Shirley Bassey

Biography

Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) 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 officially. Bassey is one of the most popular vocalists in Britain.
In a career spanning more than 70 years, Bassey has sold more than 140 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female artists of all time. She is the first woman in history to claim a Top 40 album in seven consecutive decades in the United Kingdom.
Born in Cardiff, Bassey began performing as a teenager in 1953. In 1959, she became the first Welsh singer to gain a no. 1 single on the UK singles chart. In the following decades, Bassey amassed 27 top 40 hits in the UK, including two no. 1s ("As I Love You×As I Love You1958 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracksA1Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss MeA2As I Love YouB1There's Never Been a NightB2Hands Across the Sea" and the double A-side "Climb Ev'ry Mountain"/"Reach for the Stars") plus a no. 1 in the Dance Chart ("History Repeating"). She became well known for recording theme songs of the James Bond films Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971) and Moonraker (1979).
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. Since making her first appearance at the Royal Albert Hall in 1971, she has performed at the venue 45 times. Bassey received the first award for Best British Female Solo Artist at the 1st Brit Awards in 1977. 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×Goldfinger1993 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Goldfinger2:482What Now My Love2:573All by Myself4:094The Power of Love4:365This Masquerade5:116Yesterday3:237As I Love You3:018Never Never Never4:289Something3:3010Wind Beneath My Wings4:2111For All We Know2:3312Kiss Me Honey Honey, Kiss Me3:3813Solitaire4:4414Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word3:4915As Long as He Needs Me3:5016Don't Cry Out Loud4:09" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008. She has influenced other singers, and was a favourite of Aretha Franklin.

Early life

Shirley Veronica Bassey was born the sixth and youngest child of Henry Bassey and Eliza Jane Start on Bute Street in Tiger Bay, Cardiff. She grew up in the nearby community of Splott. Her father was Nigerian and her English mother came from New Marske, North Yorkshire.
Two of her mother's four children from previous relationships lived in the Bassey household. Bassey's mother listed her first husband, Alfred Metcalfe, as her own father in the registry of her marriage to Henry Bassey, giving rise to speculation that this marriage was bigamous in the absence of a prior divorce. Eliza and Henry's second child died in infancy, so Shirley was born into a household of three sisters, two half-sisters and one brother.
Teachers and students alike at Moorland Road School noticed Bassey's strong voice but gave the pre-teen little encouragement: "everyone told me to shut up. Even in the school choir the teacher kept telling me to back off till I was singing in the corridor!" A classmate recalled her singing the refrain "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" from Show Boat with such feeling that she made their teacher uncomfortable. She left Splott secondary modern school at age 14 to work at Curran Steels and, in the evenings and weekends, to sing in local pubs and clubs.

1950s

In 1953, Bassey signed her first professional contract, touring with the variety show Memories of Jolson, a musical based on the life of Al Jolson. On 17 December 1953, Bassey signed a contract with Columbia Productions for two performances at the salary of £10. Her next professional engagement was in the touring show Hot from Harlem, in which she and other mixed-race Cardiff performers played Black Americans in 1954. A review of the show in March 1954 included: "Shirley Bassey, an attractive young singer, is an asset to the show." Later that year, Bassey gave birth to her daughter Sharon, while staying with her sister Ella in London.
While performing in Jersey, Bassey met her first manager, Mike Sullivan. In 1955, Bassey toured various theatres until she was noticed by the impresario Jack Hylton at the Astor Club in September 1955. He invited her to feature in Al Read's Such Is Life, which opened on 14 December 1955 at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End. In the show, which ran until 3 November 1956, she featured the song "Burn My Candle×Burn My Candle1976 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1Burn My Candle3:22A2Stormy Weather3:15A3How About You2:27A4Birth of the Blues4:07A5There’s Never Been a Night2:11A6My Funny Valentine3:15B1St. Louis Blues3:33B2The Gypsy in My Soul2:47B3Beale Street Blues3:06B4My Body’s More Important Than My Mind3:40B5You, You Romeo2:49B6The Banana Boat Song2:44", leading one reviewer to say that she had nearly stopped the show with the song "which brought outraged mutters, then roars of shamefaced applause." During the show's run, Philips record producer Johnny Franz spotted her on television, was impressed and offered her a recording deal. Bassey recorded her first single, "Burn My Candle", the song she had featured in Such is Life; it was released in February 1956. The cabaret-style song was banned by the BBC because the lyrics were considered too suggestive. More singles followed and in February 1957, Bassey had her first hit with "The Banana Boat Song", which reached no. 8 in the UK Singles Chart.
Following a successful run at the Café de Paris, London, Bassey made her American stage début in Las Vegas at El Rancho Vegas in February 1957. Following on from Las Vegas, Bassey opened at Ciro's on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood on 15 February 1957. She also recorded under the direction of American producer Mitch Miller in New York City for the Columbia Records label (which at the time had a distribution deal with Philips), producing the single "If I Had a Needle and Thread" backed with "Tonight My Heart She Is Crying". On her return to the UK in April 1957, she starred in "Sunday Night at the London Palladium" for the first time on 28 April 1957.
In mid-1958, Bassey recorded two singles that would become classics in the Bassey catalogue. "As I Love You×As I Love You1958 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracksA1Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss MeA2As I Love YouB1There's Never Been a NightB2Hands Across the Sea" was released as the B-side of another ballad, "Hands Across the Sea"; it did not sell well at first but, after another appearance at the London Palladium on 30 November, sales began to pick up. In January 1959, "As I Love You" reached no. 1 and stayed there for four weeks; it was the first chart-topping single by a Welsh artist. While "As I Love You" climbed the charts, so did Bassey's recording of "Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me" and both records would end up occupying the top 3 at the same time. Having been with Decca Records for four years, Bassey then signed to EMI's Columbia label on 20 April 1959. Her first album for Columbia, The Fabulous Shirley Bassey×The Fabulous Shirley Bassey1959 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1A Foggy Day in London Town3:16A2I've Got You Under My Skin3:38A3Cry Me a River3:33A4April in Paris3:00A5I've Never Been in Love Before3:45A6The Man That Got Away4:08B1'S Wonderful2:19B2I'll Remember April4:11B3Easy to Love3:07B4No One Ever Tells You2:58B5They Can't Take That Away From Me3:15B6The Party's Over3:32, was later released and reached no. 12 in the UK Albums Chart.

