Jazz diva Peggy Lee, 81, dies of a heart attack

Peggy Lee, the singer-composer who was one of the last of the great jazz divas, has died of a heart attack at her California home. She was 81.

Ms Lee recorded more than 600 songs including such sultry numbers as "Is That All There Is" and "Fever" in a musical career of more than 50 years. She won a Grammy and an Oscar nomination but also fought repeated battles with injury and ill-health.

Nicki Lee Foster, her daughter by the guitarist Dave Barbour, paid tribute to her mother by saying she had been a perfectionist with an incredible ear. "She saw her performance as a total complete musical picture from start to finish."

Peggy Lee was born Norma Egstrom in North Dakota in 1920. After an abusive childhood, she began her career by joining the band of Benny Goodman at the age of 21.

She went on to international acclaim with notable recordings including "Lover," "The Way You Look Tonight," and "Big Spender" and she won her Grammy for best contemporary female vocal performance with "Is That All There Is?" in 1969.

Her film appearances included Mr Music with Bing Crosby in 1950 and a 1953 remake of The Jazz Singer. Her portrayal of a complete breakdown in Pete Kelly's Blues won her an Oscar nomination in 1955 and she achieved celluloid immortality as the voice of the canine who sings "He's a Tramp (But I Love Him)" in Disney's The Lady and the Tramp.

She also wrote many songs, including themes for films such as Johnny Guitar and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Her success came despite a troubled personal life. She was married four times, to the alcoholic Mr Barbour, the actors Brad Dexter and Dewey Martin, and the percussionist Jack Del Rio.

"They weren't really weddings, just long costume parties," she once said. Traumatised by the split from Mr Barbour, she repeated the observation that "you have to have your heart broken at least once to sing a love song".

Ms Lee, a diabetic, also had glandular and weight problems. In 1985 she had double-bypass heart surgery and, four years ago, suffered a stroke that impaired her speech.

At her best, Peggy Lee's performances drew comparisons with Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday for her sexy, breathy style. But she believed she was never properly recompensed for her talents. She was among 200 musicians who launched legal action against Vivendi Universal's music division, claiming she was owed millions of dollars from under-reported sales and overcharging for record label services.