Shirley Bassey

At 87 years old, Shirley Bassey physical status not available right now. We will update Shirley Bassey's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey, born 8 January 1937), is a Welsh singer best known for her charisma and recording the theme songs to the James Bond films Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Moonraker (1979).

Bassey became the first Welsh person to earn a No. in January 1959. Bassey was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2000 for services to the performing arts.

In 1977, she received the British Award for Best British Female Solo Artist in the first 25 years.

Bassey is one of the most well-known female vocalists in the United Kingdom during the second half of the twentieth century.

Early life

Shirley Bassey was born on Bute Street in Tiger Bay, Cardiff, the sixth and youngest of Henry Bassey and Eliza Jane Beginey's children. She grew up in Splott, the nearest town. Her father was Nigerian, and her mother came from Teesside.

Two of her mother's four children from previous marriages lived in the Bassey household. In the absence of a previous marriage, Bassey's mother named her first husband, Alfred Metcalfe, as her own father in the registry of her marriage to Henry Bassey, boosting rumors that this marriage was huge in the absence of a prior divorce. Eliza and Henry's second child died in infancy, so Shirley was born into a family of three sisters, two half-sisters, and one brother.

Bassey's voice was noticed by teachers and students alike at Moorland Road School, but the pre-teen received little support: "everyone told me not to shut down." "Even in the school choir, the teacher kept reminding me to leave the hall until I was singing in the corridor." With the feeling that she made their teacher uncomfortable, a classmate recalled her singing the refrain "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" from Show Boat. She left Splott Secondary Modern School at the age 14 to work at Curran Steels and, in the evenings and weekends, to perform in local pubs and clubs.

Personal life

In 1961, Bassey's first marriage was to Kenneth Hume. In the aftermath of Bassey's affair with actor Peter Finch, the couple separated in 1964 and divorced in 1965. "It simply wouldn't work out," she told the world that she and Finch would not be marrying. I am not about to marry someone right now. "I feel I must be free." Hume sued Finch and another man, John McAuliffe, for being "indiscrete" with Bassey a year later. In the Hume–Bassey divorce, both Finch and McAuliffe were identified as co-respondents. Bassey was named as corespondent in 1965, when Finch's wife, South African actress Yolande Turner, divorced him.

Bassey was married to Sergio Novak, the assistant manager of the Excelsior Hotel in Venice, from 1968 to 1979. Novak was Bassey's boss at the time, and they adopted Mark, her grand-nephew, and they adopted her grand-nephew.

Sharon Bassey (a.k.a.) is the father of two daughters of Bassey's two children. Samantha Bassey (a.k.a.) and Sharon Novak, 1954 (a.k.a. Samantha Novak, 1963, is unidentified. Bassey had her sister Ella at the age of 17 and her sister Ella raised her as her own daughter until the 1960s. Samantha, who was born during the couple's marriage, was the result of an affair between Bassey and Peter Finch, according to Bassey's first husband.

Samantha, 21, was discovered dead in Bristol, England, in 1985. Bassey has always maintained that her daughter's death was not suicide. Avon and Somerset Police announced on March 24 that they were investigating the death of a suspect in the matter, specifically that Michael Moffat was involved in her murder. However, in October 2010, it was announced that the probe came to an end and that there are "no signs of any criminal conduct" involved in Novak's death. Bassey was forced to temporarily lose her voice due to the ordeal of losing her daughter.

Bassey revealed that she and her son, Mark, had reconciled in a 2009 interview. Bassey has four grandsons from her late mother, Sharon Novak. Bassey lives in Monaco.

Bassey revealed in 2018 that she had a great-granddaughter.

Source

Career

Bassey started working with Memories of Jolson, a musical based on Al Jolson's life in 1953, where she performed on stage for the first time. Bassey signed a two-year deal with Columbia Productions for two shows on December 17, 1953, earning him $100,000. In 1954, she and other mixed-race Cardiff performers were passed off as Black Americans in the touring show Hot from Harlem. "Shirley Bassey, an attractive young singer, is an asset to the show," a review of the show in March 1954. Bassey gave birth to her daughter Sharon after her sister Ella in London later this year.

