Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an English singer who holds both
British and
Barbadian citizenship
Barbadian nationality law is regulated by 1966 Constitution of Barbados, as amended; the Barbados Citizenship Act, as amended; and various British Nationality laws. These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, a national of Barbados. ...
.
He has total sales of over 21.5 million singles in the United Kingdom and is the third-top-selling artist in
UK Singles Chart history, behind
the Beatles and
Elvis Presley.
Richard was originally marketed as a rebellious
rock and roll singer in the style of Presley and
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...
.
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. His 1958 hit single "
Move It" is often described as Britain's first authentic
rock and roll song. 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. Increased focus on his Christian faith and subsequent softening of his music led to a more
middle-of-the-road image, and he sometimes ventured into
contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and s ...
.
In
a career spanning nearly 65 years,
Richard has amassed several gold and platinum discs and awards, including two
Ivor Novello
Ivor Novello (born David Ivor Davies; 15 January 1893 – 6 March 1951) was a Welsh actor, dramatist, singer and composer who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century.
He was born into a musical ...
Awards and three
Brit Awards. More than 130 of his singles, albums, and
EPs
EPS, EPs or Eps may refer to:
Commerce and finance
* Earnings per share
* Electronic Payment Services, in Hong Kong, Macau, and Shenzhen, China
* Express Payment System, in the Philippines
Education
* Edmonton Public Schools, in Edmonton, Al ...
have reached the UK Top 20, more than any other artist.
Richard has had 67 UK top ten singles, the second highest total for an artist (behind Presley).
He holds the record, with Presley, as the only act to make the UK singles charts in all of its first six decades (1950s–2000s). He has achieved 14 UK No. 1 singles,
and is the only singer to have had a No. 1 single in the UK in each of five consecutive decades. He also had four
UK Christmas No. 1 singles, two of which were as a solo artist; "
Mistletoe and Wine" and "
Saviour's Day".
Richard has sold more than 250 million records worldwide, making him one of
the best-selling music artists of all time. He has never achieved the same popularity in the United States despite eight US Top 40 singles, including the million-selling "
Devil Woman" and "
We Don't Talk Anymore". In Canada, he had a successful period in the early 1960s, the late 1970s and early 1980s, with some releases certified gold and platinum. He has remained a popular music, film, and television personality at home in the UK as well as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Northern Europe and Asia, and retains a following in other countries. When not touring, he divides his time between Barbados and Portugal.
In 2019, he relocated to New York.
Biography
1940–1958: Childhood and adolescence
Cliff Richard was born Harry Rodger Webb on 14 October 1940 at King George's Hospital (now KGMU Hospital), Victoria Street, in
Lucknow, which was then part of
British India. His parents were Rodger Oscar Webb, a manager for a catering contractor that serviced the
Indian Railways, and the former Dorothy Marie Dazely. His parents also spent some years in
Howrah, West Bengal
Howrah (, , alternatively spelled as Haora) is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. Howrah is located on the western bank of the Hooghly River opposite its twin city of Kolkata. Administratively it lies within Howrah district, and is th ...
. After the violence of
Direct Action Day, they decided to shift to England permanently. Richard is primarily of English heritage, but he had one great-grandmother who was of half Welsh and half Spanish descent, born of a Spanish great-great-grandmother named Emiline Joseph Rebeiro.
The Webb family lived in a modest home in
Maqbara
The Arabic word ''Maqbara'' ( "mausoleum"; ''plural'': ''Maqâbir'') is derived from the word Qabr, which means grave. Though maqbara refers to the graves of all Muslims, it refers especially to a Muslim cemetery. In some Islamic cultures (espe ...
, near the main shopping centre of
Hazratganj.
[Stark, Herbert Alick. Hostages To India: OR The Life Story of the Anglo Indian Race, London: The Simon Wallenberg Press: Vol 2: Anglo Indian Heritage Books] Dorothy's mother served as the dormitory matron at the
La Martiniere Girls' School. Richard has three sisters, Joan, Jacqui and Donna (1942–2016).
In 1948, following
Indian independence, the family embarked on a three-week sea voyage to
Tilbury, Essex, England aboard the . The Webbs moved from comparative wealth in India, where they lived in a company-supplied flat at
Howrah
Howrah (, , alternatively spelled as Haora) is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. Howrah is located on the western bank of the Hooghly River opposite its twin city of Kolkata. Administratively it lies within Howrah district, and is th ...
near
Calcutta, to a
semi-detached
A semi-detached house (often abbreviated to semi) is a single family duplex dwelling house that shares one common wall with the next house. The name distinguishes this style of house from detached houses, with no shared walls, and terraced house ...
house in
Carshalton, north
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
. Harry Webb attended a local primary school, Stanley Park Juniors, in Carshalton. In 1949, his father obtained employment in the credit control office of
Thorn Electrical Industries and the family moved in with other relatives in
Waltham Cross
Waltham Cross is a town in the Borough of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, England, located north of central London. In the south-eastern corner of Hertfordshire, it borders Cheshunt to the north, Waltham Abbey to the east, and Enfield to the south ...
,
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
, where he attended Kings Road Junior Mixed Infants School, until a three-bedroom council house in nearby
Cheshunt was allocated to them in 1950, at 12 Hargreaves Close.
He then attended Cheshunt Secondary Modern School from 1952 to 1957. (The school was later renamed Riversmead School before being rebuilt and renamed
Bishopslea School.) As a member of the top stream, he stayed on beyond the minimum leaving age to take
GCE Ordinary Level examinations and gained a pass in
English literature
English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...
. He then started work as a filing clerk for Atlas Lamps.
A development of retirement flats, Cliff Richard Court, has been named after him in Cheshunt.
Harry Webb became interested in
skiffle. When he was 16, his father bought him a guitar, and in 1957, he formed the school vocal harmony group The Quintones, before singing in the Dick Teague Skiffle Group.
1958–1963: Success and stardom
Harry Webb became lead singer of a
rock and roll group, the Drifters (distinct from
the US group of the same name). The 1950s entrepreneur Harry Greatorex wanted the up-and-coming rock 'n' roll singer to
change his name. The name ''Cliff'' was adopted as it sounded like "cliff face", which suggested "Rock". It was "
Move It" writer
Ian Samwell who suggested the surname "Richard" as a tribute to Webb's musical hero
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...
.
Before their first large-scale appearance, at the Regal Ballroom in
Ripley, Derbyshire in 1958, they adopted the name "Cliff Richard and the Drifters". The four members were Harry Webb (by then going under the stage name "Cliff Richard"), Ian Samwell on guitar, Terry Smart on drums and Norman Mitham on guitar. None of the other three played with the later and better known
Shadows, although Samwell wrote songs for Richard's later career. Agent
George Ganjou
The Ganjou Brothers and Juanita were a popular variety act based in Britain between 1930 and the 1950s. They performed an adagio act, with the three men throwing and catching the woman in a graceful and acrobatic manner, and were regarded as the ...
saw the group perform in London, and recommended them to
Norrie Paramor for an audition.
[Richard Anthony Baker, ''Old Time Variety: an illustrated history'', Pen & Sword, 2011, , p.208]
For Richard's debut session, Paramor provided him with "Schoolboy Crush", a song previously recorded by American
Bobby Helms. Richard was permitted to record one of his own songs for the
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
; this was "Move It", written and composed by the Drifters' Samwell while he was on board a number 715
Green Line
Green Line may refer to:
Places Military and political
* Green Line (France), the German occupation line in France during World War II
* Green Line (Israel), the 1949 armistice line established between Israel and its neighbours
** City Line ( ...
bus on the way to Richard's house for a rehearsal. For the "Move It" session, Paramor used the session guitarist Ernie Shears on lead guitar and Frank Clark on bass.
There are various stories about why the A-side was replaced by the intended B-side. One is that Norrie Paramor's young daughter raved about the B-side; another was that influential TV producer
Jack Good, who used the act for his TV show ''
Oh Boy!'', wanted the only song on his show to be "Move It" as opposed to "Schoolboy Crush". Richard was quoted as saying:
![Cliff Richard aankomst met zijn Shadows, Bestanddeelnr 913-7397](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Cliff_Richard_aankomst_met_zijn_Shadows%2C_Bestanddeelnr_913-7397.jpg)
The single went to No. 2 on the
UK Singles Chart.
John Lennon credited "Move It" as being the first British rock record.
In the early days, Richard was marketed as the British equivalent of Elvis. Like previous British rockers such as
Tommy Steele and
Marty Wilde, Richard adopted Elvis-like dress and hairstyle. In performance he struck a pose of rock attitude, rarely smiling or looking at the audience or camera. His late 1958 and early 1959 follow-up singles, "
High Class Baby
"High Class Baby" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Drifters (who would later become the Shadows), released in November 1958 as their second single. It peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart.
Recording and reception
"High Class Baby" was ...
" and "
Livin' Lovin' Doll
"Livin' Lovin' Doll" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Drifters (who would later become the Shadows), released in January 1959 as their third single. Unlike their previous two top-ten singles, it only peaked at number 20 on the UK Singles Cha ...
", were followed by "
Mean Streak", which carried a rocker's sense of speed and passion, and
Lionel Bart's "
Living Doll".
It was on "Living Doll" that the Drifters began to back Richard on record. It was his fifth record and became his first No. 1 single. By that time, the group's line-up had changed with the arrival of
Jet Harris,
Tony Meehan
Daniel Joseph Anthony Meehan (2 March 1943 – 28 November 2005), professionally known as Tony Meehan, was a founder member of the British group the Drifters, with Jet Harris, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch, which would evolve into the Shadows. ...
,
Hank Marvin and
Bruce Welch. 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
ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels bef ...
. "Living Doll" was used in Richard's début film ''
Serious Charge
''Serious Charge'' (also known in US release as ''A Touch of Hell'') is a 1959 British film, directed by Terence Young, produced and co-written by Mickey Delamar (with Guy Elmes). It was adapted from a stage play written by Philip King. The fi ...
'', but it was arranged as a country standard, rather than a rock and roll standard.
