Ottilie Patterson, widow of Chris Barber, has sadly passed away.
Before she joined the Chris Barber Band in 1955, it was accepted that British performers could not sing the blues effectively.
Ottilie Patterson began with what George Melly described as "a comparatively convincing approximation to the style of Bessie Smith", but soon found her own, very distinctive approach. It is unfortunate that, largely out of her own choosing, she became a forgotten figure in the world of British jazz"