Dame Shirley Bassey,
DBEThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 8 January 1937), is a
WelshThe Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century". In the US, in particular, she is best known for recording the theme songs to the
James BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
films
GoldfingerGoldfinger is the third spy film in the James Bond series and the third to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1964, it is based on the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. The film also stars Honor Blackman as Bond girl Pussy Galore and Gert Fröbe as the title...
(1964),
Diamonds Are ForeverDiamonds Are Forever is the seventh spy film in the Eon Productions James Bond series, and the sixth and final Eon Productions film to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film is based on Ian Fleming's 1956 novel of the same name, and is the second of four James Bond films...
(1971), and
MoonrakerMoonraker is the eleventh spy film in the James Bond series, and the fourth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The third and final film in the series to be directed by Lewis Gilbert, it co-stars Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale, Corinne Clery, and Richard Kiel...
(1979), and is a UNESCO Artist for Peace.
Birth to 1959
"Born above a brothel in a docklands slum", Shirley Veronica Bassey was the sixth and last child of Eliza Jane Start and Henry Bassey in
Tiger BayTiger Bay was the local name for an area of Cardiff which covered Butetown and Cardiff Docks. It was re-branded as Cardiff Bay following the building of the Cardiff Barrage which dams the tidal rivers Ely and Taff to create a body of water.-History:...
,
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
,
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
(now called
Cardiff BayCardiff Bay is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the United Kingdom. The Bay is supplied by two rivers to form a freshwater lake round the...
), of paternal Nigerian and maternal
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
descent. Bassey's mother also had four children from previous relationships, two of whom lived in the Bassey household. Eliza and Henry's second child died in infancy, so Shirley was born into a household of three sisters, two half-sisters, and one brother. A year later her father was arrested and charged with having sex with a minor, was tried, imprisoned for five years, and then deported. After Henry's arrest, Eliza and the children moved to the nearby steelworking district of
SplottSplott is a district in the south of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales, just east of the city centre. It was built up in the late 19th century on the land of two farms of the same name: Upper Splott and Lower Splott Farms. Splott is characterised by its once vast steelworks and rows of tightly...
.
After leaving Splott Secondary Modern School at the age of 14, Bassey first found employment packing at a local factory while singing in local
public houseA public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s and clubs in the evenings and weekends. In 1953, she signed her first professional contract, to sing in a touring variety show
Memories of Jolson, a musical based on the life of
Al JolsonAl Jolson was an American singer, comedian and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer"....
. She next took up a professional engagement in
Hot from Harlem, which ran until 1954. By this time Bassey had become disenchanted with
show business, and had become pregnant at 16 with her elder daughter, Sharon—the father has not been identified—so she went back to waiting tables in Cardiff. However, in 1955, a chance recommendation of her to Michael Sullivan, a booking agent, put her firmly on course for her destined career. He saw talent in Bassey, and decided he would make her a star. She toured various
theatreTheatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
s until she was seen by
Jack HyltonJack Hylton was a British band leader and impresario.He was born John Greenhalgh Hilton in the Great Lever area of Bolton, Lancashire, the son of George Hilton, a cotton yarn twister. His father was an amateur singer at the local Labour Club and Jack learned piano to accompany him on the stage...
whose interest in her put her firmly on the road to stardom. He invited her to star in
Al ReadAl Read was a popular British radio comedian active throughout the 1950s and 1960s.Read was born in Broughton, Salford, Lancashire and was a sausage maker in his father's business. He became known as a popular after dinner speaker with wry and well-observed humour in clubs. In 1950 Read made his...
's
Such Is Life at the
Adelphi TheatreThe Adelphi Theatre is a 1500-seat West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiving house for a variety of productions, including many musicals...
in London's
West EndWest End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
. During the show's run,
PhilipsPhilips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also...
A&RArtists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
and record producer
Johnny FranzJohnny Franz was a UK record producer and A&R man at the Philips label. Although his name is not recognized by many Americans, Franz was one of Britain's most successful producers in the 1950s and 1960s...
spotted her on television, was impressed, and offered her a recording deal. Bassey recorded her first
singleIn music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, entitled "Burn My Candle", and Philips released it in February 1956, when Bassey was 19. Owing to the suggestive lyrics, the BBC banned it, but it sold well nonetheless, backed with her powerful rendition of "Stormy Weather". Further singles followed, and in February 1957, Bassey had her first
hitA hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
with "The Banana Boat Song", which reached No. 8 in the UK Singles Chart. During that year, she also recorded under the direction of American producer
Mitch MillerMitchell William "Mitch" Miller was an American musician, singer, conductor, record producer, A&R man and record company executive...
in New York for the
ColumbiaColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
label, producing the single "If I Had a Needle and Thread"
b/wA-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
"Tonight My Heart She Is Crying". She then travelled to Las Vegas to make her American stage début at the
El Rancho VegasEl Rancho Vegas was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip . It was located at 2500 Las Vegas Boulevard, at the southwest corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara, and opened on April 3, 1941. Up until 1942, it was the largest hotel in Las Vegas with 110 rooms. The hotel was destroyed by fire in...