The Shadows were not a typical backing group. They became contractually separate from Richard, and the group received no royalties for records backing Richard. In 1959, the Shadows (then still the Drifters) landed an
EMI recording contract of their own, for independent recordings. That year, they released three singles, two of which featured double-sided vocals and one of which had instrumental A and B sides. They thereafter had several major hits, including five UK No. 1s. The band also continued to appear and record with Richard and wrote many of his hits. On more than one occasion, a Shadows instrumental replaced a Richard song at the top of the British charts.
Richard's fifth single "Living Doll" triggered a softer, more relaxed, sound. Subsequent hits, the No. 1s "
Travellin' Light
"Travellin' Light" is a UK No. 1 single recorded by Cliff Richard and The Shadows and released in 1959. It was the follow-up single to Richard's first No. 1, " Living Doll" and remained at No. 1 for five weeks (one less than "Living Doll"). "Tra ...
" and "
I Love You
I Love You, I Love U, or I Luv U may refer to:
Film and television Films
* ''I Love You'' (1918 film), a silent drama written by Catherine Carr
* ''I Love You'' (1925 film), a German silent drama film
* ''I Love You'' (1938 film) a German ...
" 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. Throughout the early 1960s, his hits were consistently in the top five.
In 1961, EMI records organised Richard's 21st birthday party at its London headquarters in Manchester Square led by his producer Norrie Paramor. Photographs of the celebrations were incorporated into Richard's next album "21 Today" in which Tony Meehan joined in despite, then, having very recently left the Shadows to be replaced by Brian Bennett.
Typically, the Shadows closed the first half of the show with a 30-minute set of their own, then backed Richard on his show-closing 45-minute stint as exemplified by the retrospective CD album release of ''Live at the ABC Kingston 1962''. Tony Meehan and Jet Harris left the group in 1961 and 1962 respectively and later had their own chart successes for
Decca. The Shadows added bass players
Brian Locking
Brian Locking (22 December 1938 – 8 October 2020) was an English musician and songwriter known for his brief tenure as bassist with ''Marty Wilde, The Wildcats'' in 1956 and The Shadows, between 1962 and 1963. During his time with the Shadow ...
(1962–63) and then
John Rostill
John Henry Rostill (16 June 1942 – 26 November 1973) was an English musician, bassist and composer, recruited by the Shadows to replace Brian Locking.
Biography
Born in Kings Norton, Birmingham, England, Rostill attended Rutlish School in s ...
(1963–68) and took on
Brian Bennett
Brian Laurence Bennett, (born 9 February 1940) is an English drummer, pianist, composer and producer of popular music. He is best known as the drummer of the UK rock and roll group the Shadows. He is the father of musician and Shadows band me ...
permanently on drums.
In the early years, particularly on album and EP releases, Richard also recorded ballads backed by the Norrie Paramor Orchestra with Tony Meehan (and later Brian Bennett) as a session drummer. His first such single without the Shadows was
When the Girl in Your Arms Is the Girl in Your Heart in 1961, and he continued to release one or two per year, including covers of "
It's All in the Game" in 1963 and "
Constantly" in 1964, a revival of a popular Italian hit. In 1965, sessions under the direction of
Billy Sherrill in
Nashville, Tennessee were particularly successful, yielding "
The Minute You're Gone
"The Minute You're Gone" is a song written by Jimmy Gateley (often miscredited as "Gately" or "Gatelie"), a Nashville, Tennessee based fiddle player and singer, for Sonny James in 1963. This song originally made No. 95 in the US charts and No. 9 ...
", which topped the UK singles chart and "Wind Me Up (Let Me Go)" which made No. 2.
Richard, and the Shadows in particular, however, never achieved star status in the United States. 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. To the Shadows' chagrin, "
Apache
The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
" reached No. 2 in the US through a cover version by Danish guitarist
Jorgen Ingmann which was almost unchanged from their worldwide hit. Richard and the band appeared on ''
The Ed Sullivan Show'', which was crucial for the Beatles, but these performances did not help them gain sustained success in North America.
Richard and the Shadows appeared in six feature films including a debut in the 1959 film ''
Serious Charge
''Serious Charge'' (also known in US release as ''A Touch of Hell'') is a 1959 British film, directed by Terence Young, produced and co-written by Mickey Delamar (with Guy Elmes). It was adapted from a stage play written by Philip King. The fi ...
'' but most notably in ''
The Young Ones'', ''
Summer Holiday'', ''
Wonderful Life'', and ''
Finders Keepers''. These films created their own genre, known as the "Cliff Richard musical", and led to Richard being named the No. 1 cinema box office attraction in Britain for both 1962 and 1963, beating that of even James Bond. The
title song of ''The Young Ones'' became his biggest-selling single in the United Kingdom, selling over one million copies in the UK. The irreverent 1980s TV
sitcom ''
The Young Ones'' took its name from Richard's 1962 film. In mid-1963, Cliff and the Shadows appeared for a season in
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
, where Richard had his portrait modelled by Victor Heyfron.
1964–1975: Changing circumstances
As with the other existing rock acts in Britain, Richard's career was affected by the advent of the Beatles and the
Mersey sound in 1963 and 1964. He continued to be popular, and have hits in the charts throughout the 1960s, though not at the level that he had enjoyed before. 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.
Although
baptised as an
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
, Richard did not practise the faith in his early years. In 1964, he became an active Christian and his faith has become an important aspect of his life. Standing up publicly as a Christian affected his career in several ways. Initially, he believed that he should quit rock 'n' roll, feeling he could no longer be the rocker who had been called a "crude exhibitionist" and "too sexy for TV". Richard intended at first to "reform his ways" and become a teacher, but Christian friends advised him not to abandon his career just because he had become an active Christian. Soon after, Richard re-emerged, performing with Christian groups and recording some Christian material. 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. As time progressed, Richard balanced his faith and work, enabling him to remain one of the most popular singers in Britain as well as one of its best-known Christians.
Richard's 1965 UK No. 12 hit "On My Word" ended a run of 23 consecutive top ten UK hits between "A Voice in the Wilderness" in 1960 to "The Minute You're Gone" in 1965, which, to date, is still a record number of consecutive top ten UK hits for a male artist.
Richard continued having international hits, including 1967's "The Day I Met Marie", which reached No. 10 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 5 in the
Australian charts.
Richard acted in the 1967 film ''
Two a Penny
''Two a Penny'' is a 1967 British film, released nationally in 1968, featuring singer Cliff Richard. The film was directed by James F. Collier and produced by Frank R. Jacobson for Billy Graham's film distribution and production company World Wi ...
'', released by Billy Graham's
World Wide Pictures
World Wide Pictures (WWP) is a film distributor and production company established as a subsidiary of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) in 1951. It is involved in the production and distribution of evangelistic films, the produc ...
, in which he played Jamie Hopkins, a young man who gets involved in
drug dealing
The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs throug ...
while questioning his life after his girlfriend changes her attitude. He released the live album ''Cliff in Japan'' in 1967.
In 1968, he sang the UK's entry in the
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
, "
Congratulations", written and composed by
Bill Martin and
Phil Coulter; it lost, however, by one point to Spain's "
La La La". According to
John Kennedy O'Connor's ''The Eurovision Song Contest—The Official History'', this was the closest result yet in the contest and Richard locked himself in the toilet to avoid the nerves of the voting. In May 2008, a
Reuters news report claimed that voting in the competition had been fixed by the Spanish dictator leader,
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War ...
, to ensure that the Spanish entry won, allowing them to host the contest the following year (1969). It was claimed that Spanish
TVE television executives offered to buy programmes in exchange for votes, as well as contract unknown-artists. 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. However, the allegations turned out to be untrue as it was a widely repeated rumour instigated by TVE. Nevertheless, "Congratulations" was a huge hit throughout Europe and Australia, and yet another No. 1 in April 1968.After the Shadows split in 1968, Richard continued to record. During the 1970s, Richard took part in several television shows and fronted his own show ''It's Cliff Richard'' from 1970 to 1976. It starred
Olivia Newton-John,
Hank Marvin and
Una Stubbs
Una Stubbs (1 May 1937 – 12 August 2021) was an English actress, television personality and dancer who appeared on British television and in the theatre, and occasionally in films. She became known after appearing in the film '' Summer Holiday ...
, and included ''A Song for Europe''. He began 1970 by appearing live on the
BBC's review of the sixties music scene, ''
Pop Go The Sixties
''Pop Go The 60s!'' was a one-off, 75-minute TV special originally broadcast in colour on 31 December 1969, to celebrate the major pop hits of the 1960s. The show was a co-production between the United Kingdom's BBC and West Germany's ZDF broadc ...
'', which was broadcast across Britain and Europe on 31 December 1969. He performed "Bachelor Boy" with the Shadows and "Congratulations" solo. In 1972, he made a short BBC television comedy film called ''The Case'' with appearances from comedians and his first ever duets with a woman—Newton-John. He went on to release a double live album, ''Cliff Live in Japan 1972'', which featured Newton-John.
His final acting role on the silver screen to date was in 1973, when he starred in the film ''
Take Me High''.
In 1973, he sang the British Eurovision entry "
Power to All Our Friends
"Power to All Our Friends" is a song by Cliff Richard which was chosen as the entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1973, by a postal vote which was decided by BBC viewers after Richard performed six contending songs on ''A Song For Europe'', fe ...
;" the song finished third, close behind Luxembourg's "
Tu Te Reconnaîtras" and Spain's "
Eres Tú". This time, Richard took
Valium to overcome his nerves and his manager was almost unable to wake him for the performance. Richard also hosted the BBC's qualifying heat for the
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
, ''
A Song for Europe,'' in 1970, 1971 and 1972 as part of his BBCTV variety series. He presented the
Eurovision Song Contest Previews for the BBC in 1971 and 1972.
In 1975, he released the single "
Honky Tonk Angel", produced by Hank Marvin and John Farrar, oblivious to its connotations or hidden meanings. As soon as he was notified that a "honky-tonk angel" was southern US slang for a prostitute, the horrified Richard ordered EMI to withdraw it and refused to promote it despite making a video for it. EMI agreed to his demand despite the fact the single was expected to sell well. About 1,000 copies are known to exist on vinyl.
