Bassey, shirley

Childhood and Youth (1937-1960)

Bessie was born on 182 Butte Street in Tiger Bay , in Cardiff, in the family of a Nigerian sailor, Henry Bassey . Bassie's mother, Eliza Jane, in her first marriage, Metcalfe ( Eliza Jane Metcalfe ) was originally from Yorkshire , Northern England. The girl grew up in the working quarter and was the youngest of seven children. Father left the family when Shirley was two years old. Subsequently, the girl began to go to Murland Elementary School in the Splott area ( English ), also in Cardiff.

As a child, Shirley often sang in a duet with her brother at family celebrations hits of American jazz artists Sarah Vaughan and Billy Ekstayna . His brother's favorite singer was an American singer and actor Al Jolson , who also influenced the formation of the singer's musical style. Bessie recalls: “As a child, we only listened to Jolson’s notes. I think I adopted his style, because I liked how aplomb he told the public: “You still don’t hear that!” ( “You ain't heard nothin 'yet!” ). You need to be pretty narcissistic to say that - and that is what I liked about El Jolson ” ^[1] .

After leaving school at the age of fifteen, Shirley went to work as a packer at a local factory. In her free time, she worked part time by singing at local pubs and clubs. In 1953, Bassie participated in the musical “ Memories of Jolson ”, staged according to the biography of singer Al Jolson. Then Bassie took part in the show " Hot From Harlem ".

At 16, she became pregnant with her daughter Sharon and returned to Cardiff, finding a job as a waitress. However, in 1955, according to a random recommendation, she was found by agent Michael Sullivan, who convinced Shirley of the need to continue her singing career. The singer worked in various theaters until she received an invitation to the Al Read show called “ Such Is Life ”. While working on this show, Philips A&R and producer Johnny Franz noticed her appearance on television and offered a contract.

Philips released its first single, Bassie, titled Burn My Candle in February 1956, when the singer was only nineteen years old. This single, on the second side of which the song " Stormy Weather " was recorded, immediately won the hearts of millions of people. A hit in February 1957 was Shirley's performance of the Jamaican folk song “ Banana Boat Song, ” ranking eighth in the British singles charts. In the same year, the singer, with the assistance of American producer Mitch Miller, recorded the single “ If I Had A Needle And Thread ” / “ Tonight My Heart She Is Crying ” for Columbia label.

In mid-1958, Bassie recorded two singles, which later became classics in her repertoire. The song “ As I Love You ” appeared on the second side of the record with a ballad called “ Hands Across The Sea ”. At first, the single sold out poorly, but things went better after the singer's performance in the London Palladium concert hall. In February 1959, this song took the first line of the charts and lasted there for four weeks. At the same time, Bassie recorded the song " Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me ", and at the same time as " As I Love You " rose in the charts, this song also gained popularity: as a result, both entered the top three.

The singer’s first longplay album, entitled The Bewitching Miss Bassey , was released in 1959. It included singles released earlier during the contract with Philips. A few months later, Bassie signed with EMI Columbia, marking the next important period in her singing career.

Peak of Popularity (1960-1980)

During the 1960s , Bassie recorded several songs that became hits on the British charts. In particular, the first hit recorded since signing the contract with EMI was a 1960 song called “ As Long As He Needs Me ”. In preparation for recording the song, a curious incident occurred. Producer Norman Newell booked one of the studios on Abbey Road and, along with a large orchestra, was awaiting the singer's arrival. When Bassie did not appear at the appointed time, Newell began to call her home and found that she had forgotten about the recording and went to the cinema. Then the producer ordered to immediately ring all the cinemas in London to urgently find a singer and deliver her to the studio. Out of breath, Shirley arrived at the scene and as a result recorded one of the most emotional and popular songs of her entire career. In 1960, the song soared to second place in the British charts and lasted 30 weeks among the top 50.

Another significant event in the singer’s career was a collaboration in 1963-1964 with George Martin , producer of the legendary The Beatles . In 1964, the singer for the first and last time conquered the heights of the American charts with a song for the James Bond film " Goldfinger ". Thanks to this success, Bassie often appeared on various talk shows on American television.

On February 15, 1964, the singer successfully debuted in the USA on the stage of the famous Carnegie Hall concert hall, where three years earlier her idol performed with a triumphant return - American actress and singer Judy Garland (even before Bassie arrived in America, Garland was present at one of her concerts and gave tips on how to behave with the American public and producers). The recording of Bassey's American concert was initially considered unsatisfactory. Subsequently, it was restored and released only 30 years later in 1994 as part of the collector's edition of the EMI / United Artists singles.