. In mid-1958, she recorded two singles that would become classics in the Bassey catalogue. "As I Love You" was released as the
B-sideA-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of another ballad, "Hands Across the Sea"; it did not sell well at first, but after a chance appearance at the
London PalladiumThe London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
things began to pick up. In January 1959, it reached
No. 1 and stayed there for four weeks. It thus became the first number one single by a Welsh artist. Bassey also recorded "Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me" at this point, and while "As I Love You" raced up the charts, so too did this record, with both songs being in the top three at the same time. A few months later, Bassey signed to
EMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's
ColumbiaThe Columbia Graphophone Company was one of the earliest gramophone companies in the United Kingdom. Under EMI, as Columbia Records, it became a very successful label in the 1950s and 1960s...
label, and the second phase in her recording career had begun.
1960 to 1979
In the early and mid-1960s, Bassey had numerous hits on the UK charts, and five albums in the Top 15. Her 1960 recording of "
As Long As He Needs MeAs Long as He Needs Me is a torch song sung by the character of Nancy in the musical film Oliver!, introduced in the 1960 musical. It is a love ballad about her criminal boyfriend Bill Sikes...
" from
Lionel BartLionel Bart was a writer and composer of British pop music and musicals, best known for creating the book, music and lyrics for Oliver!-Early life:...
's
Oliver!Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens....
reached No. 2, and had a chart run of 30 weeks. On 13 November 1960, Bassey made her début performance on American television, appearing on
The Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
. In 1962, Bassey's collaboration with
Nelson RiddleNelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s...
and his orchestra produced the album
Let's Face the MusicLet's Face the Music is the sixth Shirley Bassey studio album, released in 1962, and arranged by Nelson Riddle.Kenneth Hume, Shirley Bassey's husband and manager wrote the sleeve notes for this album, in which he gives an insight into how this album came to being: "When Vic Lewis booked Nelson...
(No. 12) and the single "
What Now My Love"What Now, My Love?" is the English title of a popular song whose original French version, "Et Maintenant" was written in 1961 by composer Gilbert Bécaud and lyricist Pierre Delanoë...
" (No. 5). Other Top Ten hits of the period included her second No. 1, the double
A-sideA-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
"
Reach for the StarsReach for the Stars is a song made popular by Shirley Bassey and written by Austrian pop singer/songwriter Udo Jürgens . As a double A-side single it went to #1 in the UK charts....
"/"
Climb Ev'ry Mountain"Climb Ev'ry Mountain" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. Here it is sung at the close of the first act by the Mother Abbess...
" (1961), "I'll Get By" (also 1961), and a cover version of the
Ben E. KingBenjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S...
hit "
I (Who Have Nothing)"I " is a song originally released in English by Ben E. King in 1963."I " is based on the Italian song "Uno Dei Tanti," with music by Carlo Donida and lyrics by Giulio "Mogol" Rapetti. "Uno Dei Tanti" was released by Joe Sentieri in 1961...
" in 1963. During this period, Bassey appeared on the cover of
EbonyEbony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...
magazine, and sang at a Washington gala celebrating the end of President Kennedy's second year in office.
In 1965, Bassey enjoyed her only U.S. Top 40
BillboardBillboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
hit with the
title song"Goldfinger" was the title song from the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger. Composed by John Barry and with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, the song was performed by Shirley Bassey for the film's opening and closing title sequences, as well as the soundtrack album release...
of the James Bond film,
Goldfinger. The single peaked at No. 8, while the
original soundtrackGoldfinger is the soundtrack for the 3rd James Bond film of the same name.This is the first of three James Bond films with a theme song sung by Shirley Bassey, whose forceful, dramatic style became a trademark of the series...
of
Goldfinger hit No. 1 in the U.S. that same year. Also in 1965, she sang the title track for the spoof James Bond film
The LiquidatorThe Liquidator is a 1965 MGM film starring Rod Taylor as Brian "Boysie" Oakes, Trevor Howard as his Intelligence Chief Mostyn and Jill St. John as Mostyn's secretary Iris MacIntosh. It was based on the first of a series of Boysie Oakes novels by John Gardner, The Liquidator.-Plot:The film follows...
, and had a
Top 20 live albumShirley Bassey at the Pigalle is Shirley Bassey's first live album, recorded on the opening night of an eight week engagement at the Pigalle, a nightclub in the West End of London. This performance, on the 12th of September 1965, earned Bassey outstanding reviews. The album was released that same...
recorded during a sell-out run at London's
Pigalle.
From 1964 onwards the "Goldfinger" single had a lasting impact on her career: writing for the sleeve notes of Bassey's
25th Anniversary Album, Clayton (1978) notes that: "Acceptance in America was considerably helped by the enormous popularity of ("Goldfinger")...But she had actually established herself there as early as 1961, in cabaret in New York. She was also a success in Las Vegas...'I suppose I should feel hurt that I've never been really big in America on record since "Goldfinger"...But, concertwise, I always sell out.'..." This was reflected in the fact that Bassey had only one solo LP to reach the Top 20 in a US chart (R&B,
Live at Carnegie Hall), and she was technically a
one-hit wonderA one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
, making only one appearance in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, "Goldfinger". But in the aftermath of "Goldfinger" her UK sales started to falter as well: only two of her singles would enter the UK Top 40 until 1970. She had signed to
United ArtistsUnited Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...
, and her first album on that label, 1966's
I've Got a Song for YouI've Got a Song for You is a 1966 album by Shirley Bassey. Bassey had left EMI's Columbia Label, and this was her first album for United Artists, a label she would remain with for approximately 14 years . This album and the following release And We Were Lovers were produced by Bassey's former...