1976–1994: Renaissance
In 1976, the decision was made to repackage Richard as a rock artist. That year, Bruce Welch relaunched Cliff's career and produced the landmark album ''
I'm Nearly Famous
''I'm Nearly Famous'' is the eighteenth studio album by Cliff Richard, released in May 1976.
The album is considered one of his finest works and is held as the album which brought about Cliff Richard's revival as a major chart act.
The lead ...
'', 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
"Miss You Nights" is a song written by Dave Townsend and made famous worldwide by Cliff Richard. The song has been recorded by numerous other artists, most notably Westlife, who released it as the second track on a double A-side single in 2003 ...
". In reviewing the new album in ''
Melody Maker
''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
'', Geoff Brown heralded it the renaissance of Richard. Richard's fans were excited about this revival of a performer who had been a part of British rock from its early days. Many music names such as
Jimmy Page
James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
,
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...
and
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
were seen sporting ''I'm Nearly Famous'' badges, pleased that their boyhood idol was getting back into the heavier rock, in which he had begun his career.
Notwithstanding this, Richard continued to release albums with
contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and s ...
content in parallel with his rock and pop albums, for example: ''
Small Corners
''Small Corners'' is a 1978 album of Contemporary Christian music by British singer Cliff Richard. It is his twentieth studio album and third gospel album. It was recorded in Abbey Road Studios in January 1977.
"Yes He Lives" was released in th ...
'' from 1978 contained the single "Yes He Lives". On 31 December 1976, he performed his latest single, "Hey, Mr. Dream Maker", on BBC1's ''
A Jubilee of Music
''A Jubilee of Music'' is a one-off BBC Television entertainment show lasting 75 minutes, broadcast on 31 December 1976 at 10:30pm on BBC1. The show was produced to celebrate the British music successes of the first 25 years of Elizabeth II's ...
'', celebrating British pop music for Queen
Elizabeth II's impending
Silver Jubilee.
In 1979, Richard teamed up once again with producer
Bruce Welch for the pop hit single "
We Don't Talk Anymore", written and composed by
Alan Tarney, which hit No. 1 in the UK and No. 7 in the US.
Bryan Ferry added hummed backing vocals to the song. The record made Richard the first act to reach the Hot 100's top 40 in the 1980s who had also been there in each of the three previous decades. The song was quickly added onto the end of his latest album ''
Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile
''Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile'' is the 22nd studio album by Cliff Richard, released in 1979. It featured his biggest-ever single, " We Don't Talk Anymore", which was a UK No. 1 hit (his first since 1968's "Congratulations" and his only one of the ...
,'' which was re-titled ''We Don't Talk Anymore'' for its release in the United States. 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. Later in 1979, Richard performed with
Kate Bush at the
London Symphony Orchestra's 75th anniversary celebration at the
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
.
With "We Don't Talk Anymore" in 1979, Richard finally began to receive some extended success in the United States to follow on from the success of "Devil Woman" in 1976. In 1980, "
Carrie
Carrie may refer to:
People
* Carrie (name), a female given name and occasionally a surname
Places in the United States
* Carrie, Kentucky, an unincorporated community
* Carrie, Virginia, an unincorporated community
* Carrie Glacier, Olympic Nati ...
" broke into the US top 40, followed by "
Dreamin'", which reached No. 10. His 1980 duet "
Suddenly" with Olivia Newton-John, from the film ''
Xanadu
Xanadu may refer to:
* Shangdu, the ancient summer capital of Kublai Khan's empire in China
* a metaphor for opulence or an idyllic place, based upon Coleridge's description of Shangdu in his poem ''Kubla Khan''
Other places
* Xanadu (Titan), ...
'', peaked at No. 20, followed by "
A Little in Love" (No. 17) and "
Daddy's Home" (No. 23) in 1981. After many years of limited success in the US, three of his singles simultaneously charted on the last
Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
of 1980 ("A Little in Love", "Dreamin'", and "Suddenly"). The videos for "We Don't Talk Anymore", "A Little in Love", and "Dreamin'" were
among the first to be played by
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
upon its launch in 1981.
In the UK meanwhile, "Carrie" reached No. 4 and "Dreamin'" peaked at No. 8. In a retrospective review of "Carrie",
AllMusic journalist Dave Thompson praised "Carrie" as being "an enthrallingly atmospheric number. One of the most electrifying of all Cliff Richard's recordings."
In 1980, Richard officially changed his name, by
deed poll
A deed poll (plural: deeds poll) is a legal document binding on a single person or several persons acting jointly to express an intention or create an obligation. It is a deed, and not a contract because it binds only one party (law), party.
Et ...
, from Harry Rodger Webb to Cliff Richard. At the same time, he received, from the Queen, the award of
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
for services to music and charity.
In 1981, the single "
Wired for Sound
''Wired for Sound'' is the 24th studio album by Cliff Richard, released in September 1981. The album peaked at number 4 in the UK album charts upon release, and spent a total of 25 weeks on the chart in 1981–82. The album was certified P ...
" hit No. 4 in the UK and also became Richard's biggest hit in Australia since the early 1960s. To finish the year, "Daddy's Home" hit No. 2 in the UK. On the singles chart, Richard was having his most consistent period of top twenty hits since the mid-1960s. He also was amassing a string of top ten albums, including ''
I'm No Hero
''I'm No Hero'' is the 23rd studio album by Cliff Richard, released in 1980. The album includes three hit singles, of which " Dreamin'" and " A Little in Love"were top 20 hits in both the UK and the US.
Background
Following the success of hi ...
'', ''
Wired for Sound
''Wired for Sound'' is the 24th studio album by Cliff Richard, released in September 1981. The album peaked at number 4 in the UK album charts upon release, and spent a total of 25 weeks on the chart in 1981–82. The album was certified P ...
'', ''
Now You See Me, Now You Don't'', a live album he recorded with the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works.
The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...
titled ''
Dressed for the Occasion'', and ''
Silver'', marking his 25th year in show business in 1983.
In 1986, Richard reached No. 1 by teaming up with
The Young Ones to re-record his smash hit "
Living Doll" for the charity
Comic Relief. Along with the song, the recording contained comedy dialogue between Richard and the Young Ones. That same year Richard opened in the
West End as a rock musician called upon to defend Earth in a trial set in the Andromeda Galaxy in the
multi-media Dave Clark musical ''
Time''. Three Richard singles, "She's So Beautiful", which reached No. 17 in the UK, "It's in Every One of Us" and "Born To Rock 'n Roll", were released over 1985 and 1986 from the
concept album recorded for ''Time''.
In August 1986, Richard was involved in a five-car crash in torrential rain on the
M4 motorway
The M4, originally the London-South Wales Motorway, is a motorway in the United Kingdom running from west London to southwest Wales. The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh element was largely ...
in West London. Richard's car was a write-off as another car swerved and braked hard. Richard hurt his back in the accident but was not seriously injured. Police called for a cab from the accident scene so that he was able to perform that night in the "Time" musical. After the show, Richard said: "I'm lucky to be here". He said that his seatbelt had prevented him from flying through the windscreen.
In October 1986, "
All I Ask of You
"All I Ask of You" is a song from the 1986 English musical ''The Phantom of the Opera'', between characters Christine Daaé and Raoul, originally played on stage by Sarah Brightman and Steve Barton, respectively. It was written by Andrew Llo ...
", a duet that Richard recorded with
Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960) is an English classical crossover soprano singer, actress and dancer.
Brightman began her career as a member of the dance troupe Hot Gossip and released several disco singles as a solo performer. In 1981, ...
from the
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...
musical version of
The Phantom of the Opera reached No. 3 in the UK singles chart. 1987 saw the release of his ''
Always Guaranteed
''Always Guaranteed'' is the 28th studio album by Cliff Richard, released in 1987. The album peaked at number 5 in the UK Albums Chart, and spent a total of 24 weeks on the chart over 1987–88. The album was certified Platinum by the BPI an ...
'' album, which became his best-selling album of all-new material, and included the two top-10 hit singles "
My Pretty One
"My Pretty One" is a song recorded by English singer Cliff Richard and released in the UK in June 1987 as the lead single from his ''Always Guaranteed'' album. The song reached number 6 in the UK Singles Chart.
The song was written by Alan Tarney ...
" and "
Some People".
Richard concluded his thirtieth year in music by achieving a UK Christmas No. 1 single in 1988 with "
Mistletoe and Wine", while simultaneously holding the No. 1 positions on the album and video charts with the compilation ''
Private Collection'', which summed up his biggest hits from 1979 to 1988. "Mistletoe and Wine" was Richard's 99th UK single and spent four weeks at the top of the chart. It was the best-selling UK single of 1988, shifting 750,000 copies. 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.
In May 1989, Richard released his 100th single, "
The Best of Me", becoming the first British artist to achieve the feat. The single peaked at No. 2 in the UK. It was also the lead single from the UK top ten album ''
Stronger''. Released along with the singles "
I Just Don't Have the Heart
"I Just Don't Have the Heart" is a song by British singer Cliff Richard, released as the second single from his 1989 album '' Stronger''. It was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman and became another UK top 10 hit for him, peaking at No ...
" (UK No. 3), "
Lean On You
"Lean on You" is a song by British singer Cliff Richard, released as the third single from his 1989 album '' Stronger''. It was written and produced by Alan Tarney. The song peaked at No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart.
Track listing
UK single
7-in ...
" (No. 17) and "
Stronger Than That
"Stronger Than That" is a song by English singer Cliff Richard, released in 1990 as the fourth single from his 1989 album '' Stronger''. It reached the top twenty in the UK, peaking at No. 14 on the UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart ( ...
" (No. 14), the album become Richard's first studio album to amass four UK top twenty hits.
Also in 1989, Richard received the Brits highest award: "The Outstanding Contribution award".
In June, he filled London's
Wembley Stadium for two nights with a spectacular titled "The Event" in front of a combined audience of 144,000 people.
On 30 June 1990, Richard performed to an estimated 120,000 people at England's
Knebworth Park
Knebworth is a village and civil parish in the north of Hertfordshire, England, immediately south of Stevenage. The civil parish covers an area between the villages of Datchworth, Woolmer Green, Codicote, Kimpton, Whitwell, St Paul's Walden ...
as part of an all-star concert line-up that also included
Paul McCartney,
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...
