Shirley Bassey

Dame
Shirley Bassey
CH DBE
Bassey in 1971
Bassey in 1971
Background information
Birth nameShirley Veronica Bassey
Born (1937-01-08) 8 January 1937 (age 87)
Cardiff, Wales
Genres
OccupationSinger
Years active1953–present
Labels

Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey CH DBE (/ˈbæsi/; born 8 January 1937)[1] is a Welsh singer. Known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, the only artist to perform more than one, Bassey is one of the most popular vocalists in Britain.[2][3]

Born in Cardiff, Bassey began performing as a teenager in 1953. In 1959, she became the first Welsh person to gain a number-one single on the UK Singles Chart.[4] In the following decades, Bassey amassed 27 Top 40 hits in the UK, including two number ones (As I Love You and AA: Climb Ev'ry Mountain/Reach For The Stars) plus a number one on the Dance Chart (History Repeating).[5] She became well known for recording theme songs of the James Bond films Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Moonraker (1979).[6][7][8]

Bassey has had numerous BBC television specials and hosted her own variety series, Shirley Bassey. In 2011, BBC aired the television film Shirley, based on Bassey's life and career.[9] Since making her first appearance at the Royal Albert Hall in 1971, she has performed at the venue 45 times.[10] Bassey received the first award for Best British Female Solo Artist at the 1st Brit Awards in 1977.[11] She was appointed a Dame in 1999 for services to the performing arts. In 2003, she was ranked among the "100 Great Black Britons". Her song "Goldfinger" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008. She has influenced many other singers, including Aretha Franklin.[12]

In a career spanning over 70 years, Bassey has sold over 140 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female artists of all time.[13][14][15] She is the first woman in history to claim a Top 40 album in seven consecutive decades in the United Kingdom.[16]

  1. ^ "Birthdays today: Dame Shirley Bassey, 77". The Times. 8 January 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  2. ^ Paphides, Pete (30 October 2009). "Dame Shirley Bassey: The Performance review". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2009. Welsh diva thrives on new material written by artists half her age.
  3. ^ Sexton, Paul (3 November 2009). "Shirley Bassey Returns With 'The Performance'". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  4. ^ "Number ones from Wales". BBC Wales Music. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference officialcharts was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Shirley Bassey at AllMusic
  7. ^ Hattenstone, Simon (24 October 2009). "Shirley Bassey Interview". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  8. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 44–45. ISBN 978-1-9049-9410-7.
  9. ^ Wollaston, Sam (29 September 2011). "TV review: Shirley; The Marvellous Mrs Beeton, with Sophie Dahl". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Shirley Bassey". Royal Albert Hall. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  11. ^ The Brits 1977, Brit Awards
  12. ^ Jopling, Norman (20 March 2012). "Aretha Franklin stops to think – a classic interview from the vaults". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  13. ^ "New album a 'grand finale' for Dame Shirley Bassey". BBC News. 6 August 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  14. ^ Dailyrecord.co.uk (6 August 2020). "Shirley Bassey signs new record deal for her 'final album' dedicated to fans". Daily Record. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  15. ^ "Dame Shirley Bassey to release first new album in five years". The Irish News. 5 August 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  16. ^ "Shirley Bassey's final album sets huge Official Chart record". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 9 April 2023.