, spent one week on the chart; from there until 1970, only two albums would chart, one of those a compilation. In 1967 came the release of one of her best-known singles "
Big Spender"Big Spender" is a song written by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields for the musical Sweet Charity, first performed in 1966. It is sung, in the musical, by the dance hostess "girls"; it was choreographed by Bob Fosse for the Broadway musical and the film...
", although it charted just outside the UK Top 20.
Bassey started living as a
tax exileA tax exile is one who chooses to leave a country with a high tax burden and instead to reside in a foreign nation or jurisdiction which takes a lower portion of earnings. Going into tax exile is a means of tax mitigation or avoidance.-Legal status:...
in 1968, and was not permitted to work in Britain for almost two years. Also in 1968, at the Sanremo Festival in Italy, she performed "La vita", an Italian song by Bruno Canfora and Antonio Amurri, with some lyrics re-written in English by
Norman NewellNorman Newell, OBE was born in Plaistow, Essex , and was a successful British record producer in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as co-writer of many notable songs...
for her performance. Her version of the song with chorus sung in Italian became a Top 40 hit on the Italian chart, and Bassey recorded several songs in Italian, some appearing on a 1968 Italian album titled
La vitaThis Is My Life is a 1968 album by Shirley Bassey that was released in Italy on the United Artists label .Bassey had started living as a tax exile in 1968, and was not permitted to work in Britain for two years...
. (Later, Newell would write English lyrics for the rest of "La vita", and the result was "This Is My Life".) But her UK sales continued to suffer.
Bassey's UK comeback came in 1970, leading to one of the most successful periods of her career. In this year, she returned to the UK with a record breaking run of performances at the
Talk of the TownThe Hippodrome is a building on the corner of Charing Cross Road and Leicester Square in the City of Westminster, London. The name was used for many different theatres and music halls, of which the London Hippodrome is one of only a few survivors...
nightclub. Also in that year, she released the album
Something, which showcased a new Bassey style, a shift from traditional pop to more contemporary songs and arrangements (the single of the same name was more successful in the UK charts than the original
BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
recording - the only artist to have achieved this), though Bassey would never completely abandon what had been her forte, standards, show tunes, and torch songs. "Something" was also a Top 10 U.S. hit on the
Adult ContemporaryThe Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
chart. Other singles of this period included top ten hits "
For All We Know"For All We Know" is a popular song written for the 1970 film, Lovers and Other Strangers, by Fred Karlin, Robb Wilson and Arthur James . It was originally performed by Larry Meredith....
" (1971) and "
Never Never Never"Grande grande grande" is a 1972 Italian song, written by Alberto Testa and Tony Renis. It was a No. 1 hit for Mina in Italy and for Shirley Bassey released as "Never Never Never" in the U.K., U.S. and Australia.-Mina version:...
" (1973) – the latter reaching the Top 10 in the U.S. Adult Contemporary Chart, the UK Top 10 and and number one in Australia and South Africa. The success of "Something" (single No. 4, album No. 5) spawned a series of successful albums on the
UAUnited Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
label, including
Something ElseSomething Else is a 1971 album by Shirley Bassey.Following-up her comeback album Something, this proved to be almost as big when it too made the UK top 10, peaking at No.7...
(1971),
And I Love You SoAnd I Love You So is a 1972 album by Shirley Bassey.Released late in 1972 to positive reviews, this was Bassey's fourth album of the decade and was one of the albums which comprised her 'comeback' period of the 1970s. Unlike the earlier albums, this didn't feature any hit singles and consequently...
(1972),
I CapricornI Capricorn is a 1972 album by Shirley Bassey.Following on from the success of her previous two albums, I Capricorn saw Bassey still in the midst of her revival in the 1970s. Some months earlier she had released the single "For All We Know", which had become one of the biggest hits of her career,...
(1972),
Never Never NeverNever Never Never is a 1973 album by Shirley Bassey. Released in May 1973, this album saw a peak in the Shirley Bassey career revival that she was experiencing during the early 1970s...
(1973),
Good, Bad but BeautifulGood, Bad but Beautiful is a 1975 album by Shirley Bassey. In the first half of the decade, Bassey recorded nine albums, with three making the top ten. In March 1975, Bassey released a compilation that became her highest-charting album to date, The Shirley Bassey Singles Album , and reflects the...
(1975),
Love, Life and FeelingsLove, Life and Feelings is the twenty-first studio album from Shirley Bassey, released in 1976 on the United Artists label.The album peaked at #13 in the UK album chart, and charted at #149 in the Billboard 200...
(1976),
You Take My Heart Away (1977) and
Yesterdays (1978). Bernard Ighner wrote and duetted with Bassey for the track "Davy" on the
Nobody Does It Like MeNobody Does It Like Me is a 1974 album by Shirley Bassey. Bassey had been on a roll since 1970, scoring three top ten singles and three ten top albums . Nobody Does It Like Me was recorded with a new producer, George Butler, and brought a partial return to the traditional pop sound of Bassey's...
album (1974). Additionally, two of Bassey's earlier LPs entered the charts, 1967's
And We Were LoversAnd We Were Lovers is a 1967 album by Shirley Bassey. The album is the first appearance of Big Spender, and the single that was issued hit #21 on the charts.And We Were Lovers was recorded in America and in England...
