For a brief moment in the early 70's, Claudia Lennear seemed to be everywhere. She sang back-up for Delaney and Bonnie, Humble Pie, and as one of Leon Russell's Shelter People.

In an age when actually seeing contemporary musicians on screen was relatively rare, her fabulous voice and alluring presence graced the feature films of Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour and the Concert for Bangladesh, as well as the premiere edition of PBS's Soundstage.

What's more, the former Ikette was the inspiration for the Rolling Stones' Brown Sugar and David Bowie's Lady Grinning Soul. Her first solo album, Phew, was released to critical acclaim in 1973.

And then she disappeared.

For nearly 40 years.

She became invisible -- except for the students she was teaching in her new career as a high school language instructor.

She has finally resurfaced in the brilliant documentary by Morgan Neville, Twenty Feet from Stardom. Here is a look back at Claudia Lennear, scored by her solo cut, Going Down Slowly.

свернуть