1960s

Between 1960 and 1961, Bassey had four Top 10 hits in the UK. Her 1960 recording of "As Long As He Needs Me×As Long as He Needs Me1960 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAAs Long as He Needs MeBSo in Love", from Lionel Bart's Oliver!, peaked at no. 2 and had a chart run of 30 weeks. She made her American television début on 13 November 1960, when she performed on The Ed Sullivan Show. In 1961, the double A-side "Reach for the Stars"/"Climb Ev'ry Mountain" reached no. 1. Bassey's version of "As Long as He Needs Me" reached no. 2. Her single "I'll Get By" peaked at no. 10. Bassey's rendition of "You'll Never Know×You'll Never Know1961 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1You'll Never Know2Hold Me Tight" was one of the UK's top hits in 1961, reaching no. 6 in the charts. She began to gain recognition in the American market and signed to United Artists Records in August 1961. The following month she began a five-week engagement at the Persian Room inside New York's Plaza Hotel.
Bassey's collaboration with Nelson Riddle and his orchestra, the album Let's Face the Music×Let's Face the Music1962 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1Let's Face the Music and Dance3:08A2I Should Care3:54A3Let's Fall in Love3:03A4The Second Time Around3:31A5Imagination4:01A6All the Things You Are3:07B1I Get a Kick Out of You2:48B2Everything I Have Is Yours3:12B3Spring Is Here3:59B4All of Me2:43B5I Can't Get You Out of My Mind3:39B6What Now My Love2:54 (1962), reached no. 12 in the UK album chart; and the single, "What Now My Love×What Now My LoveAlbum · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Killing Me Softly With His Song4:432Cry Me a River3:303I'll Never Fall in Love Again2:524A House Is Not a Home3:275Feel Like Makin' Love3:396And I Love You So4:337As Long as He Needs Me3:008Dommage, Dommage (Too Bad, Too Bad)2:169I Don't Know How to Love4:2310No Regrets2:4611What Now My Love2:5512Don't Rain on My Parade2:13" made it to no. 5 in 1962. Her cover version of the Ben E. King hit "I (Who Have Nothing)×I (Who Have Nothing)1963 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAI (Who Have Nothing)BHow Can You Tell?" reached no. 6 in 1963. In January 1963, Bassey performed at a gala commemorating the second anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's inauguration in Washington, D.C. In March 1963, she appeared on the cover of Ebony magazine. Bassey made her Carnegie Hall debut on 15 February 1964. The complete concert recording was not released until it was included in the EMI compilation The EMI/UA Years 1959–1979 in 1994.
In 1965, Bassey enjoyed her only Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with the title song of the James Bond film, Goldfinger. The single "Goldfinger×Goldfinger1993 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Goldfinger2:482What Now My Love2:573All by Myself4:094The Power of Love4:365This Masquerade5:116Yesterday3:237As I Love You3:018Never Never Never4:289Something3:3010Wind Beneath My Wings4:2111For All We Know2:3312Kiss Me Honey Honey, Kiss Me3:3813Solitaire4:4414Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word3:4915As Long as He Needs Me3:5016Don't Cry Out Loud4:09" was released in the US in January 1965, peaking at No 8. The original soundtrack for Goldfinger hit no. 1 in the US that year. The "Goldfinger" theme song had a lasting impact on her career. In the sleeve notes for Bassey's 25th Anniversary Album (1978), Peter Clayton noted that: "Acceptance in America was considerably helped by the enormous popularity of ("Goldfinger")...But she had actually established herself there as early as 1961, in cabaret in New York. She was also a success in Las Vegas...'I suppose I should feel hurt that I've never been really big in America on record since "Goldfinger"...But, concertwise, I always sell out.'..."
Her live 1965 album Shirley×ShirleyNovember 1969 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1In the Still of the Night3:242Let There Be Love3:153All at Once3:334For Every Man There's a Woman3:545I'm in the Mood for Love3:246So in Love3:057If I Were a Bell2:558There Will Never Be Another You4:249Hooray for Love3:1310Too Late Now3:4111I'm Shooting High2:2212Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye5:14 Bassey at the Pigalle, recorded during a sold-out run at the Pigalle in London, peaked at no. 15 in the UK album chart. Also in 1965, she sang the title song for the James Bond spoof The Liquidator. Bassey recorded a song for the next Bond film, Thunderball (1965). "Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" was not used in the movie, although the film's score follows its melodic theme. Written by John Barry and Leslie Bricusse, "Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" was re-recorded by American singer Dionne Warwick. This song was rejected in favour of a new one, "Thunderball", hastily written by Barry and given to Welsh singer Tom Jones after the film's producers decided the song over the opening credits must feature the film's title.
In the aftermath of "Goldfinger" her UK sales started to falter as well: only two of her singles would enter the UK top 40 from 1966 to 1970. Her first album on United Artists, "I've Got a Song for You" (1966), spent one week in the charts. From 1966 to 1970, only two albums would chart, one of those a compilation. One of her best-known singles, "Big Spender×Big SpenderAlbum · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1And We Were Lovers3:002Summer Wind2:483Somebody Like Me2:214It Must Be Him3:205Big Spender2:006The Impossible Dream2:427Dommage, Dommage2:208On a Clear Day You Can See Forever3:179If You Go Away4:4410That's Life3:09" was released in 1967, charting just short of the UK top 20.
Bassey began to live as a tax exile in 1968, during a period of very high income tax, and was unable to work in Britain for almost two years. In 1969, she appeared in NBC's The Spring Thing, a musical television special hosted by Bobbie Gentry and Noel Harrison. Guests included were Goldie Hawn, Meredith MacRae, Irwin C. Watson, Rod McKuen and Harpers Bizarre.