(re-issued as
Big Spender), and 1962's
Let's Face the MusicLet's Face the Music is the sixth Shirley Bassey studio album, released in 1962, and arranged by Nelson Riddle.Kenneth Hume, Shirley Bassey's husband and manager wrote the sleeve notes for this album, in which he gives an insight into how this album came to being: "When Vic Lewis booked Nelson...
(re-issued as
What Now My Love). Two compilations,
The Shirley Bassey Singles AlbumThe Shirley Bassey Singles Album is a compilation album released in 1975 by British singer Shirley Bassey.Having seen a sales dip in the latter half of the 1960s, Shirley Bassey enjoyed a successful comeback in the 1970s, beginning with the single and album hits, "Something"...
(1975) and
25th Anniversary Album (1978) both made the UK top three:
The Shirley Bassey Singles AlbumThe Shirley Bassey Singles Album is a compilation album released in 1975 by British singer Shirley Bassey.Having seen a sales dip in the latter half of the 1960s, Shirley Bassey enjoyed a successful comeback in the 1970s, beginning with the single and album hits, "Something"...
her highest charting album at number two and earning a gold disc, and
25th Anniversary Album going platinum.
Between 1970 and 1979, Bassey had 18 hit albums in the UK Albums Chart. Her 1978 album
The Magic Is You featured a portrait by the photographer,
Francesco ScavulloFrancesco Scavullo was an American fashion photographer best known for his work on the covers of Cosmopolitan and his celebrity portraits.-Biography:...
. In 1973, her sold-out concerts at New York's
Carnegie HallCarnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
were recorded and released as a two-LP set,
Shirley Bassey: Live at Carnegie Hall. This album and the majority of her recordings from this period have been re-mastered and released on CD by EMI and BGO Records. In 1971, she recorded the theme song for
Diamonds Are ForeverDiamonds Are Forever is the soundtrack for the 7th James Bond film of the same name."Diamonds Are Forever", the title song, was the second Bond theme to be performed by Shirley Bassey, after Goldfinger in 1964...
. The recording featured as part of Sydney, Australia's 2007 New Year's celebration.
Bassey appeared on the
Morecambe and WiseEric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
Christmas Show, broadcast on Christmas Day in 1971. In 1976, Bassey starred in the six-episode
The Shirley Bassey Show, the first of her television programs for the BBC, followed by a second series of six episodes in 1979. The final show of the first series was nominated for the Golden Rose of Montreux in 1977. The series featured guests including
Neil DiamondNeil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
,
Michel LegrandMichel Jean Legrand is a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist...
,
The Three DegreesThe Three Degrees are an American female vocal group. Formed in 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,, the group has always been a trio though there have been a number of personnel changes and a total of fourteen women have represented the group so far. The original members were Fayette Pinkney,...
and
Dusty SpringfieldMary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
; filmed in various locations throughout the world as well as in the studio. In 1978, Bassey pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly "after shouting abuse in the street and pushing a policeman". Bassey closed out the decade with her third title theme for the Bond films,
MoonrakerMoonraker is the soundtrack for the 11th James Bond film of the same name.Moonraker was the third of the three Bond films for which the theme song was performed by Shirley Bassey. Kate Bush and Frank Sinatra were both considered for the vocals, before Johnny Mathis was approached and offered the...
(1979).
1980 to 1999
Throughout most of the 1980s, Bassey focused on charitable work and performing occasional concert tours throughout Europe, Australia, and the United States, having ended her contract with EMI-United Artists and taking what she referred to as 'semi-retirement'. In 1982 Bassey recorded an album entitled
All by MyselfAll by Myself is a 1982 album by Shirley Bassey. Having ended her contract with United Artists around 1980 , Bassey took a break from recording, and then began releasing albums on various labels. All by Myself was the first of these, issued on the Applause label...
and made a
TVTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
special for
Thames TelevisionThames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
called
A Special Lady with guest
Robert GouletRobert Gerard Goulet was a Canadian American entertainer as a singer and actor. He played the role of Lancelot in the Broadway musical Camelot of 1960.-Early life:...
. In 1983 she recorded a duet with
Alain DelonAlain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon is a French actor. He rose quickly to stardom, and by the age of 23 was already being compared to French actors such as Gérard Philipe and Jean Marais, as well as American actor James Dean. He was even called the male Brigitte Bardot...
, "Thought I'd Ring You", which became a hit single in Europe. Bassey was now recording far less often but released an album in 1984 of her most famous songs,
I Am What I AmI Am What I Am was the only studio album recorded by Shirley Bassey for the Towerbell Records label, several other tracks were also recorded at this label and issued as singles only. The recording sessions took place at Olympic Studios, Barnes, London, in July and August 1984...
, performed with the
London Symphony OrchestraThe London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
conducted by
Carl DavisCarl Davis CBE is an American born conductor and composer who has made his home in the UK since 1961. In 1970 he married the English actress Jean Boht....
. In 1986, she released a single and video to support the London Tourist Board, "There's No Place Like London", co-written by
Lynsey de PaulLynsey de Paul is an English singer-songwriter. Allmusic journalist, Craig Harris stated, "one of the first successful female singer-songwriters in England, de Paul has had an illustrious career".-Early life:De Paul was born to Meta and Herbert Rubin, a property developer...
and
Gerard KennyGerard Kenny is a popular music singer-songwriter.-Career:Kenny formed his first band whilst in high school and between then, and the early 1970s, he toured the club circuit. In 1968 he landed his first recording contract with Warner Bros...
