Cliff Richard

For the Welsh rugby union player, see Cliff Richards (rugby player).

Sir
Cliff Richard
OBE
Portrait by Allan Warren, 1973
Born
Harry Rodger Webb

(1940-10-14) 14 October 1940 (age 84)[1]
Lucknow, United Provinces, British India
Citizenship
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • actor
Years active1958–present
Musical career
OriginLondon, England
Genres
Labels
Websitecliffrichard.org

Sir Cliff Richard OBE (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is a British singer and actor. He has total sales of over 21.5 million singles in the United Kingdom and, as of 2012, was the third-top-selling artist in UK Singles Chart history, behind the Beatles and Elvis Presley.[4]

Richard was originally marketed as a rebellious rock and roll singer in the style of Presley and Little Richard.[5] With his backing group, the Shadows, he dominated the British popular music scene in the pre-Beatles period of the late 1950s to early 1960s.[6] His 1958 hit single "Move It" is often described as Britain's first authentic rock and roll song. In the early 1960s, he had a successful screen career with films including The Young Ones, Summer Holiday and Wonderful Life and his own television show at the BBC. Increased focus on his Christian faith and subsequent softening of his music led to a more middle-of-the-road image, and he sometimes ventured into contemporary Christian music.

In a career spanning over 65 years,[7] Richard has amassed several gold and platinum discs and awards, including two Ivor Novello Awards and three Brit Awards. More than 130 of his singles, albums, and EPs have reached the UK Top 20, more than any other artist.[8] Richard has had 67 UK top ten singles, the second highest total for an artist (behind Presley).[9] He holds the record, with Presley, as the only act to make the UK singles charts in all of its first six decades (1950s–2000s). He has achieved 14 UK No. 1 singles,[10] and is the only singer to have had a No. 1 single in the UK in each of five consecutive decades.[11] He also had four UK Christmas No. 1 singles, two of which were as a solo artist; "Mistletoe and Wine" and "Saviour's Day".

By the late-1990s, Richard had sold more than 250 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.[12] He has never achieved the same popularity in the United States despite eight US Top 40 singles, including the million-selling "Devil Woman" and "We Don't Talk Anymore". In Canada, he had a successful period in the early 1960s, the late 1970s and early 1980s, with some releases certified gold and platinum.[13] He has remained a popular music, film, and television personality at home in the UK as well as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Northern Europe and Asia, and retains a following in other countries. When not touring, he divides his time between Barbados and Portugal.[14] In 2019, he relocated to New York.[15]

  1. ^ Savage, Jon (5 September 2022). Cliff Richard. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b Walker, Tim (23 September 2010). "Sir Cliff Richard: Why Barbados beats Britain". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 27 January 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Artist Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  4. ^ Lauren, Kreisler (4 June 2012). "The Official Singles Charts' biggest selling artists of all time revealed!". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Happy Birthday Cliff Richard!". Contactmusic. 14 October 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  6. ^ Glenn, Johsua (2012). Unbored: The Essential Field Guide to Serious Fun. Bloomsbury. p. 91. ISBN 978-1608196418. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  7. ^ "Cliff Richard is coming to London in 2023 - how to get tickets | LondonWorld". 24 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Top Hits from". EveryHit. 16 March 2000. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  9. ^ "Record-Breakers and Trivia". everyHit.com. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  10. ^ "Cliff Richard | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  11. ^ Holden, Michael (16 June 2016). "UK singer Cliff Richard will not face sex crime charges". Reuters. London. Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  12. ^ Saul, Heather (14 August 2014). "Sir Cliff Richard profile: A career spanning five decades". The Independent. London. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  13. ^ "Canadian certifications – Cliff Richard". Music Canada.
  14. ^ Boyle, Danny (14 April 2016). "Sir Cliff Richard's beloved Algarve winery goes on sale for £7.5million". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022.
  15. ^ Mapstone, Lucy (25 May 2019). "'Disillusioned' Cliff Richard leaves UK". Perth Now. Retrieved 14 June 2019.