1970s

Bassey's UK comeback came in 1970 leading to one of the most successful periods of her career. Starting the year with a BBC Television 'Special', The Young Generation Meet Shirley Bassey, recorded in Sweden and shown on BBC1 on 18 March. She returned to the UK with a record-breaking run of performances at the Talk of the Town nightclub. Also in 1970, she released the album Something×Something1970 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Something3:352Spinning Wheel3:083Yesterday I Heard the Rain3:304The Sea and Sand4:025My Way3:396What About Today?3:117You and I3:478Light My Fire3:289Easy to Be Hard2:4110Life Goes On2:4111What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?2:5912Yesterday When I Was Young3:54, which marked a stylistic shift for her, as producer/arranger Johnny Harris built on her traditional pop roots by incorporating more contemporary material and arrangements. The title single became one of her biggest UK hits, reaching no. 4 (the same peak as the Beatles’ version) and staying in the charts for 22 weeks – one of her longest chart runs. However, Bassey continued to record standards, show tunes and torch songs throughout her career.
Her song "Something" was also a top-10 US hit in the Adult Contemporary chart. Other singles of this period included the hit "Never Never Never×Never Never NeverAlbum · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1All By Myself4:102This Masquerade5:113If And When2:544He's Out Of My Life3:035New York State Of Mind4:016Can You Read My Mind3:127Only When I Laugh3:158Solitaire4:459New York Medley + New York New York3:2610O We Don't Cry Out Loud4:0911Natalie4:1212And I Love You So4:3213Never Never Never4:2814For All We Know2:31", an English version of the Italian "Grande grande grande", reaching the top 10 in the US Adult Contemporary Chart, the UK top 10 and no. 1 in Australia and South Africa. In 1972, "For All We Know×For All We Know1971 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAFor All We Know2:43BWhat’s Done Is Done3:02" won The Best Female Performance Of The Year at The Radio Luxembourg Awards.
Returning to the James Bond franchise, she recorded the theme song for Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Bassey appeared on the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show, broadcast on Christmas Day in 1971.
Bassey was the subject of This Is Your Life on two occasions: firstly, in November 1972 when Eamonn Andrews surprised her at Heathrow Airport, 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 recorded a series of successful albums on the United Artists label, including: Something Else×Something Else1971 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1(Where Do I Begin) Love Story3:172’til Love Touches Your Life3:443Easy Thing to Do4:234Until It’s Time for You to Go4:085It’s Impossible2:486What’s Done Is Done3:047Pieces of Dreams2:468Breakfast in Bed3:399Excuse Me2:2910Bridge Over Troubled Water5:1011I’m Not There3:0412I’d Like to Hate Myself in the Morning (And Raise a Little Hell)2:52 (1971); And I Love You So×And I Love You So1972 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Someday4:562Bless the Beasts and Children3:053Jezahel2:484And I Love You So4:305The Way of Love2:346The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face4:337Day by Day2:488Without You3:319Ballad of the Sad Young Men5:2610I Don’t Know How to Love Him4:1411I’d Do It All Again3:3112If We Only Have Love3:49 (1972); I Capricorn (1972); Never Never Never (1973); Good, Bad but Beautiful (1975); Love, Life and Feelings (1976); You Take My Heart Away (1977) and Yesterdays (1978). Additionally, two of Bassey's earlier LPs also entered the charts in the '70s: And We Were Lovers (1967, re-issued as Big Spender) and Let's Face the Music (1962, re-issued as What Now My Love). Two compilations, The Shirley Bassey Singles Album (1975) and 25th Anniversary Album×25th Anniversary Album1978 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 40 tracks · 2 discsDisc 1A1Fire Down Below2:46A2As I Love You (More And More And More)2:53A3Banana Boat Song2:43A4You, You