Bassey met her first boss, Mike Sullivan, while in Jersey. Bassey appeared in various theatres before being noticed by impresario Jack Hylton at the Astor Club in September 1955. He invited her to participate in Al Read's Such Is Life, which opened on December 14th, London's West End, on December 14, 1955. "Burn My Candle" was on display in the show, which ended in 1956, prompting one reviewer to claim that she had barely stopped the performance "that caused outraged mutters" and "screams of shamefaced applause." During the show's run, Philips record producer Johnny Franz, who had been on television, was captivated and promised her a recording contract. Bassey released "Burn My Candle," her first single, "Such Is Life"; and this was released in February 1956. The BBC had banned the cabaret-style song because the lyrics were deemed too suggestive. Bassey's first hit, "The Banana Boat Song," debuted in February 1957, a new single. In the UK Singles Chart, the highest singles chart in the country.

She made her American stage debut in Las Vegas in February 1957, after a fruitful run at the Café de Paris, London. Bassey opened in Las Vegas on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood on February 15, 1957, following the success of Las Vegas. She also performed under Mitch Miller's name in New York City, where she was a member of the Columbia Records label at the time and was selling the single "If I Had a Needle and Thread" b/w "Tonight My Heart She Is Crying." She appeared in "Sunday Night at the London Palladium" for the first time on her return to the United Kingdom in April 1957.

Bassey released two singles in mid-1958 that would become classics in the Bassey catalog. As the B-side of another ballad, "Hands Across the Sea" launched, "As I Love You" was released; it didn't sell well at first, but after another appearance at the London Palladium on November 30, the sales began to pick up. "As I Love You" debuted at number one in January 1959 and stayed there for four weeks; it was the first Welsh artist to have a number-one single. Although "As I Love You" reached the top of the charts, Bassey's recording of "Kiss Me Honey Honey, Kiss Me" dropped as well, and both bands would be ranked in the top three at the same time. Bassey signed to EMI's Columbia label and released the album The Fabulous Shirley Bassey a few months later. The album reached No. 1 on the charts. On the UK Albums Chart, 12 musicians appear.

Bassey had four Top 10 hits in the United Kingdom between 1960 and 1961. Her 1960 recording of "As Long As She Needs Me" from Lionel Bart's Oliver "As Long As He Does" Peaked at No. 69. I had a chart run of 30 weeks on the 2nd. When she appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in November 1960, she made her American television debut on November 13, 1960. The double A-side "Reach for the Stars"/"Climb Ev'ry Peak"/Climb Ev'ry Peak" reached number one in 1961. "As Long as He Wants Me" by Bassey's version reached no. 2. Her single "I'll Get By" debuted at No. 2 on her charts. 10. In 1961, Bassey's version of "You'll Never Know" was one of England's top hits, peaking at No. 82. On the charts, there are six positions. In August 1961, she began to gain a following in the United States market and joined United Artists Records. Following month, she began a five-week stay at the Persian Room inside the Plaza Hotel in New York.

The album Let's Face the Music (1962), bassey's collaboration with Nelson Riddle and his orchestra, debuted at No. 1 on the charts. "What Now My Love" rose to No. 12 in the UK album chart, with the single "What Now My Love" also debuting at No. 1. In 1962, the country had 5 children. "I (Who Have Nothing)" became the Ben E. King's cover version. In 1963, there were 6 children in the house of Commons. Bassey performed at a gala in Washington, D.C., on the second anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's inauguration. She appeared on the front page of Ebony magazine in March 1963. Bassey made her Carnegie Hall debut on February 15, 1964. The complete concert collection was not released until it was included in the EMI compilation The EMU/UA Years 1959-1979, 1994-1979.

Bassey gained her only Top 40 hit on Billboard in 1965 with the title song of the James Bond film, Goldfinger. In January 1965, the single "Goldfinger" was first published in the United States, peaking at No. 8. That year, Goldfinger's original soundtrack reached number one in the United States. The "Goldfinger" theme song had a long-running effect on her career. Peter Clayton's sleeve notes for Bassey's 25th Anniversary Album (1978) stated that: "Acceptance in America was greatly enhanced by ("Goldfinger")..."but she had been cabaret in New York as early as 1961." I'd imagine I should be angry that I've never been particularly well known in America since "Goldfinger," she said. "But, concert-wise, I always sell out."

