In 1960 they toured the United States and were well-received, but lacklustre support and distribution from a revolving door of American record labels proved an obstacle to long-term success there despite several chart records by Richard including the aforementioned "It's All in the Game" on Epic, via a renewed linking of the worldwide Columbia labels after Philips ended its distribution deal with CBS. Today Cliff Richard celebrates his 80th birthday with an album, an autobiography and a tour in 2021. ", "Cliff Richard hopes Miley Cyrus 'grows out of' controversial behaviour", "I'll tell you something about Cliff Richard I would love to get stoned with him", "Cliff Richard: The first straight-edge icon? 6 in the UK charts in its opening week and peaked at No. [11] He also had four UK Christmas No. 1s "Travellin' Light" and "I Love You" and also "A Voice in the Wilderness", lifted from his film Expresso Bongo, and "Theme for a Dream" cemented Richard's status as a mainstream pop entertainer along with contemporaries such as Adam Faith and Billy Fury. He said: "It's not vital to get married and it's not vital to be a father. "[90] In 1997, he said: "People who are single shouldn't have to be second-class citizens we needn't be embarrassed or feel guilty about it, we all have a role to play. Harry Webb attended a local primary school, Stanley Park Juniors, in Carshalton. He said: "I'm seeing Sue, the only girl I want to see at the moment and if marriage comes on the horizon, I shall relish it. [167] In October 2016, it was reported that Richard was suing the BBC and South Yorkshire Police. [53][54], Later in 1990, a live album titled From a Distance: The Event was released. "I was never suicidal but I thought a couple of times I might die I'm thinking, 'I don't want . Along with the song, the recording contained comedy dialogue between Richard and the Young Ones. When the suggestions were first put to him in the late 1970s, Richard responded by saying: "It's untrue. The campaign was initially unsuccessful and the UK copyright on many of Richard's early recordings expired in 2008. Cliff Richard was born on October 14, 1940. He said that, while he believes he would have been a good father, he doesn't regret his decision not to have children. 4 in the UK and also became Richard's biggest hit in Australia since the early 1960s. It was his first time at the top of the UK singles chart in over ten years, and the song would become his biggest-selling single worldwide, selling almost five million copies throughout the world. [105] Irving went on to marry Adam Faith. Meanwhile, the Shadows later re-formed (and again split). [18] Dorothy's mother served as the dormitory matron at the La Martiniere Girls' School. About 1,000 copies are known to exist on vinyl. Sir. If you ask me to record a new song, I'm not sure it would get the support it needs. In 1980, "Carrie" broke into the US top 40, followed by "Dreamin'", which reached No. The unnamed man in his forties contacted Richard's aides and threatened to spread "false stories" unless he received a sum of money. 13).[67]. Although baptised as an Anglican, Richard did not practise the faith in his early years. [90][142][143], In August 2014, Richard was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September's referendum on that issue. In all, he toured 12 German cities in November and December 2010, during the Night of the Proms concerts, as the headline act. That year, Bruce Welch relaunched Cliff's career and produced the landmark album I'm Nearly Famous, which included the successful but controversial guitar-driven track "Devil Woman", which became Richard's first true hit in the United States, and the ballad "Miss You Nights". This means Richard's recordings between 1958 and 1962 are out of copyright in the UK, but those from 1963 will be in copyright until 2034. "[113], In 1988, Richard's nephew Philip Harrison spent the first four months of his life in a children's hospital suffering from serious breathing problems. Sir Cliff also . His 1980 duet "Suddenly" with Olivia Newton-John, from the film Xanadu, peaked at No. [38] Richard's fans were excited about this revival of a performer who had been a part of British rock from its early days. [165] On 27 September 2016, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that the decision not to prosecute Richard over claims of historical sex offences had been upheld. Carlton Books, UK. (1970) " With the Eyes of a Child " is a song by British singer Cliff Richard, released as a single in November 1969. Richard is a British and Barbadian singer-songwriter. [78] It was reported on 16 June 2014 that Morrissey had cancelled the concert after collapsing with an "acute fever". I'm afraid I lost the chance. On 4 July 2022, Richard sang his 1963 hit "Summer Holiday" at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, as part of the Centenary Celebration. Cliff