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Dame Shirley Bassey Order of the British
Empire|DBE (born January 8, 1937), is a
Wales|Welsh singer, perhaps best known for
performing the theme songs to the James Bond films
Goldfinger (1964 in film|1964), Diamonds Are
Forever (1971 in film|1971), and Moonraker (1979
in film|1979). To date no other performer has
recorded more than one of the coveted theme songs.

== The Early Years ==
Shirley was born to a Nigerian and West-Indian
father who was a seaman, while her mother came
from Yorkshire, Northern England. She grew up in
the notorious Tiger Bay area of Cardiff as the
youngest of seven children. Her father left when
she was just two years old. 

Shirley first found employment packing in a local
factory when she left school at the age of
fifteen. She enjoyed singing while she packed
enamel pots, and to supplement her wage she sang
in local pubs and clubs. In 1953, she signed up
for the revue Memories of Jolson, a musical based
on the life of Al Jolson. She next took up a 
professional engagement in Hot From Harlem, which
ran until 1954. By this time Shirley had become
sick of show business and had become pregnant at
16 years old with her daughter Sharon, so she went
back to waitressing in Cardiff. However, in 1955,
a chance recommendation of her to Michael
Sullivan, a booking agent in London, put her
firmly on course for her destined career. He saw
talent in Shirley, and decided he would make her a
celebrity | star. She toured various theatres
until she got an offer of the show that put her
firmly on the road to stardom, Al Read's Such Is
Life. While she starred in this show, Philips A&R
and record producer Johnny Franz spotted her on
television, became impressed, and offered her a
sound recording | record deal.


Shirley duly recorded her first single, entitled
Burn My Candle, and Philips released it in
February 1956. Due to the suggestive lyric, the
BBC banned it, but it still sold well nonetheless,
backed with her powerful rendition of Stormy
Weather. Further singles appeared, and in February
1957 Shirley scored her first hit parade | hit
with The Banana Boat Song, which peaked at #8 in
the British chart. That year she also recorded
under the direction of US producer Mitch Miller in
United States of America | America for the
Columbia Records | Columbia label, producing the
single If I Had A Needle And Thread / Tonight My
Heart She Is Crying. In mid-1958, she recorded two
singles which would end up as classics in the
Bassey catalogue. As I Love You appeared as a
b-side to another ballad, Hands Across The Sea. It
didn't sell well at first, but after a chance
appearance at the London Palladium, things began
to pick up. In February 1959, it made #1 and
stayed there for 4 weeks. Shirley also recorded
Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me at this time, and
while As I Love You raced up the charts, so too
did this record. They ended up with both in the
top 3 at the same time.

A few months later, Shirley Bassey signed to EMI
Columbia, and the second phase in her recording
career had begun. Throughout the 1960's Bassey
scored with numerous hits on the British charts.
In 1964 she recorded the title theme song for the
James Bond film Goldfinger which vaulted into the
Top 10 Singles Charts in both the UK and America.
Due to the success of that song she appeared
frequently on many American television talk shows
hosted by the likes of Johnny Carson and Mike
Douglas. In 1971 she recorded the title theme for
Diamonds Are Forever which was also a great
success. Finally, in 1979 Bassey recorded her
final title theme for the Bond films with
Moonraker.
Throughout most of the 1980's Bassey focused on
charitable works and performing in more intimate
venues, leaving her grande concert life behind.
However, in 1997 she caused a sensation in the UK
with her song History Repeating with the
Propellerheads which scored a Number 1 ranking on
the British Dance Music Charts, introducing Bassey
to a new generation of fans, including Britain's
Prince William and Prince Harry.  

It is perhaps because of her career longevity and
particular admiration from the Royal Family that
Bassey became a British honours system | Dame
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (the
female equivalent of a Knight Commander) on
December 31, 1999 by Elizabeth II of the United
Kingdom|HM Queen Elizabeth II.

She now happily resides in Monaco where she
maintains a luxurious residence befitting her
showstopping existence.

==External links==
* http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0060259/ The IMDb
entry on Bassey
* http://www.songsofshirleybassey.co.uk/ Songs of
Shirley Bassey website