Shirley Bassey at the Pigalle, born 1965, is the best-selling artist at the Pigalle in London, peaking at No. 107. On the UK album chart, the 15th place on the list. She appeared on the title song for the James Bond parody The Liquidator in 1965. Bassey performed a song for the upcoming Bond film Thunderball (1965). Although the film's score follows its melodic theme, "Mr Kiss Bang Bang Bang" was not used in the film. "Mr Kiss Bang Bang Bang" was re-recorded by American singer Dionne Warwick and later dropped in favour of a new one, "Thunderball," ly written by Barry and delivered to Welsh singer Tom Jones after the film's producers decided that the song over the opening credits must include the film's title.

Her UK sales began to decline in the aftermath of "Goldfinger": only two of her singles made it to the UK top 40 from 1966 to 1970. "I've Got a Song for You," her first album on United Artists, "I've Got a Song for You" (1966), spent one week on the charts. Only two albums will chart from 1966 to 1970, one of which is a compilation. "Big Spender," one of her best-known singles, was released in 1967, only just shy of the top 20 charts in the United Kingdom.

Bassey began to live as a prisoner in 1968 and was unable to work in the United Kingdom for nearly two years. In 1969, she appeared in NBC's The Spring Thing, a musical television special hosted by Bobbie Gentry and Noel Harrison. Goldie Hawn, Meredith MacRae, Irwin C. Watson, Rod McKuen, and Harpers Bizarre were among the guests.

Bassey's comeback to the United Kingdom in 1970 marked one of her career's most fruitful years. The Young Generation Meets Shirley Bassey, a BBC Television special' starting the year on BBC Television, was shot in Sweden and shown on BBC1 on March 18th. She returned to the United Kingdom with a string of spectacular appearances at the Talk of the Town nightclub. Until the year, Something was released, showcased a new Bassey style, a change from traditional pop to more modern songs and arrangements (the eponymous single was more popular in the UK charts than the original Beatles') – but Bassey would never completely abandon that which had been her forte: standards, show tunes, and torch songs.

"Something" was also a top-ten hits on the Adult Contemporary chart. Other singles of this period included "Never Never Never," an English translation of the Italian "Grande grande grande," the top ten in the US Adult Contemporary Chart, the UK top ten, and number one in Australia and South Africa, among other items.

She performed the theme song for Diamonds Are Forever (1971), which was also a return to the James Bond franchise. Bassey appeared on the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show in 1971, which was broadcast on Christmas Day.

Bassey appeared on Two occasions: firstly, when she was welcomed by Eamonn Andrews at Heathrow Airport in November 1972, and then in January 1993, when Michael Aspel surprised her at the curtain call of a sell-out concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

Bassey released a number of hit albums on the United Artists label, including: Something Else (1972), And I Love You So (1972); And I Love You So (1972); Never Never Never Never Lost (1976); You Take My Heart (1978); and Yesterdays (1978); Always Innocent (1972); And I Love You Too (1972); And I Love You So (1972); And I Love You So (1973); And I Love You So (1972); Always Remembered (1978); In addition, two of Bassey's older albums, And We Were Lovers (1967, re-issued as Big Spender), and Let's Face the Music (1962), were among the tracks that have been re-issued as What Now My Love. The Shirley Bassey Singles Album (1975) and The 25th Anniversary Album (1978), her highest-charting album, debuted at number two and received a gold disc, and the 25th Anniversary Album debuted, earning a gold disc.

Bassey had 18 hit albums in the UK Albums Chart between 1970 and 1979. The Magic Is You (1979) was an exhibition by photographer Francesco Scavullo. Shirley Bassey's Live at Carnegie Hall, a 1973 tribute to her sold-out concerts at New York's Carnegie Hall, was released as a two-LP set. On the Billboard R&B album chart, 20nd.