,
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
and
Tears for Fears. The concert in aid of charity was televised around the world and helped to raise $10.5 million for disabled children and young musicians.
Later in 1990, a live album titled ''
From a Distance: The Event'' was released. It compiled highlights of the previous year's "The Event" show, and provided two live tracks as singles, "
Silhouettes
A silhouette ( , ) is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhou ...
" (UK No. 10) and "
From a Distance
"From a Distance" is a song written in 1985 by American singer-songwriter Julie Gold. Gold was working as a secretary at the time for HBO and writing songs in her free time. Gold's friend, Christine Lavin, introduced the song to Nanci Griffith, ...
" (No. 11). However, it was with the Christmas single "
Saviour's Day" that Richard scored his 13th UK No. 1 single and his 100th top 40 hit. The album itself reached No. 3 over the Christmas period and was certified double platinum by the
BPI.
Following the success of the recent Christmas singles, Richard released his first Christmas album ''
Together with Cliff Richard
''Together with Cliff Richard'' is a Christmas album by Cliff Richard, released in November 1991. The album features Richard singing popular traditional Christmas songs, his Christmas hits from recent years and two original songs.
The album re ...
'' in 1991, but his bid for the UK Christmas No. 1 spot again with "
We Should Be Together" was unsuccessful (making No. 10). 1992 saw "I Still Believe in You" (No. 7) released as his Christmas single, while 1993 saw Richard's first new music studio album for over three years released. Simply titled ''
The Album
The Album may refer to:
* '' ABBA: The Album'', released in 1977
* ''The Album'' (Caravan album), 1980
* ''The Album'' (Mantronix album), 1985
* ''The Album'' (Cliff Richard album), 1993
* ''The Album'' (Haddaway album), 1993
* ''The Album'' ( ...
'', it debuted at No.1 on the UK album chart. "
Peace in Our Time" (No. 8) was the second lead single, followed by "Human Work of Art" (No. 24) and "Healing Love" (No. 19) for Christmas. In 1994, the compilation ''
The Hit List'' was released; meanwhile in the background, Richard was concentrating on bringing the musical ''
Heathcliff'' to the stage.
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. Over the decade of the 1980s he recorded with
Olivia Newton-John,
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
,
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
,
Phil Everly,
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
,
Sheila Walsh and
Van Morrison. Meanwhile, the Shadows later re-formed (and again split). They recorded on their own, but also reunited with Richard in 1978, 1984 and 1989–90.
1995–2007: Knighthood
On 17 June 1995, Richard was appointed a
Knight Bachelor (invested on 25 October 1995), becoming the first rock star to be so honoured. In 1996, he led the Wimbledon
Centre Court crowd in singing during a rain delay when asked by Wimbledon officials to entertain the crowd. In late 1990s, Richard and former EMI UK managing director Clive Black established the record label "Blacknight". In 1998, Richard demonstrated that radio stations were refusing to play his music when he released a dance
remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
of his forthcoming single "Can't Keep This Feeling In" on a
white label using the alias Blacknight. The single was featured on playlists until the true artist was revealed. Richard then released the single under his own name as the lead single for his album ''
Real as I Wanna Be
''Real as I Wanna Be'' is an album by Cliff Richard, released in October 1998 by EMI Records. It peaked at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified Silver in the UK and Gold in New Zealand.
overview
" Can't Keep this Feeling In" was ...
'', with each reaching No. 10 in the UK on their respective charts.
In 1999, controversy again arose regarding radio stations refusing to play his releases when EMI, Richard's label since 1958, refused to release his song, "
The Millennium Prayer
"The Millennium Prayer" is a song recorded by English singer Cliff Richard, in which the words of the Lord's Prayer are set to the tune of " Auld Lang Syne". It was released in November 1999 as a charity single in the lead-up to the new millenni ...
", having judged that the song did not have commercial potential. Richard took it to an independent label, Papillon, which released the charity recording (in aid of Children's Promise). The single went on to top the UK chart for three weeks, becoming his fourteenth and, as of December 2022, most recent No.1 single.
Richard's next album, in 2001, was a covers project, ''
Wanted,'' followed by another top ten album, ''
Cliff at Christmas
''Cliff at Christmas'' is the 2003 Christmas album of Cliff Richard, containing eight new songs and nine previously released songs including all of his previous hit Christmas-themed singles included. One new single was released from the album, ...
''. The holiday album contained both new and older recordings, including the single "Santa's List", which reached No. 5 in 2003. Richard went to Nashville, Tennessee for his next album project in 2004, employing a writers' conclave to give him the pick of all new songs for the album ''
Something's Goin' On''. It was another top-10 album, and produced three UK top-20 singles: "Something's Goin' On", "I Cannot Give You My Love", with
Barry Gibb of the
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees
were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...
, and "What Car".
On 14 June 2004, Richard joined the Shadows on-stage at the
London Palladium. The Shadows had decided to re-form for another tour of the UK. It was not to be their last tour together though, as they would re-form once again for a final tour five years later in 2009.
''
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
Marie Dionne Warwick (; born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host.
Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on ''Billboards Hot 100 pop singles cha ...
,
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. ''Two's Company'' was released to coincide with the UK leg of his latest world tour, "Here and Now", which included lesser known songs such as "My Kinda Life", "How Did She Get Here", "Hey Mr. Dream Maker", "For Life", "A Matter of Moments", "When The Girl in Your Arms" and the Christmas single "21st Century Christmas", which debuted at No. 2 on the UK singles chart.
Another compilation album, ''
Love... The Album'' was released on 12 November 2007. Like ''Two's Company'' before it, this album includes both previously released material and newly recorded songs, namely "Waiting for a Girl Like You", "When You Say Nothing at All", "All Out of Love", "If You're Not the One" and "When I Need You" (the last was released as a single, reaching No. 38; the album peaked at No. 13).
2008–present: 50th anniversary and Shadows reunion
2008, Richard's 51st year in the music business saw the release of the eight-CD box set ''
And They Said It Wouldn't Last (My 50 Years in Music)
''......And They Said It Wouldn't Last (My 50 Years in Music)'' is a commemorative box set released to celebrate Cliff Richard's fifty years in the music business. It was released on 15 September 2008. Its release was preceded on 8 September ...
''. In September, a single celebrating his 50 years in pop music, titled "Thank You for a Lifetime" was released. On 14 September 2008 it reached No. 3 on the UK music charts.
On 11 November 2008, Richard's official website announced that Cliff and the Shadows would reunite to celebrate their 50th anniversary in the music business. A month later they performed at the
Royal Variety Performance
The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal f ...
. In 2009, Cliff and the Shadows brought their partnership to an end with the "Golden Anniversary concert tour of the UK".
A new album, titled ''
Reunited'', by Richard and the Shadows was released in September 2009. It was their first studio project in forty years. The 28 tracks recorded comprise 25 re-recordings of their earlier work, with three "new" tracks, originally from that era (and earlier), the single "
Singing the Blues
"Singing the Blues" is a popular song written by Melvin Endsley and published in 1956. The song was first recorded and released by Marty Robbins in 1956. It is not related to the 1920 jazz song "Singin' the Blues" recorded by Frank Trumbauer ...
", along with
Eddie Cochran's "
C'mon Everybody
"C'mon Everybody" is a 1958 song by Eddie Cochran and Jerry Capehart, originally released as a B-side.
Background
When Cochran recorded his lead vocal for the song, he also created an alternate version of the song called "Let's Get Together". ...
" and the
Frankie Ford hit "
Sea Cruise". The album charted at No. 6 in the UK charts in its opening week and peaked at No. 4. The reunion tour continued into Europe in 2010. In June 2009, it was reported by Sound Kitchen Studios in Nashville that Richard was to return there shortly to record a new album of original recordings of jazz songs. He was to record fourteen tracks in a week.
Richard performed "
Congratulations" at the 70th birthday celebrations of
Queen Margrethe II in Denmark on 13 April 2010. On 14 October 2010, Richard celebrated his 70th birthday and to mark the occasion, he performed a series of six concerts at the
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
, London. To accompany the concerts, a new album of cover versions of
swing
Swing or swinging may refer to:
Apparatus
* Swing (seat), a hanging seat that swings back and forth
* Pendulum, an object that swings
* Russian swing, a swing-like circus apparatus
* Sex swing, a type of harness for sexual intercourse
* Swing rid ...
standards, ''
Bold as Brass'', was released on 11 October. The official party celebrating Richard's 70th birthday was held on 23 October 2010, with guests including Cilla Black,
Elaine Paige and
Daniel O'Donnell.
After a week of promotion, Richard flew out to rehearse for the German Night of the Proms concerts in Belgium at the end of October. He made a surprise appearance at the
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, 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
The Antwerps Sportpaleis ( eng, Antwerp's Sport Palace), also called Sportpaleis Antwerpen, Sportpaleis Merksem or simply the Sportpaleis, is an arena in Antwerp, Belgium. It is a multipurpose hall where concerts, sporting events, festivals and ...
. In all, he toured 12 German cities in November and December 2010, during the Night of the Proms concerts, as the headline act. The total of 18 concerts were attended by over 300,000 fans. Richard performed a selection of hits and tracks from the ''Bold As Brass'' album. In November 2010, he achieved his third consecutive UK No. 1 music DVD in three years with the DVD release of ''Bold as Brass''.
![Cliff Richard - Old Royal Naval Yard Greenwich - Saturday 1st July 2017 CliffGreenwich010717-43 (35672276090) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Cliff_Richard_-_Old_Royal_Naval_Yard_Greenwich_-_Saturday_1st_July_2017_CliffGreenwich010717-43_%2835672276090%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In October 2011, Richard released his ''
Soulicious'' album, containing duets with American soul singers including
Percy Sledge,
Ashford and Simpson,
Roberta Flack,
Freda Payne and
Candi Staton
Canzetta Maria "Candi" Staton (, ) (born March 13, 1940) is an American singer–songwriter, best known in the United States for her 1970 remake of Tammy Wynette's " Stand by Your Man" and her 1976 disco chart-topper "Young Hearts Run Free". In E ...