In the late 1960s, Bassie signed a contract with the American label United Artists and from 1966 to 1969 recorded four records, which, however, were of interest only to her most devoted fans. The situation changed radically in August 1970, when the singer released an album called " Something ". This disc illustrated the updated musical style of the singer and became the most successful in her career, not counting subsequent collections of hits. The single of the same name from this album became more popular in the British charts than the original Beatles song. Both singles reached fourth place on the chart , but Bassie's version lasted in the Top 50 for 10 weeks longer - 22 weeks against 12 of the original. The success of the single and album contributed to the success of Bassie's subsequent recordings. The singer recalls: “Recording the album“ Something ”was a turning point for me. You could even say that the album made me a pop star, but at the same time it seemed like a natural development of the musical style. I just went into the studio with all these songs, among which was George Harrison's Something . The first time I heard this song was performed by Peggy Lee on the American television show Ed Sullivan . I didn’t even know that this was a Beatles song and that it was composed by George Harrison ... Having caught the last fragment of Peggy Lee’s performance, I was simply shocked by what I heard ” ^[1] .

In 1971, the singer recorded the title track for the next film from Bond's "Diamonds Are Forever." In 1978, the WFG “ Melody ”, under the license of United Artists Records, released an album of 12 Shirley Bassey numbers recorded from 1969 to 1974. Soviet listeners, not spoiled by Western stars, got acquainted with Diamonds Are Forever , Something , The Fool On The Hill (another Beatles song in the singer’s repertoire), Never, Never, Never and other hits. The song " Moonracker ", released in 1979 along with the film of the same name about Bond, did not have significant success with the public. In total, from 1970 to 1979, Bassie recorded 18 albums, which became hits in Britain, and also starred in two rating TV shows on British television.

1980s

In the 1980s, Shirley Bassey was involved in charity work, giving concerts in Europe and the USA . In 1985, the singer acted as a guest at the International Festival of Polish Song in Sopot . Bassie's live performances have always attracted great public attention with an expressive manner of performing songs, expressive gestures, extravagant stage costumes and a manner of communicating with the audience. Irish musician Martin Hutchinson recalls: “The [ singer’s ] greatest strength is live performances, where she always looked stunning in sophisticated outfits (there were rumors that she wore only one of them once), which were usually strapless and with a deep neckline on his back, which made the male part of the audience freeze with anticipation, and the female part with envy. [...] The gestures of [ Bessie ] on the stage were always dramatic, and the show was not just a concert, but an “event”. ” ^[3]

Bassey's studio recording rate declined significantly in the 1980s. In 1984, an album of the most famous songs called “ I Am What I Am ”, performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, was released . In 1986, the single “ There No Place Like London ” was released, authored by Lynsey De Paul and Gerard Kenny. In 1987, Bassie collaborated with the Swiss duo Yello to record the song “ The Rhythm Divine, ” co-written by Scottish singer Billy Mackenzie . Also in 1987, the singer released an album in Spanish called “ La Mujer ”.

From 1990 to this day

In 1993, the singer recorded an album of cover versions of hits from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals ( Phantom of the Opera , Cats , Jesus Christ the Superstar , etc.). In 1996, Bassie collaborated with Chris Rea on the set of La Passione , where she played herself and performed the song Disco La Passione .

In 1997, the song “ History Repeating ”, recorded with the band Propellerheads , took the first line of dance charts in the UK, introducing the new generation of fans to the work of the singer. Bassie recalls: “Two young people from the Propellerheads sent me a song, and although I liked the music, I thought it was more suitable for Tina Turner than for me. [...] And now 6- and 7-year-old children come up to me on the street and say: “I really like your new record. I am your big fan. "" ^[4] Music columnist Sylvia Patterson of New Musical Express magazine called the single "unusually powerful." ^[5] In December 1997, a video clip featuring the singer was shot for the song. In the Decksandrumsandrockandroll album booklet, Propellerheads expressed gratitude to Shirley Bassey for participating in the recording, and noted that they were “still in shock”.

During tours in Britain in 1998, 120 thousand spectators attended ten live Bassie concerts in the London Royal Festival Hall , which broke the singer’s own record set earlier. On October 1 and 6, 1999, Basse and the Welsh baritone bass Bryn Terfel performed the official hymn of the World In Union games at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Rugby World Championships in Wales . Ceremonies took place at the new rugby stadium in the hometown of singer Cardiff. The dress in which Bassie performed was playing out the red-green motif of the national flag of Wales.