Richard is not the only child of his parents and, it is on record that he has three sisters, Joan, Jacqui, and Donna. [41] The videos for "We Don't Talk Anymore", "A Little in Love", and "Dreamin'" were among the first to be played by MTV upon its launch in 1981. Cliff Richard is an English pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist. The head of programmes, Paul Baker, sent an e-mail to Blackburn stating that Richard "doesn't match our brand values. Richard and Black reportedly enjoyed each other's company dining together in Marbella and watching tennis in the Royal Box at Wimbledon. With Richard's succession of hit songs and albums from the late 1970s into the early 1980s, followed by another strong run in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a strong fan base had been reestablished and Richard remained one of the best-known music artists in the country. At the time of this writing, the 82-year-old musician had no children. Richard urged her to "find someone who is free to love you as you deserve to be loved" and who "is able to marry you". He went on to release a double live album, Cliff Live in Japan 1972, which featured Newton-John. It cost him 800,000. [160][161] Richard said he was "obviously thrilled that the vile accusations and the resulting investigation have finally been brought to a close". Bryan Ferry added hummed backing vocals to the song. [150] He subsequently returned to the UK and voluntarily met with and was interviewed by members of South Yorkshire Police. [152] Subsequently, David Crompton, chief constable of South Yorkshire Police, was criticised for his interactions with the BBC, and publicly apologised to Richard. Richard has sold more than 250 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. 1 singles recording artist in UK), 2005: Rose D'or Music Festival (Paris): Golden Rose, Note: Entries scored out signify where the United Kingdom did not compete, This page was last edited on 29 April 2023, at 23:11. He is the son of Rodger Oscar Webb and Dorothy Marie Dazely. DJ Pete Mitchell said: "Timeless acts of the decade that remain relevant today are the Beatles, the Stones, the Doors and the Who, not Sir Cliff." 1 singles, two of which were as a solo artist; "Mistletoe and Wine" and "Saviour's Day". His final acting role on the silver screen to date was in 1973, when he starred in the film Take Me High. ", "Mistletoe and Wine's political beginnings", "Sir Cliff Richard chose music over love, letter shows", "Sir Cliff Richard picked music over love", "Sir Cliff Richard talks of ex-priest companion", "Cliff Richard, the pop world's greatest survivor, says", "Sir Cliff Richard: Evergreen entertainer", "The Sun Hasn't Set on Cliff Richard in 20 Years, and Now He's Conquered the U.S. with 'We Don't Talk Anymore, "Book Review: Well, is he or isn't he? O'Connor, John Kennedy. Sir Richard Page. Cliff Richard, in full Sir Cliff Richard, original name Harry Roger Webb, (born October 14, 1940, Lucknow, India), British singer whose "Move It" (1958) was the first great British rock-and-roll song. The group was obliged to change its name to "The Shadows" after legal complications with the American group the Drifters as "Living Doll" entered the American top 40, licensed by ABC-Paramount. It was "Move It" writer Ian Samwell who suggested the surname "Richard" as a tribute to Webb's musical hero Little Richard. Review", "And They Said It Wouldn't Last (My 50 Years in Music)", "Cliff Richard Soulicious: Review by Jon O'Brien", "Cliff Richard 'thrilled' with Diamond Jubilee gig", "Congratulations to Sir Cliff after Olympic torch relay", "Sir Cliff Richard to release 100th album", "Sir Tom Jones and Sir Cliff Richard to support Morrissey at major US shows", "Morrissey reveals Cliff Richard and Tom Jones as live gig special guests", "Cliff Richard Treating New Yorkers To Free Show After Morrissey Cancellation", "Sir Cliff Richard Cliff Richard To Tour For 75th Birthday", "In pictures: Sir Cliff Richard's memorable moments at the Royal Albert Hall", "Cliff Richard review funny, poignant show from pop's performing genius", "Official Vinyl Singles Chart Top 40, 1925 October 2018", "Sir Cliff Richard leaves Wimbledon fans 'cringing' with surprise performance", "Cliff Richard blames radio ban for ending his recording career", "Cliff Richard's 100th album: a testament to naff appeal", "Sir Cliff Richard hits back over radio airplay snub", "Sir Cliff Richard: 'I'm the real rock rebel', "Cliff Richard: What difference would it make if I was gay? For many years he shared his main home with his charity and promotion schedules manager, Bill Latham and Latham's mother. In 1964, he became an active Christian and his faith has become an important aspect of his life. Sir Cliff Richard was born Harry Rodger Webb on October 14, 1940, in Lucknow, India. [43] At the same time, he received, from the Queen, the award of Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to music and charity.