Romeo2:44A5Kiss Me Honey, Honey Kiss Me2:26A6With These Hands3:19A7As Long As He Needs Me3:00A8Reach For The Stars2:58A9You'll Never Know (Just How Much I Love You)3:07A10I'll Get By You (As Long As I Have You)2:29A11Climb Every Mountain3:12B1Far Away3:12B2Ave Maria3:52B3What Now My Love2:56B4Tonight2:34B5What Kind Of Fool Am I3:18B6I (Who Have Nothing)2:40B7My Special Dream2:55B8Gone2:40B9Goldfinger2:51B10No Regrets4:25Disc 2C1Big Spender1:48C2Does Anybody Miss Me2:25C3This Is My Life3:11C4Something3:32C5The Fool On The Hill3:19C6Diamonds Are Forever2:40C7Where Do I Begin (Love Story)3:12C8For All We Know2:43C9And I Love You So4:27C10Make The World A Little Younger3:34D1Never, Never, Never (Grande, Grande, Grande)3:35D2Nobody Does It Like Me2:14D3Send In The Clowns3:18D4Emotion4:15D5Good, Bad But Beautiful3:24D6The Way We Were2:45D7What I Did For Love3:43D8Feelings4:43D9If I Never Sing Another Song4:02 (1978), both made the top three of the UK charts: The Shirley Bassey Singles Album×The Shirley Bassey Singles Album1975 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1SomethingA2(Where Do I Begin) Love StoryA3Diamonds Are ForeverA4The Fool on the HillA5Make the World a Little YoungerA6Big SpenderB1Never, Never, Never (Grande, Grande, Grande)B2When You SmileB3If You Go Away (Ne Me Quitte Pas)B4And I Love You SoB5Does Anybody Miss MeB6For All We Know, her highest-charting album, reached no. 2 and earned a gold disc; the 25th Anniversary Album eventually went platinum.
Between 1970 and 1979, Bassey had 18 hit albums in the UK Albums Chart. Her album The Magic Is You×The Magic Is You1992 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1This Is My Life4:552I (Who Have Nothing)2:413No Regrets4:284Don't Cry for Me Argentina4:155Yesterday When I Was Young3:526And I Love You So4:287Anyone Who Had a Heart3:288The Magic Is You3:499It Must Be Him3:1810The Greatest Love of All4:5311Something3:3612Diamonds Are Forever2:4213Goldfinger2:5114Never, Never, Never (Grande, Grande, Grande)3:3615Fool on the Hill3:1516Kiss Me Honey Kiss Me1:5817(Where Do I Begin) Love Story3:1618For All We Know2:43 (1979) featured a portrait by the photographer Francesco Scavullo. In 1973, her sold-out concerts at New York's Carnegie Hall were recorded and released as a two-LP set, Shirley×ShirleyNovember 1969 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1In the Still of the Night3:242Let There Be Love3:153All at Once3:334For Every Man There's a Woman3:545I'm in the Mood for Love3:246So in Love3:057If I Were a Bell2:558There Will Never Be Another You4:249Hooray for Love3:1310Too Late Now3:4111I'm Shooting High2:2212Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye5:14 Bassey: Live at Carnegie Hall×Live at Carnegie Hall1973 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 22 tracks · 2 discsDisc 1A1Goldfinger3:21A2Where Am I Going2:54A3I Capricorn3:54A4Let Me Sing and I'm Happy3:07A5Johnny One Note2:23A6For All We Know3:28B1I'd Like to Hate Myself in the Morning3:38B2I (Who Have Nothing)3:50B3Day by Day3:15B4Narration0:51B5And I Love You So4:38Disc 2C1Diamonds Are Forever2:52C2Narration1:36C3Big Spender2:10C4Introduction of Orchestra4:48C5Never, Never, Never4:34C6You and I6:05D1Something4:45D2Tabs (Shirley Bassey Acknowledging Audience Applause)3:02D3This Is My Life4:07D4Tabs (Shirley Bassey Acknowledging Audience Applause)2:54D5The Party's Over4:28; this album reached no. 20 on the Billboard R&B album chart.
In 1976, Bassey starred in the six-episode Shirley Bassey show, the first of her television programmes for the BBC, followed by a second series of six episodes in 1979. The final show of the first series was nominated for the Golden Rose of Montreux in 1977. The series featured guests including Neil Diamond, Michel Legrand, the Three Degrees and Dusty Springfield and featured Bassey in various international locations as well as in the television studio. In 1978, Bassey pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly "after shouting abuse in the street and pushing a policeman". In 1979, Bassey recorded the title theme song for the Bond film, Moonraker.