. In 1987 she recorded an album of James Bond themes,
The Bond CollectionThe Bond Collection, aka Bassey Sings Bond, is a 1987 studio album by Shirley Bassey, notable for having been released without the artist's consent, and subsequently withdrawn from sales by court order.-Story:...
, but was apparently unhappy with the results so she declined to release it. (Five years later it was released anyway, Bassey sued in court, and all unsold copies were withdrawn). Also in 1987, Bassey provided vocals for Swiss artists
YelloYello is a Swiss electronica band consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank. They are probably best known for their singles "The Race" and "Oh Yeah", which feature a mix of electronic music and manipulated vocals, as does most of their music....
on "
The Rhythm Divine"The Rhythm Divine" is a 1987 song by Boris Blank, Dieter Meier, and Billy Mackenzie.-Single release:The single was released by Yello and Shirley Bassey in 1987, and was the first single released by Shirley Bassey on a CD single. Dieter Meier, half of the Swiss Electro-group Yello, approached...
", a song co-written by Scottish singer
Billy MackenzieWilliam MacArthur "Billy" Mackenzie was a Scottish singer, with a distinctive falsetto voice best known as a member of The Associates.- Biography :...
. In 1989, she released an album sung entirely in
SpanishSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
,
La Mujer. In the latter mid-1980s Bassey had started working with a vocal coach, a former opera singer, and her 1991 album
Keep the Music Playing displayed a grand,
operatic popOperatic pop, pop opera or popera is a subgenre of pop music that is performed in an operatic style, or a song, theme or motif from classical music stylized as pop. The term popera and adjectives poperatic and popical are used by some media editors and music reviewers...
style on several songs (perhaps also influenced by her album with the LSO seven years earlier).
In 1994 EMI released the five-CD box set
Bassey – The EMI/UA Years 1959 – 1979. The accompanying booklet opened with a poem by Marc Almond. In 1996, Bassey collaborated with
Chris ReaChris Rea is an English singer-songwriter, recognisable for his distinctive, husky voice and slide guitar playing. The British Hit Singles & Albums stated that Rea was "one of the most popular UK singer-songwriters of the late 1980s. He was already a major European star by the time he finally...
in the film
La PassioneLa Passione is a 1996 album by Chris Rea, and the soundtrack for the movie with the same title, also written by Rea. Shirley Bassey provides vocals on two tracks.-Track listing:All songs by Chris Rea.# "La Passione" - 4:55...
, appearing in the film as herself and releasing the single "
'Disco' La Passione"Disco La Passione" is a 1996 song by Chris Rea. The song was written for the film La Passione, a semi-autobiography by Rea. Shirley Bassey made her feature film debut here, but the film was a disappointment at the box office. A single was issued, produced by Rea and, unusual for Bassey, credited...
". The
remixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of this single proved a major club hit throughout Europe, though charting just outside the
UKThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
top 40. Bassey released a new recording the following year, "
History Repeating"History Repeating" is a song written by Alex Gifford and originally performed by the Propellerheads featuring Shirley Bassey in 1997.-Single release:...
", written for her by the
PropellerheadsPropellerheads were a British big beat musical ensemble, formed in 1995 and made up of electronic producers Will White and Alex Gifford. The term propellerhead is slang for a nerd, and when Gifford and White heard a friend from California use this in a conversation, they thought it the perfect name...
and scoring a No. 1 on the
UK Dance ChartThe UK Dance Chart is a chart compiled by The Official Charts Company from sales in record stores and digital downloads. Although the chart does not currently receive any airplay on the radio or television, the chart can be viewed on the BBC Radio 1 and The Official Charts Company website.Digital...
, and No. 10 on the US Dance Chart. It was also a top ten hit in Italy. The liner notes of the Propellerheads' album
DecksandrumsandrockandrollDecksandrumsandrockandroll is the first album by the British band Propellerheads, released on 26 January 1998 by Wall of Sound and DreamWorks .-Wall of Sound:...
included the lines "We would like to extend our maximum respect to Shirley Bassey for honouring us with her performance. We are still in shock ..." Bassey celebrated her 60th birthday in 1997 with two open-air concerts, at
Castle HowardCastle Howard is a stately home in North Yorkshire, England, north of York. One of the grandest private residences in Britain, most of it was built between 1699 and 1712 for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, to a design by Sir John Vanbrugh...
and
Althorp ParkAlthorp is a country estate of about and a stately home in Northamptonshire, England. It is about north-west of the county town of Northampton. The late Diana, Princess of Wales is buried in the estate.-History:...
, and another TV special. The resulting live album
The Birthday Concert received a
Grammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nomination for
Best Traditional Pop Vocal PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album is an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
. On 7 October 1998 in Egypt, Bassey performed for a benefit at an open air concert close to the
SphinxThe Great Sphinx of Giza , commonly referred to as the Sphinx, is a limestone statue of a reclining or couchant sphinx that stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt....
and the
Great PyramidThe Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact...
.
In the 1998 film
Little VoiceLittle Voice is a 1998 British drama film with music written and directed by Mark Herman. The screenplay is based on the play The Rise and Fall of Little Voice by Jim Cartwright.- Plot :...
, Bassey was one of three central figures along with
Marilyn MonroeMarilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
and
Judy GarlandJudy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
, and Bassey's track "Goldfinger" featured in the movie.
