Featured Website

Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey, CBE (born January 8, 1937 in Cardiff, Wales), is a Welsh singer, perhaps best-known for performing the theme songs to the James Bond films Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Moonraker (1979). She is the only singer to have recorded more than one James Bond theme song.

Bassey was born on 8 January 1937 at 182 Bute Street, Tiger Bay, Cardiff, her father being a Nigerian fireman while her mother came from Yorkshire. She grew up in the notorious dockside district of Tiger Bay, Cardiff, as the youngest of seven children. Her father died when she was two years old.

After leaving Moorland School at the age of fifteen, Shirley first found employment packing at a local factory, while singing in local pubs and clubs in the evenings and weekends. In 1953, she signed up for the revue Memories of Jolson, a musical based on the life of Al Jolson. 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 daughter Sharon, so she went back to waitressing in Cardiff. However, in 1955, a chance recommendation of her to Michael Sullivan, a Streatham-born 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 theatres until she got an offer of the show that put her firmly on the road to stardom, Al Read's Such Is Life at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End. While she starred in this show, Philips A&R and record producer Johnny Franz spotted her on television, was impressed, and offered her a record deal.

Bassey recorded her first single, entitled "Burn My Candle", and Philips released it in February 1956, when Bassey was just nineteen. 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 hit with "Banana Boat Song", which reached number eight on the UK singles chart. During that year, she also recorded under the direction of US producer Mitch Miller in America for the Columbia label, producing the single "If I Had A Needle And Thread" b/w "Tonight My Heart She Is Crying".

In mid-1958, she recorded two singles that would become classics in the Bassey catalogue: "As I Love You" appeared as a B-side to another ballad, "Hands Across The Sea". It did not sell well at first, but after a chance appearance at the London Palladium things began to pick up. In February 1959, it reached number one and stayed there for four weeks. 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 EMI Columbia, and the second phase in her recording career had begun.

Throughout the 1960s, Bassey had numerous hits on the British charts. Her recording of "As Long As He Needs Me" from Lionel Bart's Oliver! reached number two, and had a chart run of 30 weeks. In 1962, Bassey's collaboration with Nelson Riddle and his orchestra produced the album "Let's Face The Music" (#12) and the single "What Now My Love" (#5). Other top ten hits of the period included the number one "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" b/w "Reach For The Stars" in 1961, and "I (Who Have Nothing)" in 1963. In 1965, Bassey had her only US Top Ten hit with the title song of the James Bond film, Goldfinger. Owing to the success of that song, she appeared frequently on many American television talk shows such as those hosted by Johnny Carson and by Mike Douglas. In 1968, Shirley performed her song "This Is My Life" at the San Remo Festival in Italy and a version of the song with chorus sung in Italian became a Top Ten hit on the Italian charts. Shirley lived as a tax exile for two years in Switzerland from 1968 to 1970, finally returning to the UK in 1970 with a record breaking run of performances at the Talk of the Town nightclub. She signed with the United Artists label in the late sixties and in 1970 released the album "Something" which showcased a new Bassey style. (The single of the same name was more successful in the UK charts than the original Beatles recording.) The success of "Something" (Single #4, Album #5) spawned a series of hugely successful albums on the UA label, with Something Else (1971), Never, Never, Never (1973), The Shirley Bassey Singles Album (1975) and 25th Anniversary Album (1978) all making the UK Top Ten. In 1973, her sold out concerts at New York's Carnegie Hall 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.

 

Album cover of Shirley Bassey's successful 1970 album, SomethingIn 1971, she recorded the title theme for Diamonds Are Forever. The recording featured as part of the main celebration in Sydney, Australia's 2007 New Year's celebration. Bassey recorded her final title theme for the Bond films with Moonraker in 1979. Between 1970 and 1979, Bassey had 18 hit albums in the UK charts and starred in two highly rated BBC TV series in 1976 and 1979, which featured guests including Neil Diamond, Michel Legrand, and Dusty Springfield. The shows were filmed in various locations throughout the world as well as in the studio.

Throughout most of the 1980s, Bassey focused on charitable works and performing occasional concert tours throughout Europe and the United States. She recorded less often, but released an album in 1984 of her most famous songs, I Am What I Am, performed with the London Symphony Orchestra. In 1986, she released a single and video to support the London Tourist Board called "There's No Place Like London", written by Lynsey De Paul and Gerard Kenny. In 1987, she provided vocals for Swiss artists Yello on "The Rhythm Divine", a song co-written by Scottish singer Billy Mackenzie. Also in 1987, she released an album La Mujer sung entirely in Spanish. In 1995, Bassey became only the second artist {after Frank Sinatra} to give a concert at the Pyramids in Egypt. In 1996, she collaborated with Chris Rea in the movie La Passione appearing in the film as herself and releasing the single "Disco La Passione".

In 1997, she caused a sensation in the UK with her song "History Repeating" with the Propellerheads which scored a number one ranking on the British Dance Music Charts, introducing Bassey to a new generation of fans. The liner notes of the Propellerheads' album Decksandrumsandrockandroll 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...'.

