British singer Claudia Fontaine has passed away, she was 57 years old.

Fontaine’s name is well known to music fans, she rarely sang lead vocals but was a backing vocalist for a wide range of artists and her name is in the credits of scores of albums.

Video: Marilyn performs Calling Your Name on Top of the Pops with Claudia Fontaine.

She sang lead vocals on several songs by The Beatmasters including 1989 single Warm Love which was included on their debut album, and Deeper Into Harmony off their 1992 album Life and Soul.

The Beatmasters featuring Claudia Fontaine – Warm Love from ohnoitisnathan on Vimeo.

She is best known as one part of vocal duo Afrodiziac which comprised Fontaine and Caron Wheeler, later they expanded to a trio with the addition of Naomi Thompson.

Afrodiziac performed on The Jam’s final single Beat Surrender, as well as Elvis Costello’s album Everyday I Write the Book. They also appear on records from Heaven 17, Howard Jones, Madness, Japan, Maxi Priest, Aswad and Aztec Camera.

Their most famous work is singing vocals on the song Free Nelson Mandela by Special AKA.

Caron Wheeler went on to sing lead vocals for British group Soul II Soul, while Fontaine continued to work with a wide range of artists including Betty Boo, EMF, Neneh Cherry and Hothouse Flowers.

Fontaine’s cause of death is unknown at this time.