Bassey appeared in the six-episode Shirley Bassey show in 1976, the first of her television programs for the BBC, followed by a second series of six episodes in 1979. In 1977, the final show of the first series was announced for the Golden Rose of Montreux. Guests included Neil Diamond, Michel Legrand, The Three Degrees, and Dusty Springfield, as well as in the television studio, were included in the series. Bassey pleaded guilty to being inebriated and disorderly "after shouting and harassing a policeman." Bassey wrote the title theme song for the Bond film, Moonraker, in 1979.

Bassey concentrated on charitable work and appearing on occasional concert tours throughout Europe, Australia, and the United States for the majority of the 1980s. She had ended her relationship with United Artists, whose former record division was now part of EMI, and started what she described as "semi-retirement" and began what she described as "semi-retirement." Bassey released an album entitled All by Myself (1982) and produced a TV special for Thames Television titled A Special Lady with guest Robert Goulet. "Thought I'd Ring You" (1983), she sang of this period. Bassey was recording less often, but she had recorded I Am What I Am (1984), which was conducted by Carl Davis. "There's No Place Like London," (1986), which was co-written by Lynsey de Paul and Gerard Kenny, was followed by a single and video to promote the London Tourist Board. In 1987, she produced The Bond Collection, an album of James Bond themes, but was apparently dissatisfied with the results so she decided not to publish it. (Five years later, it was released anyway, Bassey sued in court, and all unopened copies were deleted.)

Bassey performed on "The Rhythm Divine" (1987), a Scottish artist Billy Mackenzie's song co-written. In 1989, La Mujer's album was released in Spanish with a sung entirely in Spanish. Bassey's debut in the late 1980s, when she met with a vocal coach and her album Keep the Music Playing (1991), she displayed a grand, operatic pop style on several songs (perhaps also influenced by her LSO's album seven years ago).

In 1994, EMI issued Bassey – The EMI/UA Years 1959-1979. Marc Almond's poem was the lead in the accompanying book. Bassey appeared in the film La Passione (1996) as herself and releasing the single "Disco' La Passione," a collaboration between Chris Reay and Chris Rea. This single's remix debuted just outside the UK top 40. "History Repeating" (1997) by Bassey's Prosecutors, a bestselling book on the UK Dance Chart and ranked ten on the US Dance Chart and No. 10 on the US Dance Chart, and ranked first on the UK Dance Chart. The liner notes on the Propellerheads' album Decksandrockandroll were titled: "We would like to extend our deepest appreciation to Shirley Bassey for her appearance." We are still in shock over Bassey's 60th birthday in 1997, with two open-air concerts at Castle Howard and Althorp Park, as well as another television special. The resultant live album The Birthday Concert received a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance. Bassey performed at an open-air concert near the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid in Egypt on October 7th, 1998. In 1984, Bassey appeared at Henley Festival on Friday night.

Bassey's former personal assistant, who also accused Bassey of assaulting her and making an ethnic insult, was sued for breach of contract in 1998. Bassey was the winner of the lawsuit. In his one-act play The Trial of Shirley Bassey, Alexander Baron lampooned the episode. With Bryn Terfel at the opening ceremony at The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff wearing a dress emblazoned on the Welsh flag, she performed the official song for the rugby World Cup, "Life in Union" for the first year. Their single debuted at number one on the UK compilations chart, while Bassey contributed two more songs to the official album Land of My Fathers, which debuted at number one on the UK compilations chart and went gold.

Bassey continued to appear at numerous high profile venues throughout the 2000s and 2010s. She performed as the principal artiste at Edinburgh's 80th birthday party in 2001. Elton John, Paul McCartney, and Tom Jones were among a line-up of performers, including Elton John, George McCartney and Tom Jones, who appeared at Buckingham Palace's 50th Jubilee Party on June 3, 2002.

Bassey celebrated 50 years in show business in 2003 with the release of the CD Thank You for the Years, another top 20 hit song. "Dame Shirley Bassey: 50 Years of Glittering Gowns" at Christie's, 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 Festival, debuting her latest song "The Living Tree."