1980s

Throughout most of the 1980s, Bassey focused on charitable work and performing occasional concert tours throughout Europe, Australia and the United States. She had ended her contract with United Artists, whose former record division was now part of EMI, and began what she referred to as "semi-retirement". Bassey recorded an album entitled All by Myself×All by Myself1982 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1All by Myself4:102This Masquerade5:123If and When2:534He’s Out of My Life3:045New York State of Mind4:026Can You Read My Mind3:127Only When I Laugh3:158Solitaire4:449New York Medley3:2610We Don’t Cry Out Loud4:10 (1982) and made a TV special for Thames Television called A Special Lady with guest Robert Goulet. Around this time she recorded a duet with the French film actor Alain Delon, "Thought I'd Ring You" (1983). Bassey was now recording far less often but an album of her most famous songs, I Am What I Am×I Am What I Am1984 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1What Now My Love3:002Something3:323As Long as He Needs Me3:524Kiss Me Honey Honey3:415As I Love You3:056Big Spender2:047Send In the Clowns3:578I Am What I Am3:149Goldfinger2:5210I (Who Have Nothing)2:5511Natalie4:1512And I Love You So4:3613Never, Never, Never4:3114For All We Know2:3715This Is My Life3:5316If You Don’t Understand4:09 (1984), was recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) conducted by Carl Davis. This was followed by a single and video to support the London Tourist Board, "There's No Place Like London" (1986), which was co-written by Lynsey de Paul and Gerard Kenny. A promotional video was released which included guest appearances by David Frost, Spike Milligan, Michael Caine and Frank Bruno. She recorded an album of James Bond themes, The Bond Collection in 1987, but was apparently unhappy with the results so she declined to release it. (Five years later it was released anyway, Bassey took legal action and all unsold copies were withdrawn.)
Bassey provided vocals for Swiss artists Yello on "The Rhythm Divine" (1987), a song co-written by Scottish singer Billy Mackenzie. An album sung entirely in Spanish, La Mujer×La mujer1989 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1La pasion que nos devora4:562Sin ti (Without You)3:273Volveras4:364No me hables mas de amor4:185Nadie mas te quiso (como yo) (I Could Never Miss You (More Than I Do))3:326Asi sola yo (Out Here on My Own)4:147No fingire4:148Hoy no tengo nada (I Who Have Nothing)3:069Vallas (Rivals)4:3010Si yo te quiero mas5:00 was released in 1989.

1990s

Bassey had started working with a vocal coach, a former opera singer, and her album Keep the Music Playing×Keep the Music Playing1991 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1How Do You Keep the Music Playing4:502He Was Beautiful4:173The Power of Love4:394Still5:495All I Ask of You4:006I Want to Know What Love Is5:017Wind Beneath My Wings4:238Yesterday3:249That's What Friends Are For4:1010Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word3:5111The Greatest Love of All5:3212Dio Come Ti-Amo (Oh God How Much I Love You)4:48 (1991) displayed a grand, operatic pop style on several songs (perhaps also influenced by her album with the LSO seven years earlier).
EMI released the five-CD box set Bassey – The EMI/UA Years 1959–1979 in 1994. The accompanying booklet opened with a poem by Marc Almond. Bassey collaborated with Chris Rea in the film La Passione (1996), appearing in the film as herself and releasing the single "'Disco' La Passione". The remix of this single charted just outside the UK top 40. Bassey's "History Repeating" (1997), written for her by the Propellerheads, reached no. 1 in the UK Dance Chart and no. 10 in the US Dance Chart. The liner notes of the Propellerheads' album Decksandrumsandrockandroll included the lines: "We would like to extend our maximum respect to Shirley Bassey for honouring us with her performance. We are still in shock...." Bassey celebrated her 60th birthday in 1997 with two open-air concerts, at Castle Howard and Althorp Park, and another TV special. The resulting live album The Birthday Concert received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance. On 7 October 1998 in Egypt, Bassey performed at an open-air concert close to the Sphinx ofr charity and the Great Pyramid. Bassey played the Friday night at Henley Festival in 1984.
Bassey was sued in a breach of contract case in 1998 by her former personal assistant, who also accused Bassey of hitting her and making an ethnic slur. Bassey won the case. The episode was lampooned by Alexander Baron in his one-act play The Trial of Shirley Bassey. The following year, she performed the official song for the rugby World Cup, "World in Union", with Bryn Terfel at the opening ceremony at The Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, wearing a gown based on the Welsh flag. Their single made the top 40 and Bassey contributed two more songs to the official album Land of My Fathers, which reached no. 1 in the UK compilations chart and went silver.