Jane HorrocksBarbara Jane Horrocks is an English voice, stage, screen and television actress, voice artist, musician, and singer. She is best known for her role as "Bubble" in the TV series Absolutely Fabulous as well as her distinctive voice....
, the lead actress in the film, went on to impersonate Bassey both on record and television, as well as during a UK tour.
In 1998 Bassey was sued in a breach of contract case by her former personal assistant, who also accused Bassey of hitting her and making an ethnic slur. Bassey won the case. The episode was lampooned by Alexander Baron in his one-act play,
The Trial of Shirley Bassey.
The following year, she performed the official song for the rugby World Cup, "
World in Union"World in Union", with lyrics by Charlie Skarbek, is a theme song for the Rugby World Cup that attempts to capture the spirit of international friendship which pervades rugby union culture the world over....
", with
Bryn TerfelBryn Terfel Jones CBE is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly Figaro and Leporello, but has subsequently shifted his attention to heavier roles, especially those by Wagner....
at the opening ceremony at The
Millennium StadiumThe Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
, Cardiff, wearing a gown designed on the Welsh flag. Their single made the Top 40, and Bassey contributed two more songs to the official album
Land of My Fathers, which reached No. 1 on the UK compilations chart, and went silver.
2000 to date
In 2001, Bassey was principal artiste at the
Duke of EdinburghPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
's 80th Birthday celebration. On 3 June 2002 Shirley Bassey was one of a prestigious line up of artists including Elton John, Paul McCartney, Queen, The Corrs, Annie Lennox, Eric Clapton, Tony Bennett, Cliff Richard, Joe Cocker, Rod Stewart, Ricky Martin, Phil Collins and Tom Jones who performed at the
Queen’s 50th Jubilee PartyThe Party at the Palace was a pop concert held in London in 2002. The event was in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II held over the Golden Jubilee Weekend 1 -4 June 2002. The concert itself was held at Buckingham Palace Garden on 3 June 2002...
at Buckingham Palace. Then, in 2003, Bassey celebrated 50 years in
show business, releasing the CD
Thank You for the YearsThank You for the Years is a 2003 album by Welsh singer Shirley Bassey.This album, a mix of new and previously released material, commemorated Bassey's 50 years in show business...
, which was another Top 20 album. A gala charity auction of her stage costumes at
Christie'sChristie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
, Dame Shirley Bassey: 50 Years of Glittering Gowns, raised £250,000 (US$500,000) for the Dame Shirley Bassey Scholarship at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Noah's Ark Children's Hospital Appeal.
Bassey topped the bill at the 2005
Royal Variety PerformanceThe Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
, introducing her new song "The Living Tree".
Two popular
Audiences with Shirley Bassey have aired on British television, one in 1995 that attracted more than 10 million viewers in the UK, with the most recent in 2006. Bassey returned to perform in five arenas around the UK in June the same year, culminating at
WembleyWembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
. She also performed a concert in front of 10,000 people at the
Bryn TerfelBryn Terfel Jones CBE is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly Figaro and Leporello, but has subsequently shifted his attention to heavier roles, especially those by Wagner....
Faenol FestivalThe Faenol Festival is a music festival organised by Welsh singer Bryn Terfel and held annually on the Faenol Estate , near Y Felinheli in Gwynedd, north Wales....
in
North WalesNorth Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
broadcast by
BBC WalesBBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
.
Marks & SpencerMarks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
signed her for their Christmas 2006 James Bond-style television advertising campaign. Bassey is seen in a glamorous Ice Palace singing a
cover versionIn popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of
PinkAlecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
's song "
Get the Party Started"Get the Party Started" is a song performed by Pink, and was the first single from her second album, Missundaztood . It became an international hit and reached the top ten in many countries. The song was Pink's highest selling at that time...
", wearing an
M&SMarks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
gown.
"The Living Tree", written, produced and originally recorded by the group
Never the BrideNever the Bride is an English rock band, founded before 1991, fronted by Bristol native Nikki Lamborn, who writes original songs along with the band's keyboard player, Catherine Feeney...
, was released as a single on 23 April 2007, marking Bassey's 50th anniversary in the UK Singles Chart – and the record for the longest span of Top 40 hits in UK chart history. Bassey performed a 45 minute set at the 2007
Glastonbury FestivalThe Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
wearing a pink
Julien MacdonaldJulien Macdonald OBE is a Welsh fashion designer.Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Macdonald attended Cyfarthfa High School in Merthyr Tydfil. Macdonald was taught knitting by his mother, and soon became interested in design...
dress, and customised Wellington boots. A new album,
Get the Party StartedGet the Party Started is a 2007 album by Welsh singer Dame Shirley Bassey.- Background :Released in June 2007, the album features newly remixed tracks by contemporary producers. The remixes feature recorded vocal tracks previously issued in the 1980s and '90s. "I Will Survive" was recorded in 1996...
, was subsequently released on 25 June 2007 and entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 6. The single of the title song reached No. 3 on the U.S. Dance Chart. The same year, Bassey performed "Big Spender" with
Elton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
at his annual White Tie and Tiara Ball to raise money for The Elton John AIDS Foundation. In 2007, Bassey performed in
Fashion Rocks in aid of The Prince's Trust at the
Royal Albert HallThe Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
.