. The album was produced by
Lamont Dozier and was supported by a short UK arena tour. ''Soulicious'' became Richard's 41st top-10 UK hit album.
He was among the performers at the
Diamond Jubilee concert held outside
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...
in June 2012. On 30 June 2012, Richard helped to carry the Olympic torch from
Derby to
Birmingham as part of the torch relay for the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
in London. Richard said that his run with the Olympic torch would be one of his top-10 memories.
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. The campaign was initially unsuccessful and the UK copyright on many of Richard's early recordings expired in 2008. In 2013, following another campaign, copyright on sound recordings was extended to 70 years after first publication to the public for works still in copyright at that point. 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. In November 2013, Richard released the 100th album of his career, ''
The Fabulous Rock 'n' Roll Songbook
''The Fabulous Rock 'n' Roll Songbook'' is a studio album by Cliff Richard. Promoted as his 100th album, the album was released through the Warner Music imprint Rhino Records on 11 November 2013 and is made up of 14 covers of classic rock 'n' ro ...
''. To that point Richard had released 47 studio albums, 35 compilations, 11 live albums and 7 film soundtracks.
Richard was scheduled to open for
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then ...
at a live concert at New York's 19,000-capacity
Barclays Center
Barclays Center is a multi-purpose list of indoor arenas, indoor arena in the New York City Boroughs of New York City, borough of Brooklyn. The arena is home to the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association and the New York Liberty o ...
on 21 June 2014. Morrissey said that he was "honoured and thrilled" to have Richard on the bill. It was reported on 16 June 2014 that Morrissey had cancelled the concert after collapsing with an "acute fever". Richard announced that he would stage a free show for fans in New York on the same night the cancelled concert was due to take place.
In October 2015, Richard performed on tour to mark his 75th birthday. He took to the stage across seven cities in the UK, including six nights at London's
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
, where he has performed on over 100 occasions during his career. Richard's 2015 tour received a positive review from ''
The Guardian''s rock music critic Dave Simpson.
![CliffRAH241021 (8 of 54) (51629985922) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/CliffRAH241021_%288_of_54%29_%2851629985922%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In August 2018 Richard announced the release of the album ''
Rise Up'', which includes new material. The first single of the album, "Rise Up", was released in vinyl format and reached No. 1 on the UK Vinyl Singles Chart in October 2018. He performed a duet with Welsh singer
Bonnie Tyler on "Taking Control" that appeared on her 2019 studio album, ''
Between the Earth and the Stars''. In 2020 Richard released the album ''
Music... The Air That I Breathe''. On 4 July 2022, Richard sang his 1963 hit "Summer Holiday" at the
2022 Wimbledon Championships
The 2022 Wimbledon Championships was a Grand Slam (tennis), Grand Slam tier tennis tournament that took place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom. Novak Djokovic successfully defended his gentleme ...
, as part of the Centenary Celebration.
Criticism of the music industry and commercial support
Richard has openly complained about the lack of commercial support he receives from radio stations and record labels. He spoke about this on ''
The Alan Titchmarsh Show'' on
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
in December 2007, pointing out that while new bands needed airplay for promotion and sales, long-established artists such as himself also relied upon airplay for the same reasons. He also noted that 1980s radio stations did play his records and that this went some way to help sales and maintain his media presence. In the
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
documentary ''Cliff – Take Another Look'', he pointed out that many documentaries charting the history of British music (e.g. ''
I'm in a Rock 'n' Roll Band!'') fail to mention him (or the Shadows).
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". In June 2004, British disc jockey
Tony Blackburn
Anthony Kenneth Blackburn (born 29 January 1943) is an English disc jockey, singer and TV presenter. He first achieved fame broadcasting on the pirate stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s, before joining the BBC, on the BBC L ...
was suspended from his radio job at
Classic Gold Digital
Classic Gold Digital Network was one of the biggest 'gold' (oldies) formatted radio networks in the United Kingdom, with a potential audience of 47 million. Classic Gold was broadcast on analogue and Digital audio broadcasting, DAB digital platfo ...
for playing records by Richard against station policy. The head of programmes, Paul Baker, sent an e-mail to Blackburn stating that Richard "doesn't match our brand values. He's not on the playlist, and you must stop playing him." 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. Classic Gold managing director John Baish later confirmed Blackburn's suspension from the show.
In 2011, digital station
Absolute Radio
Absolute Radio is a British National radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Absolute Radio Network. It broadcasts nationally across the UK via Digital audio broadcasting and on 1215 kHz MW.
History
1993–1997: Virg ...
'60s, dedicated to playing popular music from the 1960s, announced they would not be playing any of Richard's records because they said they did not fit "the cool sound... we're trying to create". 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." Richard responded to this by saying: "They're lying to themselves, and more importantly they're lying to the public."
Richard has spoken of his irritation about other stars who are praised after taking drugs.
In 2009, Richard said he was the "most radical rock-and-roll singer Britain has ever seen" as he did not indulge in drugs or sexual promiscuity. Richard said he is proud that he never adopted the hedonistic lifestyle of a typical rock star. He said: "I've never wanted to trash a hotel room."
Richard has criticised the music industry for encouraging artists to court controversy. In November 2013, he said: "The music industry has changed drastically and that damages young artists. This industry can be very destructive."
Richard expressed concern about the sexually explicit public image of singer
Miley Cyrus, following controversy surrounding a semi-naked video for her song "
Wrecking Ball".
In the 1970s, Richard said that he was disturbed by the visual imagery and mock horror of singer
Alice Cooper. In 1997, Richard said of the rock band
Oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.”
The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
: "It's just a shame that part of what gives them their kick is their self-destructive impulse."
In an article for ''
The Guardian'' in 2011, the journalist
Sam Leith
Sam Leith (born 1 January 1974) is an English author, journalist and literary editor of ''The Spectator''.
After an education at Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford, Leith worked at the revived satirical magazine ''Punch'', before moving to the ' ...
wrote of Richard's lack of commercial support among radio stations: "His uncompromising Christianity, his clean-living ways, and his connoisseurship of the fruits of his Portuguese winery have made him an object of incomprehension, even ridicule, for the uncultured, alcopop-drinking younger generation." Also writing in ''The Guardian'',
John Robb opined that because Richard has rebelled against the drink and drugs culture of typical rock stars, this "rebelling against rebellion" has made Richard something of a
countercultural icon.
In December 2013, Richard said that he felt two of his singles, "
Mistletoe and Wine" and "
The Millennium Prayer
"The Millennium Prayer" is a song recorded by English singer Cliff Richard, in which the words of the Lord's Prayer are set to the tune of " Auld Lang Syne". It was released in November 1999 as a charity single in the lead-up to the new millenni ...
", had created a negative reaction against him. He said: "Airplay is vital for single hits. The only way I can have a fair competition is if your records are on the radio. There is an
ageism in the radio industry. If you ask me to record a new song, I'm not sure it would get the support it needs."
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".
Sting
Sting may refer to:
* Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger
* Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself
Fictional characters and entities
* Sting (Middle-eart ...
also defended Richard, stating: "Cliff Richard is in my opinion one of Britain's finest singers technically and emotionally."
Personal life
Richard's father, Rodger Webb, died in 1961, aged 56, and that had a great impact on Richard. He later said: "My father died very young. He missed the best parts of my career. When my father was sick, we became very close." Richard's mother, Dorothy, died in October 2007, aged 87, after a decade with
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...
. In a 2006 interview, he spoke about the difficulties he and his sisters had in dealing with their mother's condition.
Richard is a lifelong bachelor.
In a three-page letter written in October 1961 to "his first serious girlfriend",
Australian dancer Delia Wicks, made public in April 2010 after her death from cancer, Richard wrote, "Being a pop singer I have to give up one priceless thing – the right to any lasting relationship with any special girl. I've just had to make, probably, one of the biggest decisions I'm ever going to make and I'm hoping that it won't hurt you too much."
The couple had been dating for 18 months. In the letter he goes on to say, "I couldn't give up my career, besides the fact that my mother and sisters, since my father's death, rely on me completely. I have showbiz in my blood now and I would be lost without it." 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".
After Delia Wicks died in 2010, aged 71, her brother Graham Wicks said that she had been "devastated" by Richard's decision to end their relationship, describing Richard as "a very pleasant man".
At the age of 22, a year after his relationship with Delia Wicks ended, Richard had a brief romance with the actress
Una Stubbs
Una Stubbs (1 May 1937 – 12 August 2021) was an English actress, television personality and dancer who appeared on British television and in the theatre, and occasionally in films. She became known after appearing in the film '' Summer Holiday ...
.
Later in the 1960s, Richard considered marriage to the dancer Jackie Irving. Richard described Irving as "utterly beautiful" and says for a time they were "inseparable".
Irving went on to marry
Adam Faith.
In his autobiography, Richard stressed that "sex is not one of the things that drives me", but he also wrote of his seduction by Carol Costa, who at the time was the estranged wife of
Jet Harris.
In the 1980s, Richard considered asking
Sue Barker
Sue or SUE may refer to:
Music
* Sue Records, an American record label
* ''Sue'' (album), an album by Frazier Chorus
* "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)", a song by David Bowie
Places
* Sue Islet (Queensland), one of the Torres Straits island ...
,
a former French Open tennis champion and
Wimbledon
Wimbledon most often refers to:
* Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London
* Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships
Wimbledon may also refer to:
Places London
* ...
semi-finalist, if she would agree to marry him. In 2008, Richard said of his relationship with Barker: "I seriously contemplated asking her to marry me, but in the end I realised that I didn't love her quite enough to commit the rest of my life to her."
Richard first met Barker in 1982, when she was aged 25. Their romance attracted considerable media attention after Richard flew to Denmark to watch her play in a tennis match and they were later photographed cuddling and holding hands at
Wimbledon
Wimbledon most often refers to:
* Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London
* Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships
Wimbledon may also refer to:
Places London
* ...