In 1997, Shirley celebrated her 60th birthday with two open air concerts at Castle Howard and Althorp Park. The resulting live album "The Birthday Concert" received a grammy nomination for "Best Traditional Female Vocal Performance". During her UK Tour in 1998, 120,000 people saw Dame Shirley live and she smashed her own record in London for the longest run by a solo artist at the Royal Festival Hall with ten sold-out shows. In 1999, she recorded the official song for the Rugby World Cup, "World In Union", with Bryn Terfel and performed at the opening ceremony at The Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. Bassey contributed three songs to the official album "Land Of My Fathers" which peaked at number one on the UK compilation chart.

In 2003, Bassey celebrated 50 years in show business and released the CD Thank You For The Years which entered the Top 20 album chart. A Gala Charity Auction of her stage costumes at Christie's "Dame Shirley Bassey: 50 Years of Glittering Gowns" raised £250,000 (US$500,000) to go towards the Dame Shirley Bassey Scholarship at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Noah's Ark Children's Hospital Appeal.

With thirty-two hits in the UK Singles Chart, which span a record fifty year period (1957-2007), plus thirty-five hit LPs in the corresponding UK Albums Chart, she has become Britain's most successful female chart artist of all time.

She topped the bill at the 2005 Royal Variety Performance and introduced a new song "The Living Tree". Two popular Audiences With Shirley Bassey have aired on British TV, the most recent being in March 2006. Bassey returned to perform in five arenas around the UK in June 2006, which culminated at Wembley on 9 June. She also performed a concert in front of 10,000 people at the Bryn Terfel Faenol Festival in North Wales which was broadcast by BBC Wales on 30 August 2006.

"Where Do I Begin (Away Team Remix)," from Shirley's 2001 remix album, The Remix Album: Diamonds Are Forever, is featured in one episode of Showtime's The L Word, Season 2 and on Season 1 of Nip/Tuck on the FX Network.

Marks & Spencer signed her for their Christmas 2006 "James Bond style" TV advertising campaign. Bassey is seen in a glamorous Ice Palace singing a cover version of Pink's song, "Get the Party Started" wearing an M&S gown. The advert, launched in November 2006, also includes famous models, such as Twiggy.

"The Living Tree", written, produced and originally recorded by the London duo Never the Bride, was released as a single on 23 April 2007. "The Living Tree" CD included a number of remixes, designed to appeal to the club chart. The single entered the Singles Chart at #37. This release marked Bassey's 50th anniversary in the singles chart and gave her the record for the longest span of top 40 hits in UK chart history. A new album "Get The Party Started" was released on 25 June 2007 and dedicated to Dame Shirley's late daughter Samantha. The album entered the UK charts at #6.

Shirley Bassey made a triumphant appearance at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival. Wearing a pink Julien MacDonald dress, Dame Shirley performed a 45 minute set to riotous applause. Two evenings earlier at the festival, Arctic Monkeys performed "Diamonds Are Forever" and dedicated it to Bassey; after her own rendition of the number Bassey said "Arctic Monkeys, that's how it's done". The night was not altogether an enjoyable evening since, after a torrential 'summer' rain, Dame Shirley's helicopter had to perform an emergency landing on her way home. She was unhurt but shaken from the ordeal.

On June 28, 2007, Bassey performed "Big Spender" with Elton John at his annual White Tie and Tiara Ball in order to raise money for The Elton John AIDS Foundation.

In August 2007, Bassey signed a new recording contract with Universal Music's Decca Records and has been reported soon to be collaborating with Pink for a duet.

Dame Shirley performed in "Fashion Rocks" in aid of The Prince's Trust, at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 18th October 2007 wearing a dress by Marchesa.

In January 2008 independent UK label Stage Door Recordscompiled Bassey's 1950's recordings for the Philips label onto CD. 'The Early Years' features several tracks appearing on CD for the first time including the EP 'Shirley Bassey At The Café De Paris'.

Bassey's first marriage was to Kenneth Hume (from 1961 to 1965) and ended in divorce. Her second husband was Sergio Novak. Bassey and Novak were married from 1968 until they divorced in 1977; Novak served as Bassey's manager for this period of time.

Bassey has two daughters and one adopted son. Her first daughter Sharon was born when Shirley was just seventeen. Bassey's second daughter, Samantha, was found dead in 1985 after apparently having jumped from the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, England. Bassey has always insisted the death of her daughter was not suicide.

In recognition of her career longevity, endurance and a particular admiration from the Royal Family, Bassey was created a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) on 31 December 1999 by HM Queen Elizabeth II.

She was invited to perform in 2002 at the Party at the Palace, a public celebration of The Queen's Golden Jubilee of 50 years on the throne. She was also awarded France's top honour, the Legion d'Honneur, to signify her enduring popularity and importance in the culture of France.

She now resides in Monaco, and has recently sold her London apartment. Many of its furnishings were auctioned for charity.

On 16 December 2007, Bassey celebrated her 70th birthday at Cliveden, with celebrity guests and friends including Joan Collins, Cilla Black, Bruce Forsyth and Julien MacDonald. Cliveden, now a five star hotel, was once the home of the Astors.