She was rushed to hospital in Monaco on 23 May 2008 to have an emergency operation on her stomach after complaining of abdominal pains. She was forced to pull out of the
Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday TributeThe Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Tribute was held in Hyde Park, London on 27 June 2008 to commemorate Nelson Mandela's ninetieth birthday...
concert because of her illness. A
biographyA biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
,
Diamond Diva, was published in 2008. In 2009 her granddaughter appeared on
The X FactorThe X Factor is a television talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol. It is a singing competition, now held in various countries, which pits contestants against each other. These contestants are aspiring pop singers drawn from...
.
In 2009, Bassey recorded the album,
The PerformanceThe Performance is an album by singer Shirley Bassey, released on 9 November 2009. It is her first studio album of original compositions in three decades...
, with James Bond composer
David ArnoldDavid Arnold is an English film composer best known for scoring five James Bond films, the 1994 film Stargate, the 1996 film Independence Day, and the television series Little Britain.-Film and television career:...
as co-producer (with Mike Dixon). A number of artists wrote songs expressly for Bassey, including
Manic Street PreachersManic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
,
Gary BarlowGary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters...
,
KT TunstallKate Victoria "KT" Tunstall is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist from St Andrews, Scotland. She broke into the public eye with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland...
,
Pet Shop BoysPet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
,
Nick HodgsonNicholas James David Hodgson is the drummer, backing vocalist and principal song-writer of English indie band Kaiser Chiefs....
of the
Kaiser ChiefsKaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....
,
John BarryJohn Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
and Don Black.
Bassey headlined at the
BBC Electric PromsThe BBC Radio 2 Electric Proms was an October music festival in London run by the BBC for five years, 2006-2010...
on 23 October 2009, in her only full live set of 2009.
In November 2009, she performed several of the new songs from
The Performance on various TV shows:
The Graham Norton ShowThe Graham Norton Show is a British comedy chat show that is broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom. It was originally shown on BBC Two from February 2007 to May 2009 until it moved to BBC One from October 2009...
,
The Paul O'Grady ShowThe Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
and as the guest singer on
Strictly Come DancingStrictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
.
Bassey performed at the Rainforest Foundation Fund 21st Birthday concert at
Carnegie HallCarnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, New York City on 13 May 2010.
On 30 March 2011, Bassey performed at a gala celebrating the 80th birthday of
Mikhail GorbachevMikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
. She also performed at the
Classical Brit AwardsThe Classic BRIT Awards are an annual awards ceremony held in the United Kingdom covering aspects of classical music, and are the classical equivalent of pop music's BRIT Awards....
in 2011, singing "Goldfinger" in tribute to
John BarryJohn Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
.
On 21 May 2011, Bassey became the godmother of
P&O Cruise'sP&O Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, and operated by Carnival UK. Originally a constituent of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, P&O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world, having operated the world's first...
latest ship
Adonia at the naming ceremony in Southampton, England.
On 20 June 2011, Bassey sang "Diamonds Are Forever" and "Goldfinger", accompanied by the
Royal Philharmonic OrchestraThe Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
, at the John Barry Memorial Concert the
Royal Albert HallThe Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in London.
On 29 September 2011, the BBC broadcast a 70 minute drama, entitled
Shirley, depicting Bassey's early life and career.
Ruth NeggaRuth Negga is an Ethiopian-Irish actress who has starred in Irish films such as Capital Letters , Isolation and Breakfast On Pluto...
played the title role.
Personal life
Bassey has been married twice, her husbands being:
- Kenneth Hume (died 1967), a gay film producer, whom she married in 1961. The couple separated in 1964 and divorced in 1965, in the wake of the singer's affair with actor Peter Finch
Peter Finch was a British-born Australian actor. He is best remembered for his role as "crazed" television anchorman Howard Beale in the film Network, which earned him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Actor, his fifth Best Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and a...
. Bassey then announced to the press that she and Finch would not be marrying, telling the press, "It simply wouldn't work out. Just now I am not ready for marriage to anyone. I feel I have to be free". A year later, Hume sued the actor and another man, John McAuliffe, for being "indiscreet" with the singer. Both Finch and McAuliffe were cited as co-respondents in the Hume-Bassey divorce. For her part, Bassey was named as co-respondent in 1965 when Finch's wife, South African actress Yolande Turner, divorced the actor.
- Sergio Novak, the assistant manager of the Excelsior Hotel in Rome, Italy. Bassey and Novak were married from 1968 until they divorced in 1979. Novak served as Bassey's manager throughout this time. With Novak she adopted her grand-nephew, Mark.
The fathers of Bassey's two daughters, Sharon Bassey (aka Sharon Novak, born 1956) and Samantha Bassey (aka Samantha Novak, born 1963) are unknown. However, Bassey's first husband suggested that Samantha, born during the couple's marriage, was the result of an affair between Bassey and
Peter FinchPeter Finch was a British-born Australian actor. He is best remembered for his role as "crazed" television anchorman Howard Beale in the film Network, which earned him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Actor, his fifth Best Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and a...
. In 1965, according to an article in
Jet, "There is a big dispute in London over who is the father of tempestuous singer Shirley Bassey's baby. Although one-time boy friend English actor Peter Finch agreed that the child may not belong to Shirley's divorced husband, Kenneth Hume, Finch insists it does not belong to him ... "
In 1985, Samantha Novak, age 21, was found dead in the River Avon in Bristol, England. Bassey has always maintained that the death of her daughter was not a suicide. On 24 March 2010, Avon and Somerset Police confirmed they were undertaking fresh inquiries into the death of Novak, and specifically claims that the convicted killer Michael Moffat was involved in her death. However, in October 2010 it was reported that the investigation came to an end and concluded that there "is no evidence of any criminal act involved" in Novak's death.
