Booking Jean Carne

Jean Carne Biography

The American jazz and pop singer Jean Carne was born in 1947 in Atlanta, Georgia. As a child, Jean sang in the local church choir and while still in elementary school, she began to study a variety of instruments, including the bassoon, the clarinet, and the piano. After graduating from high school, Carne attended Morris Brown College to further her studies in music, but she left university to instead begin serving as the featured vocalist in a jazz fusion band, founded by her husband, Doug Carn.

Jean and Doug relocated to Los Angeles and released a number of early albums, garnering some acclaim and establishing a fan base. During this time, Jean Carne sang for a number of other recording artists, including Earth, Wind and Fire, for whom she provided vocals on their first two albums. Eventually, Carne garnered the attention of Philadelphia International Records and signed with the label for her own solo recording deal. The debut album, Jean Carn, arrived in 1977 and spawned the R&B hit “Free Love.”

Jean Carn was followed by Happy to Be With You (1978), When I Find You Love (1979), and Sweet and Wonderful (1981.) In 1982, Carne switched to Motown Records and released the hit album Trust Me, which featured the hit cover of the classic, “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.” Over the decade following, Jean Carne released a series of well-received jazz albums, including: Closer Than Close (1986), You’re a Part of Me (1988), Carne Sings McCoy (1995), and Love Lessons (1997.) Notable R&B hits include: “Valentine Love,” “Where Did You Ever Go?,” “Don’t Let it Go to Your Head,” “I’m Back for More,” “Love Don’t Love Nobody,” “Closer Than Close,” and “Ain’t No Way.”

Jean Carne is known for her five octave vocal range and impressive depth of expression, which has landed her collaborative work with some of the era’s most significant artists, including: Leon Huff, The Temptations, and Dizzy Gillespie. In addition, Carne’s song “Was That All It Was” appeared in the 2008 film Precious, and her song “Completeness” was recently sampled by rapper Currensy in the hit song, “The Business.”