On December 31, 1999, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain awarded Bessie the title of "Lady Commander" and awarded her the Order of the British Empire , which was a recognition of the merits of the singer to the royal family - Shirley Bassey more often than other performers performed at court. ^[6] In 2002, the singer was also invited to perform at the palace to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the reign of Elizabeth II.

In July 2000, EMI released an album called “ Diamonds Are Forever - The Remix Album ”, consisting of remixes of the singer’s most famous hits of past years. Remixes consisted of processing songs in the spirit of modern electronic dance music using Bessie's original vocals. The names of awayTeam , Propellerheads , Nighmares on Wax , Groove Armada , DJ Spinna and Mark Brydon from the British duo Moloko took part in the recording of this album. Remix for the song “ Where Do I Begin (Love Story) ” performed by awayTeam managed to take the first lines of dance charts in the UK.

In 2003, Bassie celebrated the 50th anniversary of her creative career by releasing an album entitled “ Thank You For The Years, ” which was in the top twenty. Christy's charity auction , where the singer's stage costumes were exhibited, raised £ 250,000 for the Shirley Bassey scholarship at the Royal College of Music and Drama in Wales , as well as to the Noah's Ark Children's Hospital Foundation.

Shirley Bassey was recognized as the most successful British artist, having in her 42-year career counted 31 popular single and 35 albums that hit the British charts. ^[6]

Personal life

The official autobiography of the singer has not been published. The book “ An Appreciation of the Life of Shirley Bassey ”, authored by Muriel Burgess, was written in 1999 based on press materials, but the singer herself did not give the green light to this publication due to factual errors. In numerous interviews, Shirley Bassey prefers to talk primarily about his work and not go into the details of his personal life, which he openly declares to reporters. The only approved publication about life and work, in the writing of which the singer herself participated, was published in 1998 under the title “ Shirley Bassey: My Life on Record and In Concert ”.

Shirley Bassey was married twice. Her first husband was producer Kenneth Hume, who was an open homosexual ^[7] and denied the paternity of Samantha’s daughter. ^[6] Their marriage lasted from 1961 to 1965, after which the couple divorced. In 1967, Hume committed suicide, which was a blow for the singer: after the divorce, they remained close friends. Bessie was scheduled to perform at the opening of a London cabaret called “ Talk of the Town ”, and its owner, impresario Bernard Delfont , invited the singer to refuse to appear in public due to the death of Hume. However, despite this, Bassie went on stage. Subsequently, she recalled: “I sang a song, the words of which seemed to be written specifically for me and Kenneth. I sang: “Goodbye, our story has ended. Lovers forever, friends forever. " I managed to finish it all, and in tears I hurried backstage, where the nurse gave me an injection. The audience went crazy. This was an emotional expression of universal love. They knew what it cost me. Everyone knew that I buried Ken a week ago. ” ^[eight]

Bassey's second husband was Italian producer Sergio Novak. Bessie and Novak have been married since 1968 and divorced in 1977. Samantha, Bassey's second daughter, was discovered dead at the age of 21 in 1984, as is believed to be after jumping from the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol . Bessie, however, insisted ^[9] that this was not suicide . The tragedy with her daughter led to the loss of Bassie's voice and a significant interruption in her career in the mid-1980s. Later, the singer recalled: “I was so desperate and blamed myself. I was exhausted. The thought that I was the bad mother of my daughter did not leave me. This was the most difficult period. Children should bury their parents, not the other way around. [...] All this could unsettle me. But not knocked out. For a while I lost my voice, but at some point something ordered me to get up and go on stage again. “If I sat idly by and felt sorry for myself, this would not help me and would not return Samantha.” ^[8] A few weeks after the death of her daughter, Bassey already performed at the Carnegie Hall New York Concert Hall. Bessie recalls: “I was wearing a simple black dress, I went on stage, and the audience stood up and gave me a five-minute standing ovation. It is incredible how the public can provide support. All this gives extraordinary adrenaline . It's like a drug. ” ^[eight]

In her interviews, Shirley Bassey admitted that her work is of particular interest to representatives of sexual minorities . Speaking about the devotion to this part of her audience, the singer claimed: “My homosexual fans have always been close to the vicissitudes of my life. You understand what I mean: she went through all this, and she is still up to the mark. ” ^[ten]