[44]. "Living Doll" was used in Richard's dbut film Serious Charge, but it was arranged as a country standard, rather than a rock and roll standard. [72], Richard was involved in a campaign to extend copyright on sound recordings in the UK from 50 to 95 years, and extend the number of years on which a musician can receive royalties. For the "Move It" session, Paramor used the session guitarist Ernie Shears on lead guitar and Frank Clark on bass. Hostages To India: OR The Life Story of the Anglo Indian Race, London: The Simon Wallenberg Press: Vol 2: Anglo Indian Heritage Books, Richard himself stated that the latter theory is correct; interviewed for the first episode of the. His father's name is Rodger Oscar Webb (manager) and his mother's name is Dorothy Marie Webb. [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. [26] Richard was quoted as saying: It's wonderful to be going on TV for the first time, but I feel so nervous that I don't know what to do. When Keating died in April 2004, Richard attended her funeral in Kent and performed his song "Miss You Nights" in tribute to her.[126][127]. The Album was released on 12 November 2007. He has helped to raise funds and awareness of the disease by speaking publicly about his mother's condition. Tony Meehan and Jet Harris left the group in 1961 and 1962 respectively and later had their own chart successes for Decca. Sir Cliff Richard's autobiography is a little different, if no less illuminating. 10). The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Thursday there was . [33][34] The story was widely covered and featured on UK's Channel 4 News as a main story on 7 May 2008, with Jon Snow interviewing author and historian John Kennedy O'Connor about the matter. So because his commitments have been his career, his faith, and more latterly, tennis, he has given himself wholeheartedly to those three activities. 7) released as his Christmas single, while 1993 saw Richard's first new music studio album for over three years released. [30] The irreverent 1980s TV sitcom The Young Ones took its name from Richard's 1962 film. The Shadows added bass players Brian Locking (196263) and then John Rostill (196368) and took on Brian Bennett permanently on drums. He was among the performers at the Diamond Jubilee concert held outside Buckingham Palace in June 2012. Sir Cliff Richard says not being a father has 'never bothered' him. "[101][self-published source] Richard's mother, Dorothy, died in October 2007, aged 87, after a decade with Alzheimer's disease. [159] The following month, the CPS announced that after reviewing "evidence relating to claims of non-recent sexual offences dating between 1958 and 1983 made by four men", there was "insufficient evidence" to charge Richard with an offence, and that no further action against him would be taken. He began 1970 by appearing live on the BBC's review of the sixties music scene, Pop Go The Sixties, which was broadcast across Britain and Europe on 31 December 1969. I'm not going to judge I'll leave that to God. Throughout the early 1960s, his hits were consistently in the top five. "[135], In 1971, Richard was a leading supporter of the Nationwide Festival of Light, a movement formed by British Christians who were concerned about the development of the permissive society. [14] When asked in February 2013 if he had regrets about not starting a family, Richard said that if he had been married with children he could not have devoted so much time to his career. [62] Richard took it to an independent label, Papillon, which released the charity recording (in aid of Children's Promise). The total of 18 concerts were attended by over 300,000 fans. [68] In September, a single celebrating his 50 years in pop music, titled "Thank You for a Lifetime" was released. Sir Cliff Richard has admitted that he never wanted children because starting a family would have got in the way of his career. 8) was the second lead single, followed by "Human Work of Art" (No. 11). He also was amassing a string of top ten albums, including I'm No Hero, Wired for Sound, Now You See Me, Now You Don't, a live album he recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra titled Dressed for the Occasion, and Silver, marking his 25th year in show business in 1983. [35] However, the allegations turned out to be untrue as it was a widely repeated rumour instigated by TVE. To accompany the concerts, a new album of cover versions of swing standards, Bold as Brass, was released on 11 October. He made a surprise appearance at the Antwerp concert of the Night of the Proms on Thursday, 28 October 2010 and sang "We Don't Talk Anymore" to a great reaction from the surprised 20,000 fans at Sportpaleis Antwerp. He still recorded secular songs with the Shadows, but devoted a lot of his time to Christian work, including appearances with the Billy Graham crusades. The CPS reviewed the evidence following applications by two of his accusers,[166] and concluded that the decision not to charge Richard was correct. "[98], Author and rock music critic Tony Parsons said: "If you don't like at least some Cliff Richard, then you don't like pop music". 