Biography

Raelene Claire Claussen, known professionally as Sue Raney (born June 18, 1940, in McPherson, Kansas) is an American jazz singer. Raney was signed by Capitol Records in 1957 at age 17. That same year, she recorded her debut album, When Your Lover Has Gone, produced by Nelson Riddle. Raney was born to Richard LeRoy Claussen (1913–1967) and Mildred Augusta Vonderfecht (maiden; 1915–2005). She began singing at age four, and, encouraged by her mother, began singing professionally before becoming a teenager. When she was nearly 14, she joined Jack Carson's radio show in Los Angeles in 1954 and later worked on television as the singer in Ray Anthony's band. In 1960, Raney recorded, "Biology" – Bill Holman directing – which became Capitol's first single elevated to national promotion after introducing it in regional pre-testing that same year. Raney was featured with the Stan Kenton orchestra in 1962 on the hour-long television special Music of 1960s.

Raney sang the theme song to the 1967 psychological thriller film Wait Until Dark, starring Audrey Hepburn. The song, bearing the title of the film, was composed by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. Raney voiced Patti Bear in The Great Bear Scare (1983), an animated Halloween sequel to The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas. Her single "Early Morning Blues and Greens" was played on easy-listening stations, peaking at No. 16 on the Billboard magazine MOR chart. She sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Dodger Stadium before the sixth game of the 1978 World Series. At the time, she was married to Ed Yelin of Capitol Records. She also performed on three albums titled Supersax and LA Voices, Vol. 1 (1983), Vol. 2 (1984), and Vol. 3 (1986). The LA Voices of Volume 1 received a Grammy nomination for the 26th Annual Grammy Awards in the category "Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group".