Marti Caine

Marti Caine (26 January 1944 - 4 November 1995) was an English actress and comedian. She was born in Sheffield, real name Lynne Denise Shepherd, becoming Lynne Stringer after her first marriage. She chose her stage name from a gardening book, though Marta Cane (tomato cane) was mis-spelt at an early gig and the known spelling remained with her. After working many years on the club circuit in Yorkshire as a stand-up comic and cabaret singer, she rose to national prominence when she appeared on the show New Faces in 1975. After winning that year's competition she went on make more television appearances including the self titled Marti Caine on BBC2; showcasing her dance, comedic and musical talents. Among millions of fans who watched her TV performances could be counted Liberace (who compared her with Barbra Streisand) and Joan Rivers. Marti returned to New Faces as its compere during the 1980s, reviving the show into a ratings winner. She enjoyed playing in pantomime, as well as in repertory, appearing frequently in Cambridge, Bath, Bournemouth and London. She successfully led a UK tour of the musical production Funny Girl. Marti Caine died from lymphatic cancer in 1995, having spent the last years of her life campaigning tirelessly on behalf of cancer charities (the proceeds from her last album going directly to the Marti Caine Children with Leukaemia Trust). Her autobiography was a best seller: an intelligently written and brutally honest account of an extraordinary life story. She was a fan of modern art, and Mick Farrell's sculpture Sheen is dedicated in her honour; frequently referred to as Marti, it is situated outside Sheffield Hallam University. [edit] Music career Marti recorded five albums, also working with Karl Jenkins who wrote a signature tune Quiet Please, The Lady's Gonnna Sing using the theme from Sibelius' 5th Symphony. The sweeping, theatrical, delivery of the title track contrasts with the easy, fluid style with which she approaches Ebony Eyes - the latter ending with a typically comedic flourish. Her persona as cabaret host and comedienne seemed to prevent any serious inroads into commercial musical success, though her recordings were marketed globally, with large numbers bought by television audiences. Her posthumous CD, released in 1996, was selected from her BBC Radio shows; her musical director noting that "I was working with, arguably, 'the best female singer around' but who was, unfortunately, always thought of, first and foremost, as a comedienne..." A decision to play Sun City was seen as a serious error of judgement by many. However, if naively, Marti felt she was supporting and working with the black community, for whom she writes with respect and admiration in her autobiography. A lover of black music, she recorded many Stevie Wonder songs, and dedicated a medley as a Tribute to Gladys Knight on her first studio LP. Discography CD: Marti (1996) [Concert recording with the Ronnie Hazlehurst orchestra] LPs: Point of View (1981) The Lady's Gonna Sing (1979) [Co-produced by Karl Jenkins] Behind the Smile (1978) [Produced by Karl Jenkins] Nobody Does It Like Marti (1976) [Re-released 1979] Singles: Can I Speak to the World, Please? / Tin Heart and the Rebel (1981) I'll Never See You Again (1981) One More Night (1979) I've Never Been To Me (1978) Momma's Song (1975) Credit: wikipedia Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.