2000s

Bassey continued to perform at various high-profile events. In 2001, she was the principal artist at the Duke of Edinburgh's 80th birthday celebration. On 3 June 2002, she was one of a line-up of artists including Elton John, Paul McCartney and Tom Jones who performed at the Queen's 50th Jubilee Party at Buckingham Palace.
Bassey celebrated 50 years in show business in 2003 with the release of the CD Thank You for the Years, which was another top 20 album. A gala charity auction of her stage costumes at Christie's, "Dame Shirley Bassey: 50 Years of Glittering Gowns", 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 Performance, introducing her new song "The Living Tree".

Two popular Audiences with Shirley Bassey have aired on British television: one in 1995, which attracted more than 10 million viewers in the UK, and a second, broadcast in 2006. Bassey returned to perform in five arenas around the UK in June the same year, culminating at Wembley. She also performed a concert in front of 10,000 people at the Bryn Terfel Faenol Festival in North Wales broadcast by BBC Wales. Marks & Spencer signed her for their Christmas 2006 James Bond–style television advertising campaign. Bassey was seen in a glamorous ice palace singing a cover version of Pink's song "Get the Party Started×Get the Party Started25 June 2007 · Album · CompilationSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Get the Party Started4:002Big Spender3:243I Who Have Nothing3:464This Is My Life4:225Slave to the Rhythm6:316Can I Touch You There5:367What Now My Love2:518Kiss Me Honey Honey4:369Hello4:5810You Only Live Twice4:4611The Living Tree4:5912Where Is the Love5:2613I Will Survive3:48", wearing an M&S gown.
"The Living Tree", written, produced and originally recorded by the group Never the Bride, was released as a single on 23 April 2007. It marked Bassey's 50th anniversary in the UK Singles Chart and earned the record for the longest span of top-40 hits in UK chart history. Bassey performed a 45-minute set at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival wearing a pink Julien Macdonald dress and customised Wellington boots. A new album, Get the Party Started, was subsequently released on 25 June 2007 and entered the UK Albums Chart at no. 6. The single of the title song reached no. 3 on the US Dance Chart. The same year, Bassey performed "Big Spender×Big SpenderAlbum · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1And We Were Lovers3:002Summer Wind2:483Somebody Like Me2:214It Must Be Him3:205Big Spender2:006The Impossible Dream2:427Dommage, Dommage2:208On a Clear Day You Can See Forever3:179If You Go Away4:4410That's Life3:09" with Elton John at his annual White Tie and Tiara Ball to raise money for The Elton John AIDS Foundation. In 2007, Bassey performed in Fashion Rocks in aid of The Prince's Trust at the Royal Albert Hall.
Bassey was rushed to the hospital in Monaco on 23 May 2008 to have an emergency operation on her stomach after complaining of abdominal pains. She was forced to pull out of the Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Tribute concert because of her illness. A biography of Bassey, Diamond Diva, was published in 2008.
Bassey recorded the album The Performance×The Performance9 November 2009 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Almost There4:512Apartment3:283This Time4:104I Love You Know3:455Our Time Is Now3:096As God Is My Witness4:327No Good About Goodbye4:218The Girl From Tiger Bay4:169Nice Men2:5210After the Rain3:0511The Performance of My Life3:32 (2009), with James Bond composer David Arnold as producer. A number of artists wrote songs expressly 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 headlined at the BBC Electric Proms on 23 October 2009, in her only complete live set of 2009. She sang several of the new songs from the album in November 2009 on several TV shows: The Graham Norton Show, The Paul O'Grady Show and as the guest singer on Strictly Come Dancing.