2 in the UK. In a career spanning nearly 65 years,[7] Richard has amassed several gold and platinum discs and awards, including two Ivor Novello Awards and three Brit Awards. Richard was permitted to record one of his own songs for the B-side; this was "Move It", written and composed by the Drifters' Samwell while he was on board a number 715 Green Line bus on the way to Richard's house for a rehearsal. Nor did doors open to him in the US market; he was not considered part of the British Invasion, and despite four Hot 100 hits (including the top 25 "It's All in the Game") between August 1963 and August 1964, the American public had little awareness of him. [85], In 1998, Chris Evans, the then breakfast show host on Virgin Radio, vowed he would never again play a record by Richard, stating that he was "too old". EMI agreed to his demand despite the fact the single was expected to sell well. 3 in the UK singles chart. It starred Olivia Newton-John, Hank Marvin and Una Stubbs, and included A Song for Europe. The Daily Telegraph said that Richard and Black looked at properties together in Miami and were regularly seen together in Barbados, where they both owned villas. In 1948, following Indian independence, the family embarked on a three-week sea voyage to Tilbury, Essex, England aboard the SSRanchi. They became contractually separate from Richard, and the group received no royalties for records backing Richard. "[136], One of the targets for the Festival of Light's campaign was the growth of sexually explicit films. 1 in April 1968. He always goes the extra mile. On Blackburn's next morning breakfast show, he read a print-out of the e-mail live on air to the show's 400,000 listeners and went on to play two songs by Richard. When did Sir Richard Page die? Two's Company, an album of duets released in 2006, was another top-10 success for Richard and included newly recorded material with Brian May, Dionne Warwick, Anne Murray, Barry Gibb and Daniel O'Donnell, plus some previously recorded duets with artists such as Phil Everly, Elton John and Olivia Newton-John. "[95], Richard said that his faith in God was tested in 1999 after the murder of his close friend, the British television presenter Jill Dando. In a 2006 interview, he spoke about the difficulties he and his sisters had in dealing with their mother's condition. "[109] In September 1983, Richard said that he had no immediate plans to marry Barker. "[114][115], Although he has never married, Richard has rarely lived alone. 10 in the UK on their respective charts. "[42], In 1980, Richard officially changed his name, by deed poll, from Harry Rodger Webb to Cliff Richard. It compiled highlights of the previous year's "The Event" show, and provided two live tracks as singles, "Silhouettes" (UK No. "[141], Richard has donated to the dementia research charity, Alzheimer's Research UK. He has made overseas visits to see their work in Uganda, Bangladesh and Brazil. [55] The album itself reached No. On the singles chart, Richard was having his most consistent period of top twenty hits since the mid-1960s. In the BBC Radio 2 documentary Cliff Take Another Look, he pointed out that many documentaries charting the history of British music (e.g. Richard responded to this by saying: "They're lying to themselves, and more importantly they're lying to the public. [47] The album was certified quadruple platinum, becoming Richard's first to be certified multi-platinum by the BPI since it introduced multi-platinum awards in February 1987.[48][49]. 2008present: 50th anniversary and Shadows reunion, Criticism of the music industry and commercial support, Property search, investigation and BBC litigation, Stark, Herbert Alick. [102], Richard has also supported numerous UK charities over many years through the Cliff Richard Charitable Trust, both through donations and by making personal visits to schools, churches, hospitals and homes for special needs children. A review by former chief constable Andy Trotter said South Yorkshire Police had breached police guidance on protecting the identity of those under investigation and the handling of the search had dented the force's reputation. Sir Cliff Richard OBE (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an English singer who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. In the early 1960s, he had a prosperous screen career with films including The Young Ones, Summer Holiday and Wonderful Life and his own television show at the BBC. 17) and "Daddy's Home" (No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. I will miss her dearly.