Laura Nyro

Laura Nyro was an American singer-songwriter and pianist whose emotionally rich songs — blending pop, soul, jazz and gospel — were recorded as hits by artists including The 5th Dimension, Barbra Streisand and Blood, Sweat & Tears. She was of Jewish heritage on her father's side (an Italian-Jewish jazz trumpeter) and her Russian-Jewish mother. Her distinctive, confessional style made her a lasting influence on generations of singer-songwriters, and she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.