. In an interview in February 1983, Richard spoke of the possibility of marriage with her. 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." In September 1983, Richard said that he had no immediate plans to marry Barker. He said: "It's not vital to get married and it's not vital to be a father. But I would like to settle down and have a family one day." In July 1984, Barker said of her romance with Richard: "I love him, he's great and I'm sure we love each other."
In 1986, after Richard's romance with Barker had ended and she began dating tennis player
Stephen Shaw, Richard said that he was still a friend of Barker. He said: "We have a mutual respect for each other and that means a lot to me."
When later asked why he has never married, Richard said: "I've had a few false alarms. I've been in love, but marriage is a big commitment and being an artist consumes a great deal of time."
He said that in the early 1970s he was in love with the singer and actress
Olivia Newton-John. Richard said: "At the time when I and many of us were in love with Olivia she was engaged to someone else. I'm afraid I lost the chance."
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. Richard later helped to raise money for the hospital in East London and said that his nephew "had a terrible time but the hospital saved his life."
Although he has never married, Richard has rarely lived alone. For many years he shared his main home with his charity and promotion schedules manager, Bill Latham and Latham's mother. In 1982, Richard described them as his "second family".
Latham's girlfriend, Jill, also lived at the house in
Weybridge, Surrey, with them for a time.
In 1993, Bill Latham said of Richard's bachelor status: "His freedom has meant that he has been able to do much more than if he had a family. He always goes the extra mile. If he was to have a relationship, he would give it everything. So because his commitments have been his career, his faith, and more latterly, tennis, he has given himself wholeheartedly to those three activities."
Richard often declines discussion about close relationships and when asked about suggestions that he may be homosexual has stated categorically that he is not. When the suggestions were first put to him in the late 1970s, Richard responded by saying: "It's untrue. People are very unfair with their criticism and their judgements. I've had girlfriends. But people seem to think that if a bloke doesn't sleep around he must be gay. Marriage is a very special thing to me. I'm certainly not going to do it just to make other people feel satisfied."
In 1986, Richard said that rumours about him being homosexual had previously been "very painful" to him.
When asked in 1992 if he had ever considered the possibility that he might be gay, he responded: "No."
Richard said: "Even if I got married tomorrow there would be a group of people who would believe what they wanted to believe. All that counts is what your family and friends know and they all trust and respect me. What the people outside think, I have no control over."
[ Later in 1996, Richard said: "I'm aware of the rumours, but I am not gay."] 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."
Richard said that his faith in God was tested in 1999 after the murder of his close friend, the British television presenter Jill Dando. He said: "I was really angry with God. It shook me rigid that someone as beautiful, talented and harmless could have been killed." Richard said that Dando had many likeable qualities and described her as "a very genuine person". He said of Dando's murder: "It is very difficult to understand and I find it all very confusing." He attended her funeral in May 1999 in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.
Richard has spoken of his friendship with John McElynn, an American former missionary whom he met in 2001 on a visit to New York City. In 2008, Richard said: "John now spends most of his time looking after my properties, which means I don't have to. John and I have over time struck up a close friendship. He has also become a companion, which is great because I don't like living alone, even now."
In an interview with David Frost
Sir David Paradine Frost (7 April 1939 – 31 August 2013) was a British television host, journalist, comedian and writer. He rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical programme ' ...
in 2002, Richard said that his many good friends have prevented him from feeling lonely and he has always got someone he can talk to. Richard has been a family friend of the Northern Irish broadcaster Gloria Hunniford for over forty years. When Hunniford's daughter Caron Keating was diagnosed with breast cancer and chose to keep her illness private from the public, Richard was among a small close circle of friends who knew of Keating's condition. When Keating died in April 2004, Richard attended her funeral in Kent and performed his song "Miss You Nights" in tribute to her.
In 2006, Richard received a Portuguese Order in which he was appointed Commander of the Order of Prince Henry (ComIH), this in recognition of his forty years of personal and business involvement in that country which included investments in winemaking and a house in Algarve where he has spent part of the year throughout the decades. Richard finished No. 56 in the 2002 100 Greatest Britons
''100 Greatest Britons'' is a television series that was broadcast by the BBC in 2002. It was based on a television poll conducted to determine who the British people at that time considered the greatest Britons in history. The series included in ...
list, sponsored by the BBC and voted for by the public.
In his 2008 autobiography, Richard wrote that his views on certain issues are less judgemental than when he was younger. He called on the Church of England to affirm people's commitment in same-sex marriage. He wrote: "In the end, I believe, people are going to be judged for what they are. It seems to me that commitment is the issue, and if anyone comes to me and says: 'This is my partner – we are committed to each other,' then I don't care what their sexuality is. I'm not going to judge – I'll leave that to God."
In 2009, the British media reported on a growing friendship between Richard and Cilla Black
Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer, actress and television presenter.
Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her ...
. '' 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. Richard and Black reportedly enjoyed each other's company dining together in Marbella and watching tennis in the Royal Box at Wimbledon
Wimbledon most often refers to:
* Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London
* Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships
Wimbledon may also refer to:
Places London
* ...
. After Black died in August 2015, Richard described her as "incredibly gifted" and "full of heart". He said: "She was a very special person, and I have lost a very wonderful friend. I will miss her dearly." Richard performed the song "Faithful One" in tribute to Black at her funeral in Liverpool.
In 2010, Richard confirmed that he is no longer a resident of the United Kingdom and had been granted citizenship by Barbados. He said: "I'm officially a non-resident f the UK although I will always be British and proud of it."[ He currently divides his time between living in Barbados and Portugal.] 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. He said: "My three sisters have children, and it's been wonderful to watch them grow up, get married and start families of their own. I've made sure I've always played a part in their lives. So while I think I would have been a good father, I've given myself to my family and I wouldn't have it any other way. My 'freedom' allows me to continue my career. Had I been married, with children, I wouldn't be able to do what I do now."
Nationwide Festival of Light
In 1971, Richard was a leading supporter of the Nationwide Festival of Light
The Nationwide Festival of Light was a short-lived grassroots movement formed by British Christians concerned about the rise of the permissive society and social changes in English society by the late 1960s.
The movement was opposed to what t ...
, a movement formed by British Christians who were concerned about the development of the permissive society. Richard joined public figures such as Malcolm Muggeridge, Mary Whitehouse
Constance Mary Whitehouse (; 13 June 1910 – 23 November 2001) was a British teacher and conservative activist. She campaigned against social liberalism and the mainstream British media, both of which she accused of encouraging a more permiss ...
and Bishop Trevor Huddleston to demonstrate in London "for love and family life, against pornography and moral pollution". Muggeridge criticised the media as being "largely in the hands of those who for one reason or another favour the present Gadarene slide into decadence and Godlessness."
One of the targets for the Festival of Light's campaign was the growth of sexually explicit films. Richard was one of approximately 30,000 people who gathered at London's Trafalgar Square for a demonstration. One focus of their protest was against the Swedish sex education film ''Language of Love
''Language of Love'' () is a 1969 Swedish sex educational film directed by Torgny Wickman. It was an international success.
It gained publicity when 30,000 people gathered on Trafalgar Square in London to protest against a nearby movie theatre ...
'', which was showing at a nearby cinema.
Philanthropy
Since March 1966, Richard has followed the practice of giving away at least one-tenth of his income to charity. Richard has stated that two biblical principles have guided him in how to use his money. He said: "Firstly, it was the love of money (not money itself) that was the root of all evil. Secondly, to be good and responsible stewards of what was entrusted to us." In 1990, Richard said: "Those of us who have something to offer have to be prepared to give all the time."[
For over forty years Richard has been a supporter of Tearfund, a Christian charity that aims to tackle poverty in many countries across the world. He has made overseas visits to see their work in Uganda, Bangladesh and Brazil. Richard has said: "Playing a part in relieving poverty is, as I see it, the responsibility of us all."
Richard has donated to the dementia research charity, Alzheimer's Research UK. He has helped to raise funds and awareness of the disease by speaking publicly about his mother's condition.]
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. Richard's passion for tennis, which was encouraged by his former girlfriend Sue Barker, also led him in 1991 to establish the Cliff Richard Tennis Foundation. The charity has encouraged thousands of primary schools in the UK to introduce the sport, with over 200,000 children taking part in the tennis sessions which tour the country. The Foundation has since become part of the charitable wing of the Lawn Tennis Association.
Scottish independence referendum
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.
Property search, investigation and BBC litigation
In August 2014, Richard's apartment in Berkshire was searched after a complaint to the Metropolitan Police
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
's Operation Yewtree
Operation Yewtree was a British police investigation into sexual abuse allegations, predominantly the abuse of children, against the English media personality Jimmy Savile and others. The investigation, led by the Metropolitan Police Service ( ...
, which investigated sexual misconduct allegations in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal
It emerged in late 2012 that Jimmy Savile, an English media personality who had died the previous year, sexually abused hundreds of people throughout his life, most of them children but some as old as 75, and most of them female. He had been w ...
. Richard was not arrested, and strongly denied the allegations. The BBC was criticised for its coverage of the search. The former Director of Public Prosecutions
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is the office or official charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world. The title is used mainly in jurisdictions that are or have been members o ...
, Lord Macdonald of River Glaven, QC, criticised the police force for its "completely disreputable conduct" and said its action could make the warrant unlawful. Richard pulled out of a visit to the US Open tennis championships, turned down the freedom of his adopted Portuguese home city of Albufeira
Albufeira () is a city and seat of its own municipality in the district of Faro, in the southernmost Portuguese region of Algarve. The municipality population in 2021 was 44,158, in an area of . The city proper had a population of 28,645 in 2021 ...
, and cancelled a scheduled appearance at Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...
because he did not want the event to be "overshadowed by the false allegation". He subsequently returned to the UK and voluntarily met with and was interviewed by members of South Yorkshire Police. He was never arrested or criminally charged. Subsequently, David Crompton, chief constable of South Yorkshire Police, was criticised for his interactions with the BBC, and publicly apologised to Richard.
In February 2015, South Yorkshire Police announced that the inquiry into the alleged offences had increased, and would be continuing. Richard subsequently released a statement maintaining that the allegations were "absurd and untrue". The development came a day after an independent report had concluded that South Yorkshire Police had "interfered with the singer's privacy" by telling the BBC about the August 2014 property search. 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. The BBC's tip-off regarding the search reportedly came from within Operation Yewtree, although Crompton said he could not be certain that the leak originated from there.