2010s

Bassey performed at a gala celebrating the 80th birthday of Mikhail Gorbachev on 30 March 2011. She also performed at the Classical Brit Awards in 2011, singing "Goldfinger×Goldfinger1993 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Goldfinger2:482What Now My Love2:573All by Myself4:094The Power of Love4:365This Masquerade5:116Yesterday3:237As I Love You3:018Never Never Never4:289Something3:3010Wind Beneath My Wings4:2111For All We Know2:3312Kiss Me Honey Honey, Kiss Me3:3813Solitaire4:4414Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word3:4915As Long as He Needs Me3:5016Don't Cry Out Loud4:09" in tribute to John Barry.
The BBC broadcast a 70-minute drama entitled Shirley on 29 September 2011, depicting Bassey's early life and career. Ruth Negga played the title role. Bassey was one of the line-up of artists on 4 June 2012 who performed at the Queen's 60th Jubilee Party at Buckingham Palace, singing "Diamonds Are Forever". She performed at the 2013 Academy Awards on 24 February 2013 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the James Bond movie franchise. It was her first appearance at an Oscars ceremony as a performer. She sang "Goldfinger" to a standing ovation.
Bassey performed "I'm Still Here" and "The Lady Is A Tramp" on 13 November 2014 at the Royal Variety Performance in the presence of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Bassey released another album, Hello Like Before×Hello Like Before17 November 2014 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1This Is What You Are3:192Englishman in New York4:043Fever3:524I’m Still Here3:365Macarthur Park6:116Wild Is the Wind4:337Goldfinger2:528Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend3:329Here’s to Life4:3010It Was a Very Good Year4:2211Hello Like Before4:40, on 17 November 2014. It included a 50th-anniversary re-recording of "Goldfinger" (recreating the original orchestration) and a duet of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" with Paloma Faith, produced and conducted by Stuart Barr.
In December 2016, Bassey starred in a 60-minute BBC broadcast hosted by David Walliams.
On 11 March 2018, Bassey performed "Almost Like Being In Love" in a tribute to Bruce Forsyth at the London Palladium. At a gala for AmfAR (The Foundation for Aids Research) in Los Angeles on 18 October 2018, Bassey sang "Goldfinger", "Diamonds Are Forever", "Almost Like Being In Love" and "I Am What I Am×I Am What I Am1984 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1What Now My Love3:002Something3:323As Long as He Needs Me3:524Kiss Me Honey Honey3:415As I Love You3:056Big Spender2:047Send In the Clowns3:578I Am What I Am3:149Goldfinger2:5210I (Who Have Nothing)2:5511Natalie4:1512And I Love You So4:3613Never, Never, Never4:3114For All We Know2:3715This Is My Life3:5316If You Don’t Understand4:09".
On 9 August 2019, Bassey performed at UNICEF's Summer Gala in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, singing "Goldfinger", "Diamonds Are Forever" and "S'Wonderful". Bassey appeared on the Ball & Boe TV Christmas Special on Friday 20 December 2019, singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" with Michael Ball and Alfie Boe.

2020s

In 2020, with the release of her most recent album, I Owe It All To You×I Owe It All to You6 November 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Overture0:422Who Wants to Live Forever3:453I Owe It All to You3:384Almost Like Being in Love2:385Maybe This Time3:126I Made It Through the Rain4:007Adagio4:158Look but Don’t Touch3:469Smile4:1510You Ain’t Heard Nothing Yet2:5611I Don’t Know What Love Is3:0212Always on My Mind3:5013I Was Here4:0114Music2:27, Bassey became the first female artist to have an album in the top 40 of the UK Albums Chart in seven consecutive decades. On 13 March 2022 Bassey opened the BAFTA Film Awards at London's Royal Albert Hall with a performance of "Diamonds Are Forever". She performed again at the same venue on 4 October 2022 in The Sound of 007: Live from the Royal Albert Hall; both performances celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the James Bond films. In the latter she sang the two opening songs, "Diamonds Are Forever" and "Goldfinger×Goldfinger1993 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Goldfinger2:482What Now My Love2:573All by Myself4:094The Power of Love4:365This Masquerade5:116Yesterday3:237As I Love You3:018Never Never Never4:289Something3:3010Wind Beneath My Wings4:2111For All We Know2:3312Kiss Me Honey Honey, Kiss Me3:3813Solitaire4:4414Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word3:4915As Long as He Needs Me3:5016Don't Cry Out Loud4:09". In 2023, Bassey was awarded The Order of Saint Charles by Prince Albert II of Monaco.
In May 2024, Bassey announced a charity auction of some of her "meaningful" jewels, including a diamond ring she was gifted by Elton John.
In December 2025, Bassey recorded a vocal performance as Celestina Warbeck in Harry Potter: The Full Cast Audio Editions, published by Audible and Pottermore Publishing. The recording included three new songs: You Stole My Cauldron But You Can't Have My Heart and A Cauldron Full Of Hot, Strong Love (both written by Ashley Griffin) and You Charmed The Heart Right Out Of Me (written by Kezia Tomsett). JK Rowling has previously suggested Shirley Bassey was an inspiration when creating the character.

Marriages

Bassey's first marriage was to Kenneth Hume in 1961. The couple separated in 1964 and divorced in 1965 in the wake of Bassey's affair with actor Peter Finch. She then announced to the press that she and Finch would not be marrying, telling the press: "It simply wouldn't work out. Just know I am not ready for marriage to anyone. I feel I have to be free." A year later, Hume sued Finch and another man, John McAuliffe, for being "indiscreet" with Bassey. Both Finch and McAuliffe were cited as co-respondents in the Hume–Bassey divorce. For her part, Bassey was named as co-respondent in 1965 when Finch's wife, South African actress Yolande Turner, divorced him.
From 1968 until they divorced in 1979, Bassey was married to Sergio Novak, the assistant manager of the Excelsior Hotel in Venice. During this time, Novak was Bassey's manager and they adopted Mark, her grand-nephew.