Shirley Bassey's two most popular Audiences have aired on British television, one in 1995 that attracted more than ten million viewers in the United Kingdom, with the second broadcast in 2006. Bassey returned to perform in five arenas around the UK in June this year, culminating at Wembley Stadium. In addition, she gave a concert to 10,000 people at the Bryn Terfel Faenol Festival in North Wales, which was also broadcast by BBC Wales. Marks & Spencer has earned her ad campaign in 2006 for James Bond's Christmas Bond-style television commercial campaign. Bassey is seen in a glaming ice palace performing a cover version of Pink's "Get the Party Started" in M&S dresses.

On the 50th anniversary of Bassey's 50th birthday on the UK Singles Chart and the first time a top 40 hits in UK chart history was released as a single. Bassey performed a 45-minute set at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival, wearing a pink Julien Macdonald dress and bespoke Wellington boots. Get the Party Started, a new album that was later released on June 25, 2007 and debuted at number six on the UK Albums Chart. The title song's single debuted at number three on the US Dance Chart. Bassey also performed "Big Spender" with Elton John at his annual White Tie and Tiara Ball to raise funds for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Bassey appeared at Fashion Rocks in 2007 in favor of The Prince's Trust at the Royal Albert Hall.

Bassey was admitted to a hospital in Monaco on May 23rd, 2008, after complaining of abdominal pains, she was rushed to the hospital in Monaco. Because of her illness, she was compelled to miss out on the Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Tribute Festival. In 2008, a biography of Bassey, Diamond Diva, was published.

Bassey produced the album The Performance (2008), which starred James Bond composer David Arnold as co-producer (with Mike Dixon). Several writers wrote specifically for her, including Manic Street Preachers, Gary Barlow, Tom Baxter, KT Tunstall, Pet Shop Boys, Nick Hodgson of the Kaiser Chiefs, John Barry and Don Black. Bassey appeared on the BBC Electric Proms on October 23, 2009, her first full live set of 2009. On several television shows, she appeared on several of the new songs from The Performance in November 2009: The Graham Norton Show, The Paul O'Grady Show, and as the guest singer on Strictly Come Dancing.

On the 30th of March 2011, Bassey performed at a gala honoring Mikhail Gorbachev's 80th birthday. She also appeared at the Classical Brit Awards in 2011, performing "Goldfinger" in honor of John Barry.

Shirley, a 70-minute drama starring Bassey's youth and career, was broadcast on September 29, 2011. Ruth Negga appeared in the role of a title. Bassey was one of the line-up of musicians on June 4th, 2012, and he performed "Diamonds Are Forever" at Buckingham Palace. On the 24th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise, she appeared at the 2013 Academy Awards to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise. It was her first appearance as a performer at an Oscars bash. To a standing ovation, she sang "Goldfinger" as a fright.

On November 13, 2014, Bassey performed "I'm Still Here" and "The Lady Is A Tramp" as part of the Royal Variety Performance in the presence of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

On November 17, 2014, Bassey unveiled Hello Like Before, a new album by the singer. It includes a 50th anniversary tribute to "Goldfinger" (recreating the original orchestration) and a tribute to Paloma Faith's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" by Stuart Barr, which was produced and conducted by Stuart Barr.

Bassey appeared on a 60-minute BBC show hosted by David Walliams in December 2016.

Bassey performed "Almost Like Being In Love" at the London Palladium on March 11, 2018. Bassey performed "Goldfinger," "Diamonds Are Forever," "Almost Like Being In Love," "I Am What I Am" and "I Am What I Am" at a gala for AMFAR (The Foundation for Aids Research) in Los Angeles on October 18, 2018.

Bassey performed "Goldfinger," "Diamonds Are Forever," and "S'Wonderful" at UNICEF's Summer Gala in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, on August 9, 2019. Bassey appeared on Ball & Boe's Christmas Special on Friday, 20 December 20, singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" with Michael Ball and Alfie Boe.

Bassey's debut on the UK Albums Chart in 2020, with the debut of her most recent album, I Owe It All To You. Bassey became the first female artist to chart an album in seven decades.

Source