In May 2016, South Yorkshire Police sent a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service. 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. Richard said he was "obviously thrilled that the vile accusations and the resulting investigation have finally been brought to a close". But he said his naming by the media, despite not being charged, meant he had been "hung out like live bait". South Yorkshire Police later "apologised wholeheartedly" to Richard after its investigation into the singer was dropped on 16 June 2016. Richard commented: "My reputation will not be fully vindicated because the CPS's policy is to only say something general about there being 'insufficient' evidence. How can there be evidence for something that never took place?" It was subsequently reported that during the 22-month police investigation a man was arrested over a plot to blackmail Richard. The unnamed man in his forties contacted Richard's aides and threatened to spread "false stories" unless he received a sum of money.
On 21 June 2016, the BBC apologised publicly to Richard for causing distress after the controversial broadcast. 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. The CPS reviewed the evidence following applications by two of his accusers, and concluded that the decision not to charge Richard was correct. In October 2016, it was reported that Richard was suing the BBC and South Yorkshire Police. Legal papers were filed at the High Court in London on 6 October 2016. South Yorkshire Police later agreed to pay Richard £400,000 after settling a claim he brought against the force.
On 12 April 2018, the case against the BBC opened in the High Court. It was reported that Richard was seeking "very substantial" damages. On 13 April, Richard gave evidence for more than an hour, describing the television coverage as "shocking and upsetting". His written statement was made available online by his lawyers, Simkins LLP. On 18 July 2018, Richard won his High Court case against the BBC and was awarded £210,000 in damages. On 15 August 2018, the BBC stated they would not appeal against the judgment. The BBC repeated an apology for the distress that Richard had been through. '' The Guardian'' estimated that the BBC's costs for legal fees and damages had reached £1.9 million after losing the case.
Cultural significance and impact
Cliff Richard's 1958 hit "Move It" is widely regarded as the first authentic British rock and roll
British rock and roll, or sometimes British rock 'n' roll, is a style of popular music based on American rock and roll, which emerged in the late 1950s and was popular until the arrival of beat music in 1962. It was important in establishing Brit ...
record, and "laid the foundations" for the Beatles and Merseybeat
Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a British popular music genre that developed, particularly in and around Liverpool, in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The genre melded influences from American rock and roll, rhythm and blues, skiffle ...
music. John Lennon reportedly said of Richard that before Cliff and the Shadows, there had been nothing worth listening to in British music. In contrast to contemporaries that include: Marty Wilde, Billy Fury and Adam Faith, his successful performing and recording career in the UK has extended over six decades.
Discography
*1959: '' Cliff''
*1959: '' Cliff Sings''
*1960: ''Me and My Shadows
''Me and My Shadows'' is the second studio album by singer Cliff Richard and third album overall. Recorded with The Shadows and produced by Norrie Paramor, it was released through Columbia Records in October 1960 and reached No. 2 in the UK al ...
''
*1961: ''Listen to Cliff!
''Listen to Cliff!'' is the third studio album by singer Cliff Richard and fourth album overall. It was released through EMI Columbia Records in April 1961. The album reached No. 2 in the UK album chart, charting for 26 consecutive weeks and re ...
''
*1961: ''21 Today
''21 Today'' is the fourth studio album by UK singer Cliff Richard and fifth album overall. The Album feature The Shadows on every track. It was released through EMI Columbia Records on 14 October 1961, the exact date of Cliff Richard's 21s ...
''
*1961: '' The Young Ones''
*1962: ''32 Minutes and 17 Seconds with Cliff Richard
''32 Minutes and 17 Seconds with Cliff Richard'' is the fifth studio album by Cliff Richard (seventh album overall) and was released in September 1962. The album reached #3 on the UK Albums Chart. The album contains 14 songs, six with the Sha ...
''
*1963: '' Summer Holiday''
*1963: '' When in Spain''
*1964: '' Wonderful Life''
*1964: ''Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
''Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp'' is a two-reel animated cartoon short subject in the '' Popeye Color Specials'' series, produced in Technicolor and released to theaters on April 7, 1939, by Paramount Pictures. It was produced by Max Fleischer, a ...
''
*1965: '' Cliff Richard''
*1965: '' When in Rome''
*1965: '' Love is Forever''
*1966: ''Kinda Latin
''Kinda Latin'' is the tenth studio album by Cliff Richard, released in 1966. It is his seventeenth album overall. The album reached number 9 in the UK Album Charts in a 12 week run in the top 30.
Reception
The album was reviewed by Dave Thomp ...
''
*1966: '' Finders Keepers''
*1967: '' Cinderella''
*1967: ''Don't Stop Me Now!
''Don't Stop Me Now!'' is the eleventh studio album by Cliff Richard, released in 1967. It is his twentieth album overall. The album was arranged and conducted by Mike Leander.
With this album, Richard made a "deep and serious thrust at establi ...
''
*1967: ''Good News''
*1968: ''Established 1958''
*1969: '' Sincerely''
*1970: ''About That Man''
*1970: ''Tracks 'n Grooves
''Tracks ‘n Grooves'' is the sixteenth studio album by British singer Cliff Richard, released November 1970 on the EMI Columbia label. It is his thirtieth album overall. The album reached #37 in the UK Album Charts.
A year earlier, the open ...
''
*1973: '' Take Me High''
*1974: ''The 31st of February Street''
*1976: ''I'm Nearly Famous
''I'm Nearly Famous'' is the eighteenth studio album by Cliff Richard, released in May 1976.
The album is considered one of his finest works and is held as the album which brought about Cliff Richard's revival as a major chart act.
The lead ...
''
*1977: '' Every Face Tells a Story''
*1978: ''Small Corners
''Small Corners'' is a 1978 album of Contemporary Christian music by British singer Cliff Richard. It is his twentieth studio album and third gospel album. It was recorded in Abbey Road Studios in January 1977.
"Yes He Lives" was released in th ...
''
*1978: '' Green Light''
*1979: '' Thank You Very Much''
*1979: ''Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile
''Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile'' is the 22nd studio album by Cliff Richard, released in 1979. It featured his biggest-ever single, " We Don't Talk Anymore", which was a UK No. 1 hit (his first since 1968's "Congratulations" and his only one of the ...
''
*1980: ''I'm No Hero
''I'm No Hero'' is the 23rd studio album by Cliff Richard, released in 1980. The album includes three hit singles, of which " Dreamin'" and " A Little in Love"were top 20 hits in both the UK and the US.
Background
Following the success of hi ...
''
*1981: ''Wired for Sound
''Wired for Sound'' is the 24th studio album by Cliff Richard, released in September 1981. The album peaked at number 4 in the UK album charts upon release, and spent a total of 25 weeks on the chart in 1981–82. The album was certified P ...
''
*1982: '' Now You See Me, Now You Don't''
*1983: '' Dressed for the Occasion''
*1983: '' Silver''
*1984: '' The Rock Connection''
*1987: ''Always Guaranteed
''Always Guaranteed'' is the 28th studio album by Cliff Richard, released in 1987. The album peaked at number 5 in the UK Albums Chart, and spent a total of 24 weeks on the chart over 1987–88. The album was certified Platinum by the BPI an ...
''
*1989: '' Stronger''
*1990: '' From a Distance: The Event''
*1991: ''Together with Cliff Richard
''Together with Cliff Richard'' is a Christmas album by Cliff Richard, released in November 1991. The album features Richard singing popular traditional Christmas songs, his Christmas hits from recent years and two original songs.
The album re ...
''
*1993: ''The Album
The Album may refer to:
* '' ABBA: The Album'', released in 1977
* ''The Album'' (Caravan album), 1980
* ''The Album'' (Mantronix album), 1985
* ''The Album'' (Cliff Richard album), 1993
* ''The Album'' (Haddaway album), 1993
* ''The Album'' ( ...
''
*1995: '' Songs from Heathcliff''
*1998: ''Real as I Wanna Be
''Real as I Wanna Be'' is an album by Cliff Richard, released in October 1998 by EMI Records. It peaked at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified Silver in the UK and Gold in New Zealand.
overview
" Can't Keep this Feeling In" was ...
''
*2001: '' Wanted''
*2003: ''Cliff at Christmas
''Cliff at Christmas'' is the 2003 Christmas album of Cliff Richard, containing eight new songs and nine previously released songs including all of his previous hit Christmas-themed singles included. One new single was released from the album, ...
''
*2004: '' Something's Goin' On''
*2006: '' Two's Company''
*2007: '' Love... The Album''
*2009: '' Reunited – Cliff Richard and The Shadows''
*2010: '' Bold as Brass''
*2011: '' Soulicious''
*2013: ''The Fabulous Rock 'n' Roll Songbook
''The Fabulous Rock 'n' Roll Songbook'' is a studio album by Cliff Richard. Promoted as his 100th album, the album was released through the Warner Music imprint Rhino Records on 11 November 2013 and is made up of 14 covers of classic rock 'n' ro ...
''
*2016: '' Just... Fabulous Rock 'n' Roll''
*2018: '' Rise Up''
*2020: '' Music... The Air That I Breathe''
*2022: '' Christmas with Cliff''
Filmography
Film
* 1959: ''Serious Charge
''Serious Charge'' (also known in US release as ''A Touch of Hell'') is a 1959 British film, directed by Terence Young, produced and co-written by Mickey Delamar (with Guy Elmes). It was adapted from a stage play written by Philip King. The fi ...
''
* 1960: '' Expresso Bongo''
* 1961: '' The Young Ones'' (aka ''It's Wonderful to be Young'')
* 1963: '' Summer Holiday''
* 1964: '' Wonderful Life'' (aka ''Swingers' Paradise'')
* 1966: '' Finders Keepers''
* 1966: '' Thunderbirds Are Go'' (voice as a singing marionette)
* 1968: ''Two a Penny
''Two a Penny'' is a 1967 British film, released nationally in 1968, featuring singer Cliff Richard. The film was directed by James F. Collier and produced by Frank R. Jacobson for Billy Graham's film distribution and production company World Wi ...
