Still in St. Louis in her early twenties, she was singing at a hotel when a young club owner asked her to sing in his club in Chicago. The Cloister Inn was in the basement of the Maryland Hotel on Rush Street. During the 1950’s The Cloister Inn showcased some of the top enter- tainers and comedians of the day in "the swingingest show in town.” There were typically three nightly shows at 10, mid- night, and 2. With jazz legend Ramsey Lewis leading the house band, popular acts such as Duke Ellington, Tony Ben- nett, Buddy Rich, Redd Foxx, and Bill Cosby played the Cloister.


Even if she did not realize it at the time, Laurie was in the middle of music history being made.


In time she would marry


one of the owners’ of the Cloister and her first daughter Christy would be born. But the marriage did not last and Laurie found herself and her daughter back in Texas with her parents.


With her daughter safe in Texas with her parents, Laurie returned to Chicago to continue her singing career. She was soon “discovered” in 1957 by a jazz pro-


ducer named Red Clyde, who almost im- mediately flew her to a recording studio at Mode Records in California.


During the next two weeks, Laurie re- corded a dozen tracks that included the jazz classics Take Me In Your Arms, So In Love and You Go To My Head.


Backed by a full orchestra of brass and strings, Laurie sang with some of the most talented individuals in the recording industry at that time. To name a few, fu- ture Grammy-award-winning record pro- ducer and recording engineer, Bones Howe, famed pianist, composer and mu- sic producer, Marty Paich, and the very impressive jazz trumpet soloist, Don Fagerquist.


The resulting collection of ballads and jazz standards was extraordinary. There was little doubt at the time by the gifted participants that “Paradise” by Laurie Al- lyn would have gone straight to the top of the charts upon release. Regrettably, when Laurie left California after the ses- sions to relieve her ailing mother from watching her baby, she had no idea Mode Records would close up shop barely a week later and her remarkable album would never be heard.


After many attempts to reach Clyde failed, Laurie was heartbroken. She ac- cepted a few modeling jobs to make some money to help raise her daughter, but would not sing again. It was simply too painful for her to relive the dream she had lost.


In time she even gave up modeling as the traveling was not fair to her daughter.


Oct/Dec 2014 11 Kalon Women Magazine


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