A number of music observers, journalists and writers point to the fact that among the community of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people (abbreviated LGBT ), the singer has a special status of the so-called gay icon - a strong personality, an example of courageous overcoming difficulties. For example, British columnist Arthur Davis sees the most likely reason for this because Basse’s stage costumes are “extravagant, and her shows (and song choices) appeal to a large extent to the homosexual community of both sexes. [...] However, there is also no doubt that she has many heterosexual fans who adore her extraordinary talent. ” ^[11] Basse herself, answering a question about the reasons for her popularity among the gay community , said: “I think this is all because of the glamor and theatricality. It is more than life. This also has power: I think they like strong women. Gays are very creative people, they respect the creativity of others. They see sincerity and do not bow to anyone. ” ^[12]

Some specific songs performed by Bassie have acquired special significance for this audience. For example, Williamson L. Henderson , president of the Stonewall Veteran Association , an American nonprofit public organization of Stonewall riots , founded in 1969, in his edition of Songs of the Stonewall , which mentions Bessie’s life-affirming song “ This is My Life” "(1968), writes:" These songs of the gay community of the Stonewall era are a historical, social and cultural factor, not to mention the musical. [...] These songs sounded at that time - in almost all gay clubs in America - constantly and with expressive vocal and dance components, and the growing musical message became a powerful catalyst for change. ” ^[13] Another song by Bessie called “ I Am What I Am ” (“ I Am Who I Am ”) from the 1983 Broadway musical about the same-sex pair “La Cage Aux Folles” , which tells about self-affirmation and overcoming difficulties, has become, in the opinion of the authors of a documentary about the singer on British Channel 4 , "a song-light for homosexuals." ^[14]

Cultural scientist Andy Medhurst from British University in Sussex also speaks of Bassey as a gay icon and expresses the conviction that “mentioning Bassey without her gay fans is the same as talking about Millwall (a district of London ) without hooligans. Evaluate the depth and age of connections: any tasteless travesty-number , starting from the 1950s, exploited its rotational movements and accented facial expressions, Freddie Mercury paid tribute to her, promoting rock music with the frequent performance of the song “ Big Spender ” for encore, while while Basse’s own “signature” songs went back to the roots of homosexual themes. ” ^[15] Music columnist Caroline Sullivan confirms Bassie’s popularity with transvestites : “A transvestite will not be a real transvestite if there is no Shirley in his room, along with Judy ( Garland ) and Barbra ( Streisand ).” ^[16] Joe Longhorn, a popular British parodist in the 1980s, also successfully used the image of Bassey, ^[17] once the singer even said that Joe was parodying her better than she really is. ^{[18] The} stage image of Bassey has been used in British travesty shows so far. ^[nineteen]

The charity work of the singer also does not ignore the LGBT community. So, in 1997, the singer performed at a concert against AIDS in the Hollywood concert hall " Univsersal City ", organized by " American Foundation for the AIDS Research " for representatives of sexual minorities. Also in March 2007, the singer donated several of her stage costumes for a charity auction. According to the statement of its organizers, all proceeds are sent in favor of British gay teenagers, lesbians , bisexuals and transgender people . ^[20]

• 1973 - Winner in the nomination "Best Soloist" from the TV Times.
• 1976 - Prize-winner in the nomination "Best Artist" from "American Guild of Variety Artists".
• 1977 - Winner in the nomination "The Best British Soloist in the Last 50 Years" at the ceremony "British Record Industry Award".
• 1983 - Title "Commander of the British Empire" (CBE)
• 1999 - Order of the British Empire (DBE - Dame Commander) for popularity and a long career.
• 2001 - Variety Club International Ambassadors Award for contribution to charity.
• 2003 - The highest rank and order of the Legion d'Honneur for his contribution to the culture of France.
• 2003 - Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Music Awards in Britain.
• 2004 - UNESCO Award for Artist for Peace.
• 2005 - Named star on the "Walk of Fame" in London's Covent Garden.