''
* 1970: ''His Land''
* 1972: ''The Case'' (features Olivia Newton-John)
* 1973: '' Take Me High''
* 2012: '' Run for Your Wife'' (cameo role as a busker)
Television series
* 1960–63: ''The Cliff Richard Show'' (ATV Television)
* 1964–67: ''Cliff'' (ATV Television)
* 1965: ''Cliff and the Shadows'' (ATV Television)
* 1970–74: ''It's Cliff Richard'' featuring Hank Marvin, Una Stubbs
Una Stubbs (1 May 1937 – 12 August 2021) was an English actress, television personality and dancer who appeared on British television and in the theatre, and occasionally in films. She became known after appearing in the film '' Summer Holiday ...
and Olivia Newton-John (BBC Television)
* 1975–76: ''It's Cliff and Friends'' (BBC Television)
Selected television specials
Television appearances
Publications
*2020: ''The Dreamer: An Autobiography''
Theatre work
* ''Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
''Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp'' is a two-reel animated cartoon short subject in the '' Popeye Color Specials'' series, produced in Technicolor and released to theaters on April 7, 1939, by Paramount Pictures. It was produced by Max Fleischer, a ...
'': music by the Shadows and Norrie Paramor
* '' Cinderella'': music by the Shadows and Norrie Paramor
* '' The Potting Shed'' by Graham Greene
* '' Time'': music by Dave Clark
* '' Heathcliff'': music by John Farrar and lyrics by Sir Tim Rice
Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English lyricist and author. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ' ...
* ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as Ta ...
'' (pre-recorded) guest appearance as the Magic Mirror
Awards
; Brit Awards
* 1977: Best British male solo artist[
* 1982: Best British male solo artist][
* 1989: Lifetime achievement: Outstanding contribution to music (excluded the Shadows)][
; '' TV Times''
* 1980: Most Exciting Male Singer on TV
* 1987: Best Male Singer
* 1989: Favourite Singer
; ''The Sun'' Reader Polls
* 1970: Male Pop Personality
* 1971: Top Male Pop Personality
* 1972: Top Male Pop Personality
;'' NME'' Reader Polls
* 1958: Best New Disc or TV Singer
* 1959: UK Male Singer
* 1959: Best Single: " Living Doll"
* 1960: Best UK Single: "Living Doll"
* 1961: UK Male Singer
* 1962: UK Male Singer
* 1963: UK Male Singer
* 1963: Best World Male Singer
* 1964: UK Male Singer
* 1964: UK Vocal Personality
* 1965: UK Male Singer
* 1966: UK Male Singer
* 1966: UK Vocal Personality
* 1967: UK Vocal Personality
* 1968: UK Vocal Personality
* 1969: British Vocal Personality
* 1970: UK Male Singer
* 1970: UK Vocal Personality
* 1970: World's Best Recording Artist of the '60s
* 1971: UK Male Singer
* 1971: British Vocal Personality
* 1972: UK Male Singer
* 1972: British Vocal Personality
;]Ivor Novello
Ivor Novello (born David Ivor Davies; 15 January 1893 – 6 March 1951) was a Welsh actor, dramatist, singer and composer who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century.
He was born into a musical ...
* 1968: Most Performed Work: "Congratulations" by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter
* 1970: Outstanding Services to Music
;''Melody Maker
''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
''
* 1959: Best Male Singer
* 1960: Top British Male Singer
* 1962: The Emen Award: Top male singer
* 1962: Top British Male Singer
* 1962: Top single of the year: "The Young Ones"
* 1963: Best Male Singer
* 1964: Best Male Singer
* 1965: Best UK Male Singer
* 1967: Top Male Singer
;''Disc & Music Echo
''Disc'' was a weekly British popular music magazine, published between 1958 and 1975, when it was incorporated into ''Record Mirror''. It was also known for periods as ''Disc Weekly '' (1964–1966) and ''Disc and Music Echo '' (1966–1972).
...
''
* 1967: Best-Dressed Male
* 1968: Best-Dressed Male
* 1969: Best-Dressed Male
* 1970: Top British Male Singer
* 1970: Best-Dressed Male
* 1970: Mr. Valentine
* 1971: Mr. Valentine
; ''Bravo'' Magazine (West Germany)
* 1964: Best Male Singer: Gold
* 1964: Year End Singles Charts: 1. "Sag 'no' Zu Ihm" ("Don't talk to him")
* 1965: Best Male Singer: Gold
* 1980: Top International Male Singer
;'' Record Mirror''
* 1961: ''Record Mirror'' Survey: Most successful chart records 1958–1961: No. 1: Cliff Richard, "Living Doll" (Richard had three of the top five records and a further two in the Top 50)
* 1964: ''Record Mirror'' Poll: Best-Dressed Singer in the World
;1960s
* 1961: Royal Variety Club: Show Business Personality
* 1961: ''Weekend'' Magazine: Star of Stars
* 1962: ''Motion Picture Herald'' Box-Office Survey of 1962: Most Popular Male Film Actor
* 1963: ''Motion Picture Herald'' Box-Office Survey of 1963: Most Popular Male Film Actor
* 1963: ''16'' (US Magazine): Most Promising Singer
* 1964: ''Billboard'' (US magazine): Best Recording Artist UK
* 1969: ''Valentine'' Magazine: Mr Valentine
;1970s
* 1970: National Viewers' and Listeners' Association
Mediawatch-UK, formerly known as the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association (National VALA or NVLA), was a pressure group in the United Kingdom, which campaigned against the publication and broadcast of Mass media, media content that it vi ...
: Outstanding Contribution to Religious Broadcasting and Light Entertainment
* 1971: ''Record Mirror'': UK Male Singer
* 1974: Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Committee: Silver Clef: Outstanding Services to the Music Industry
* 1977: The Songwriters' Guild of Great Britain: Golden Badge Award
* 1979: '' Music Week'': Special Award for 21 years as successful recording artistes: Cliff Richard and the Shadows
* 1979: EMI Records
EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company of the same name in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succ ...
: Gold Clock and Gold Key award: EMI celebrates 21-year partnership with Richard
;1980s
* 1980: Richard receives O.B.E.
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
from the Queen
* 1980: BBC TV Multi-Coloured Swap Shop: Best UK Male Vocalist
* 1980: National Pop And Rock Awards: Best Family Entertainer
* 1980: Nationwide, in conjunction with Radio 1 Radio 1 or Radio One most commonly refers to:
*BBC Radio 1, a music radio station from the BBC
** BBC Radio 1Xtra, a digital radio station broadcasting black music
*CBC Radio One, a talk radio station operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporatio ...
and the '' Daily Mirror'': Best Family Entertainer
* 1981: ''Sunday Telegraph
''The Sunday Telegraph'' is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961 and published by the Telegraph Media Group, a division of Press Holdings.
It is the sister paper of ''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', kn ...
'' Readers Poll: Top Pop Star
* 1981: ''Daily Mirror'' Readers Award: Outstanding Music Personality of the Year
* 1989: The Lifetime Achievement Diamond Award (Antwerp)
;1990s
* 1995: American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
: Pied Piper Award (Richard became the first British recipient of Ascap's coveted Pied Piper Award, which recognises outstanding contributions to the songwriter and music community)
* 1995: The formal investiture of Richard as Knight Bachelor took place at 10.30 a.m. in Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...
on Wednesday 25 October
* 1998: Dutch Edison: Lifetime Achievement Award
;2000s
* 2000: South Bank Awards: Outstanding Achievement Award
* 2003: British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors: Gold Badge of Merit
* 2003: Lawn Tennis Association: 20 Years of Service to Tennis Award
* 2004: Induction into UK Music Hall of Fame (representing the 1950s: Cliff and the Shadows)
* 2004: Ultimate Pop Star (No. 1 singles recording artist in UK)
* 2005: Avenue of Stars (star on the pavement, London)
* 2005: Rose D'or Music Festival (Paris): Golden Rose
* 2006: Commander of the Portuguese Order of Prince Henry
The Order of Prince Henry ( pt, Ordem do Infante Dom Henrique) is a Portuguese order of knighthood created on 2 June 1960, to commemorate the quincentenary of the death of the Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator, one of the main initiators of ...
(awarded for services to Portugal)
;2010s
* 2011: The National German Sustainability Award
The National German Sustainability Award was established in 2008 to encourage the acceptance of social and ecological responsibility and to identify role models in the area of sustainability. The award is endorsed by the German Federal Government ...
See also
* Best selling music artists
The following list of best-selling music artists includes those music acts from the 20th century to the present with claims of 75 million or more record sales worldwide. This information cannot be listed officially, as there is no organization t ...
* List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards
* Cliff – The Musical
''Cliff – The Musical'' was a musical based on the life of Sir Cliff Richard which was staged at The Prince of Wales Theatre, London from 17 March 2003 to June 2003. The show was written by Mike Read and Trevor Payne, with Payne directing. Four ...
References
Bibliography
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External links
*
*
Cliff Richard
on film – British Film Institute database
*
*
*
Cliff Richard
collection of scrapbooks, held by the Victoria and Albert Museum Theatre and Performance Department.
Cliff Richard Songs
– site listing his tracks
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richard, Cliff
1940 births
Living people
20th-century English male actors
21st-century English male actors
Brit Award winners
Eurovision Song Contest entrants for the United Kingdom
British performers of Christian music
British expatriates in Barbados
British expatriates in Portugal
Commanders of the Order of Prince Henry
Converts to Christianity
British child singers
British evangelicals
British male guitarists
British male film actors
British male singers
British male television actors
British pop singers
British crooners
Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 1968
Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 1973
British India emigrants to the United Kingdom
Anglo-Indian people
Ivor Novello Award winners
Knights Bachelor
Male actors from Hertfordshire
Musicians from Hertfordshire
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
People educated at Cheshunt School
People from Albufeira
People from Cheshunt
Singers from Lucknow
Rocket Records artists
The Shadows
Singers awarded knighthoods
British rock and roll musicians
British rockabilly musicians
Traditional pop music singers
Columbia Graphophone Company artists
Barbadian male singers
Operation Yewtree
The Shadows members