Lesley Cox[1] (née Duncan; 12 August 1943 – 12 March 2010)[2] was an English singer-songwriter, best known for her work during the 1970s. She received much airplay on British radio stations such as BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2, but never achieved greater commercial success, in part because of her unwillingness to chase stardom, as well as crippling stage fright.[3]
Early life
Duncan was born in Stockton-on-Tees on 12 August 1943, and left school while only 14 years old. At 19, while working in a London coffee bar, she and her brother were placed on weekly retainers by a music publisher. Within a year, Duncan had signed her first recording contract, with EMI, and appeared in the film What a Crazy World.[2]
Career
"Love Song"
Duncan is considered one of Britain's first female singer-songwriters.[3] Her songs included "Everything Changes" and "Sing Children Sing", and the song for which she is best known, "Love Song". Elton John recorded a duet with Duncan of the song, similar to her solo version, for his album Tumbleweed Connection. She appeared onstage with John in concert at the Royal Festival Hall on 18 May 1974, to perform the duet once again,[4] and the live recording of "Love Song" was included on John's Here and There album. John described "Love Song" as "one of the very few" songs he did not co-author but included on an album earlier in his career.[5] Duncan's version was later covered by more than 150 other artists, including David Bowie.[6] In 2022, both Duncan and John's versions of the song were featured in the folk horror film Men. This success notwithstanding, and despite their receiving critical acclaim, Duncan's multiple solo albums failed to achieve commercial success.[2]
Olivia Newton-John recorded "Love Song" and it was included in her 1971 debut album If Not For You, as well as Olivia's remastered, reissue of her greatest hits, double album Vol.1-Deluxe Edition, released in 2022.
Backing vocalist
In addition to writing and singing her own material, Duncan was in wide demand as a session singer during the mid to late 1960s, most notably working with Dusty Springfield from 1964 to 1972, a favour Springfield returned by performing backing vocals for several Duncan recordings.[2] Duncan can be seen on many of the performances featured in the BBC DVD Dusty at the BBC. She worked frequently with her colleague Madeline Bell, including on many Dusty Springfield sessions, as well as providing backing vocals on a number of notable pop/rock recordings such as the 1969 Donovan hit single "Barabajagal".
Duncan again joined Elton John at his request to provide vocals for his 1971 album Madman Across the Water, and in exchange John played piano on her first solo album Sing Children Sing.[5] She also co-wrote three songs with Scott Walker for The Walker Brothers in addition to providing backing vocals for them. She can also be heard on the studio recording of Jesus Christ Superstar.[7]
Duncan famously contributed backing vocals to one of the top selling albums of all time,[8]Pink Floyd's 1973 release The Dark Side of the Moon, which was engineered by Alan Parsons. Later, in 1979, she again worked with Parsons, singing lead vocals on the song "If I Could Change Your Mind" for the Alan Parsons Project album Eve, in her final album appearance.[3]
Personal life
Duncan was first married to Jimmy Horowitz, who produced her early albums. Together, they had two sons.[6] In 1978, Duncan married Tony Cox, a record producer. They later moved to the Isle of Mull, Scotland, in 1996, where most residents came to know her as a cheerful gardener, knowing nothing of her prior musical career.[5] By all accounts content to lead a more private, family-oriented life in her later years, she died on 12 March 2010 of cerebrovascular disease,[3] following an extended illness.[1]