• In 1965, Shirley Bassey recorded a song called “ Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang ”, which was supposed to be included in the next James Bond movie of the same name, but its name was later changed to“ Thunderball ”. The song was released only 27 years later in a collection dedicated to music from Bond .
• In 1979, Bassie hosted her own show on the BBC television channel, which had high ratings.
• In 1980, the singer appeared in the jubilee 100th series of the popular puppet series "The Muppets " and performed three songs: " Fire Down Below ", " Pennies From Heaven " and " Goldfinger ".
• In 1993, in the city of Cardiff, the singer’s hometown, the cabaret “Bassey's” was opened, named after her.
• The song " History repeating ", recorded by Bassie in collaboration with the band Propellerheads, returned the singer to the UK charts in 1997 for the first time in 24 years since her last hits.
• Aretha Franklin 's Queen of Soul, in her autobiography From These Roots (1999), wrote: “I thought a lot about [ pop ] divas. Not everyone who sings or has a hit is a diva. The real divas are Sarah Vaughan , Ella Fitzgerald , Judy Garland , Grace Bambry , Lina Horn , Shirley Bassey, Patti Labelle and Rene Fleming . ”
• In December 2000, the wax statue of the singer was honored to be included in the exhibition of the famous Madame Tussauds .
• A survey of listeners conducted by the BBC Radio 2 marketing service in 2001 about the hundred most recognizable voices of the 20th century revealed that Bassie's voice is in 41st place, ahead of the voices of such stars as Luciano Pavarotti (46), Madonna (50), Tina Turner (52), Rod Stewart (62) and Robbie Williams (89).
• British indie band Arctic Monkeys performed a cover version of Shirley Bassey's hit "Diamonds Are Forever" at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival .
• Shirley Bassie performed the English version of Mourir Sur Scene by singer Dalida - '' Born To Sing ''.

• To the question that her manner of singing is often compared with the manner of Edith Piaf and Judy Garland , the singer replied: “I do not mind [ against such comparisons ] because they were the best ... and being compared with the best is good. They were tragic, but I have such an instinct ... when you go on stage and sing - you need to have a little sadness somewhere. I have to feel the song, otherwise I just can’t sing it. ” ^[one]
• “I never took singing lessons, I don’t know how to read music, so by all indications I should not take this place. I wanted to be a nurse, but as soon as I saw blood, it was the end of my sister's career. I wanted to be a flight attendant, but I don’t know any languages. I also wanted to be a model, but was not tall enough. " ^[12]

Top 10 Albums

• Shirley (No. 9, 1961 )
• Something (No. 5, 1970 )
• Something Else (No. 7, 1971 )
• Never Never Never (No. 10, 1973 )
• The Shirley Bassey Singles Album (No. 2, 1975 )
• 25th Anniversary Album (No. 3, 1978 )

Top 10 Singles

• The Banana Boat Song (No. 8, 1957 )
• “Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me” (No. 3, 1958 )
• As I Love You (No. 1, 1959 )
• “As Long As He Needs Me” (No. 2, 1960 )
• Reach For The Stars / Climb Ev'ry Mountain (No. 1, 1961 )
• “I'll Get By” (No. 10, 1961 )
• “What Now My Love” (No. 5, 1962 )
• “I (Who Have Nothing)” (No. 6, 1963 )
• Goldfinger (No. 8, 1964 )
• “Something” (No. 4, 1970 )
• “For All We Know” (No. 6, 1972 )
• “Never Never Never” (No. 8, 1973 )

• A Special Lady ( 1983 )
• Bassey: You Ain't Heard Nothing Yet ( 1985 )
• La Passione (translated from Italian: Passion) is the 1996 Chris Ree album, the soundtrack to the film La passione (1996), the script for which was written by Chris. Shirley Basse, who starred in the lead role, performed the song “Disco 'La Passione” and also sang a duet with Chris “Shirley Do You Own a Ferrari?”. The composition "La Passione" is the theme of the film.
• Divas Are Forever ( 1998 )
• Standing Room Only ( 2004 )

• Shirley Bassey. My Life on Record and In Concert . Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 1998. ISBN 0-7475-4090-X
• Muriel Burgess. Shirley: Appreciation of the Life of Shirley Bassey . Century, 1999. ISBN 0-7126-7918-9
• Gale Group, L. Mpho Mabunda. Contemporary Black Biography . Thomson Gale, 1996. ISBN 0-8103-9319-0
• Peter Gammond. Oxford Companion to Popular Music . Oxford University Press, 1991. ISBN 0-19-311323-6

• Bondiana

•   Wikimedia Commons has Shirley Bassey related media files
• Shirley Bassey Official Website
• Shirley Bassey's biography on the BBC website
• Shirley Bassey's biography on Answers.com
• Famous people from Wales: Shirley Bassey
• Shirley Bassey on the Internet Movie Database
• Songs of Shirley Bassey Website
• Miss Bassey Website
• YouTube Performance Recordings
• Review of the remix album “Diamonds Are Forever”