Children

The fathers of Bassey's two daughters, Sharon Bassey (a.k.a. Sharon Novak, born 1954) and Samantha Bassey (a.k.a. Samantha Novak, born 1963), are unknown. Bassey had Sharon at the age of 17 and her sister Ella raised her as her own daughter until the 1960s. Bassey's first husband suggested that Samantha, born during the couple's marriage, was the result of an affair between Bassey and Peter Finch.
In 1985, Samantha, age 21, was found dead in the River Avon in Bristol. Bassey has always maintained that the death of her daughter was not a suicide. On 24 March 2010, Avon and Somerset Police confirmed they were undertaking fresh inquiries into the death and specifically claimed that the convicted killer Michael Moffat was involved in her death. However, in October 2010 it was reported that the investigation had come to an end, concluding that there was "no evidence of any criminal act involved" in Novak's death. The ordeal of losing her daughter caused Bassey to temporarily lose her voice.
In a 2009 interview, Bassey stated that she and her son, Mark, had reconciled. Bassey has four grandsons through her surviving daughter, Sharon Novak.
As of 2009, Bassey resides in Monaco.
In 2018, Bassey reported that she had a great-granddaughter.

Health

Bassey expressed disappointment in March 2026 that, after undergoing surgery to her hand, she would no longer be able to reply to letters from fans.

Political views

Bassey was a supporter of Margaret Thatcher. On being invited to attend her funeral in 2013, Bassey said, "I was enormously saddened to learn of the passing of Baroness Thatcher, and I am most honoured to be invited to attend her funeral, to pay my deepest respects. She was a truly inspirational woman who always showed me enormous warmth and kindness, and to me the greatest prime minister since Winston Churchill."

Honours and accolades

Bassey was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1994 New Year Honours and promoted to Dame Commander of the same Order (DBE) in the 2000 New Year Honours for services to entertainment. She was invited to perform in 2002 at the Party at the Palace, a public celebration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee. Bassey also performed at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace on 4 June 2012, singing "Diamonds Are Forever". She was invited to perform at the Queen's 90th Birthday celebrations at Windsor Castle on 15 May 2016. She was appointed Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to music.
In 2012, Bassey was among the British cultural icons selected by artist Peter Blake to appear in a new version of his most famous artwork – the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover – to celebrate the British cultural figures of his life that he most admires. In 2016, she was named as one of "the 50 greatest Welsh men and women of all time". In November 2016 the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama announced the naming of the Shirley Bassey Studio in celebration of Bassey's long-standing support for young Welsh singers studying at the College. She was made a Knight of France's Legion of Honour in 2003, to signify her popularity and importance in the culture of France. Bassey was awarded the freedom of her hometown, Cardiff, in a ceremony at City Hall on 17 May 2019.
Bassey received the following honours:

1993: Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
1994: Commander of the Order of the British Empire (United Kingdom)
1998: Longest run by a solo artist (ten shows) – Royal Festival Hall, London
1999: Madame Tussaud's waxwork unveiled in London (second model in Las Vegas)
2000: Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (United Kingdom)
2003: Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour (France)
2004: Ranked no. 8 on the list of "100 Great Black Britons"
2005: Avenue of Stars – plaque unveiled in London
2018: She unveiled a carriage on the Snowdon Mountain Railway, named in her honour
2019: Freedom of the City of Cardiff
2019: Square of Fame – plaque of Bassey's handprints unveiled at the SSE Arena, Wembley Park, London
2020: Official UK Chart Record – First female artist to claim a top-40 album in seven consecutive decades
2023: Grand Officer of the Order of Saint Charles (Monaco)
2024: Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (United Kingdom)

Studio albums

Born to Sing the Blues (1958)
The Bewitching Miss Bassey (1959)
The Fabulous Shirley Bassey (1959)
Shirley (1961)
Shirley Bassey (1962)
Let's Face the Music (1962)
Shirley Stops the Shows (1965)
I've Got a Song for You (1966)
And We Were Lovers (1967)
12 of Those Songs (1968)
This Is My Life (1968)
Does Anybody Miss Me (1969)
Something (1970)
Something Else (1971)
I Capricorn (1972)
And I Love You So (1972)
Never Never Never (1973)
Nobody Does It Like Me (1974)
Good, Bad but Beautiful (1975)
Love, Life and Feelings (1976)
You Take My Heart Away (1977)
Yesterdays (1978)
The Magic Is You (1979)
All by Myself (1982)
I Am What I Am (1984)
La Mujer (1989)
Keep the Music Playing (1991)
The Bond Collection (1992)
Sings the Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber (1993)
Shirley Bassey Sings the Movies (1995)
The Show Must Go On (1996)
The Performance (2009)
Hello Like Before (2014)
I Owe It All to You (2020)