's, a popular nightspot in the old Gaslight Square. She also recorded two albums there: "Ceil Clayton" and "Meet the Nicest People" in 60's.

She performed solo until the late 80's, when she hooked up with drummer Bill Schneider and bass player Bill Harper.

"Back in the '40s, '50s and '60's, jazzy chanteuses such as Ceil Clayton played to packed houses in the then-vibrant Gaslight Square district. The local legend's career lasted into the '80s, by which point Clayton was selling pianos and sheet music to supplement her income. One day, a twenty-year-old customer named Steve Schneider caught Clayton playing an in-store demo and asked to accompany her on "New York, New York." The pair hit it off instantly, and Clayton frequently asked Schneider to join her for various gigs around town. "I was a baby going to see her," Schneider, now 41, recalls. "She let me get my feet wet and get a taste of it. She could play anything." -- Mike Seely (Apr.16, 2003)

( Info From Steve Hoffman Music Forum )

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