Bassey's granddaughter Tatjana Novak-Kimsey, daughter of the singer's one-time estranged son, Mark Novak, was a contestant on
The X FactorThe X Factor is a television talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol. It is a singing competition, now held in various countries, which pits contestants against each other. These contestants are aspiring pop singers drawn from...
. (In a 2009 interview, Bassey stated that she and her son had reconciled).
Bassey currently resides in
Monte CarloMonte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
.
Awards and achievements
"For services to entertainment", Bassey was created a
Dame Commander of the Order of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(DBE) on 31 December 1999 by
Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. She was invited to perform in 2002 at the
Party at the PalaceThe Party at the Palace was a pop concert held in London in 2002. The event was in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II held over the Golden Jubilee Weekend 1 -4 June 2002. The concert itself was held at Buckingham Palace Garden on 3 June 2002...
, a public celebration of the Queen's
Golden JubileeA Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
. She was awarded France's top honour, the
Legion d'HonneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
, to signify her popularity and importance in the culture of France.
|event=Best Female Singer –
TV TimesTVTimes is a television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of Time Warner. It is known for its access to television actors and their programmes. In 2006 it was refreshed for a more modern look, increasing its emphasis on big star interviews and soaps...
}}|event=Best Female Singer – TV Times}}|event=Best Female Entertainer –
American Guild of Variety ArtistsAmerican Guild of Variety Artists is an American entertainment union representing performers in variety entertainment, including circuses, Las Vegas showrooms and cabarets, comedy showcases, dance revues, magic shows, theme park shows, and arena and auditorium extravaganzas. It awards the "Georgie...
}}|event=Best Female Singer –
Music WeekMusic Week is a trade paper for the UK record industry.Founded in 1959 as Record Retailer, it was relaunched on 18 March 1972 as Music Week . On 17 January 1981 the title was again changed, owing to the increasing importance of sell-through videos, to Music & Video Week...
}}|event=22-day British tour to mark twenty years as a recording artist}}|event=EMI Award for twenty years as a recording artist – UK}}|event=Best British Female Solo Artist in the previous 25 years – BRIT Award}}|event=
Golden Rose of MontreuxThe Rose d’Or is one of the most important international festivals in entertainment television. It was founded in Montreux in 1961 and has taken place in Lucerne since 2004. Producers, executives from independent and public service broadcasters and heads of production companies from over 40...
nomination for
The Shirley Bassey Show}}|event=Walk of Fame, Star Boulevard – plaque unveiled in Rotterdam}}|event=CBE – Commander of the Order of the British Empire}}|event=Showbusiness Personality of the Year –
Variety Club of Great BritainVariety, the Children's Charity is an organisation founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on October 10, 1927, when a group of eleven men involved in show business set up a social club which they named the "Variety Club". On Christmas Eve 1928, a small baby was left on the steps the Sheridan Square...
}}|event=Grammy nomination –
The Birthday Concert (recorded live at Althorp Park)}}|event=Longest run by a solo artist (ten shows) – Royal Festival Hall, London}}|event=
Légion d'Honneur – France}}|event=Madam Tussaud's waxwork unveiled in London (second model in Las Vegas)}}|event=
DBEThe New Year Honours 2000 for the United Kingdom were announced on 31 December 1999, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2000. The Honours list is a list of people who have been awarded one of the various orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom...
– Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire}}|event=Most Successful British Female Singer – Guinness Book of Records}}|event=Outstanding Contribution to Music – National Music Awards, UK}}|event=Lifetime Achievement Award (inaugural award) – Western Mail Welsh Woman of the Year Awards}}|event=
100 Great Black BritonsThe 100 Great Black Britons list was compiled as a response to the BBC's 100 Greatest Britons debate of .Patrick Vernon, founder of black heritage website Every Generation, pointed out that no black people had made it to the top 100, saying that this was due in part to many people being unaware of...
, Bassey voted into the top ten}}|event=
Artist for Peace AwardUNESCO Artists for Peace are international celebrity advocates for the United Nations agency UNESCO. This category of advocate is intended to heighten public awareness in addition to the categories UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, UNESCO Special Envoy and UNESCO Champion for Sport...
– UNESCO}}|event=
Avenue of StarsThe Avenue of Stars was London's version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It opened in 2005 with one hundred names.The Avenue of Stars was a walkway through Covent Garden passing St Paul's Church, commonly known as the "Actors' Church". It honoured individuals or groups from the entertainment...
– plaque unveiled in London}}|event="Goldfinger" – United Artists single (1964) inducted into the
Grammy Hall of FameThe Grammy Hall of Fame Award is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance"...
}}
External links
- Dame Shirley Bassey — official website
- Shirley Bassey discography at Discogs
Discogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- The Bassey Blog — fansite
- The Songs of Shirley Bassey (archived site) — interviews with Shirley Bassey, plus an extensive discography
- The Dame Shirley Bassey Message Board — forum fansite
- Shirleybassey.nl — extensive CD discography with tracklists
- Shirley Bassey biography on BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...