Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), better known by her stage name Dusty Springfield, was a British singer. With her distinctive

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A bel ...

voice, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, pop and dramatic

ballads A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

, with French chanson,

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

, and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

also in her repertoire. During her 1960s peak, she ranked among the most successful British female performers on both sides of the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

. Her image–marked by a peroxide blonde

bouffant A bouffant ( ) is a type of puffy, rounded hairstyle characterized by hair raised high on the head and usually covering the ears or hanging down on the sides. Etymology The word ''bouffant'' has its etymological origin in the French word ''bouf ...

beehive A beehive is an enclosed structure which houses honey bees, subgenus '' Apis.'' Honey bees live in the beehive, raising their young and producing honey as part of their seasonal cycle. Though the word ''beehive'' is used to describe the nest of ...

hairstyle, heavy makeup (thick black eyeliner and

eye shadow Eye shadow (or eyeshadow) is a cosmetic applied primarily to the eyelids to attract attention to the wearer's eyes, making them stand out or look more attractive. Eye shadow can also be applied under the eyes, on the cheeks, or to brow bones. ...

) and

evening gown An evening gown, evening dress or gown is a long dress usually worn at formal occasions. The drop ranges from Ballerina skirt, ballerina (mid-calf to just above the ankles), Tea length, tea (above the ankles), to Skirt length, full-length. S ...

s, as well as stylised, gestural performances–made her an icon of the

Swinging Sixties The Swinging Sixties was a youth-driven cultural revolution that took place in the United Kingdom during the mid-to-late 1960s, emphasising modernity and fun-loving hedonism, with Swinging London denoted as its centre. It saw a flourishing in ...

. Born in

West Hampstead West Hampstead is an area in the London Borough of Camden. Neighbouring areas includes Childs Hill to the north, Frognal to the east, Swiss Cottage to the south-east, South Hampstead to the south and Kilburn to the south-west. The neighbourh ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

to a family that enjoyed music, Springfield learned to sing at home. In 1958, she joined her first professional group, the Lana Sisters. Two years later, with her brother Dion O'Brien (" Tom Springfield") and Tim Feild, she formed the folk-pop vocal trio the Springfields. Two of their five 1961–63 top 40 UK hits – " Island of Dreams" and "Say I Won't Be There"–reached No. 5 on the charts, both in the spring of 1963. In 1962, they also achieved success in the United States with their cover of " Silver Threads and Golden Needles". Her solo career began in late 1963 with the upbeat pop record "

I Only Want to Be with You "I Only Want to Be with You" is a song written by Mike Hawker and Ivor Raymonde. Released as a debut solo single by British singer Dusty Springfield under her long-time producer Johnny Franz, "I Only Want to Be with You" peaked at number 4 o ...

"—a UK No. 4 hit, and the first of her six transatlantic top 40 hits in the 1960s, along with "Stay Awhile" (1964), "All I See Is You" (1966), " I'll Try Anything" (1967), and two releases which are now considered her signature songs: " You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" (1966 UK No. 1/US No. 4) and " Son of a Preacher Man" (1968/69 UK No. 9/US No. 10). The latter is featured on the 1968 pop and

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

album '' Dusty in Memphis'', one of Springfield's defining works. In March 2020, the US

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

added the album to the

National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation ...

, which preserves audio recordings considered to be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Between 1964 and 1969, Springfield enjoyed success in her native

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

with several singles which in America either failed to chart or were not released, among them being "

I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David. The song was recorded by Dusty Springfield and it reached No. 3 on the UK chart in 1964. Composition and early versions The song's life be ...

" (the biggest of her many

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

Hal David Harold Lane David (May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012) was an American lyricist. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick. Early life David was born and raised in New ...

covers), "In the Middle of Nowhere", "Some of Your Lovin, "

Goin' Back "Goin' Back" (also recorded and released as "Going Back") is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King in 1966. It describes the loss of innocence that comes with adulthood, along with an attempt, on the part of the singer, to recapture tha ...

", and "I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten". Conversely, she charted in the US (but not in the UK) with hits including "

Wishin' and Hopin' "Wishin' and Hopin" is a song, written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, which was a US Top 10 hit for Dusty Springfield in 1964. History The song was first recorded by Dionne Warwick in the fall of 1962, and was the B-side of Warwick's sing ...

, " The Look of Love", and " The Windmills of Your Mind". From 1971 to 1986, she failed to register a hit from five album releases (aside from a minor 1979 UK chart appearance), but her 1987 collaboration with UK

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...

duo

Pet Shop Boys Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and were listed as the most successful duo in UK music h ...

, " What Have I Done to Deserve This?", took her back near the top of the charts, reaching No. 2 on both the UK Singles Chart and the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The collaboration yielded two 1989 UK top 20 hits: " Nothing Has Been Proved" and "

In Private "In Private" is a song by British singer Dusty Springfield, released as a single on 20 November 1989. It was Springfield's third single in a row to be a chart success, after an absence of nearly two decades from the charts. Both "In Private" and ...

". In 1990, Springfield charted with "Reputation"–the last of 25 UK top 40 hits in which she featured. A fixture on British television, Springfield presented many episodes of the popular 1963–66 British TV music series ''

Ready Steady Go! ''Ready Steady Go!'' (or ''RSG!'') was a British rock/pop music television programme broadcast every Friday evening from 9 August 1963 until 23 December 1966. It was conceived by Elkan Allan, head of Rediffusion TV. Allan wanted a light ente ...

'' and, between 1966 and 1969, hosted her own series on the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

and ITV. In 1966, she topped popularity polls, including ''

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. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...

''s "Best International Vocalist", and was the first UK singer to top the ''

New Musical Express ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a " rock inkie", the ''NME'' would become a maga ...

'' readers' poll for best female singer. She has been inducted into the

National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame The National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame is an independent organization whose mission is to educate and to celebrate, preserve, promote, and present rhythm and blues music globally. History The National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame was founde ...

, the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

, and the

UK Music Hall of Fame The UK Music Hall of Fame was an awards ceremony to honour musicians, of any nationality, for their lifetime contributions to music in the United Kingdom. The hall of fame started in 2004 with the induction of five founder members and five mo ...

. Multiple critics and polls have lauded Springfield as one of the greatest female singers in popular music.

Early life

Springfield was born Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien on 16 April 1939 in

, the second child of Gerard Anthony 'OB' O'Brien (1904–1979) and Catherine Anne 'Kay' O'Brien (''née'' Ryle; 1900–1974), both Irish immigrants.Valentine and Wickham, p. 20. Springfield's elder brother, Dionysius Patrick O'Brien (2 July 1934 – 27 July 2022) was later known as Tom Springfield. Her father grew up in

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

and worked as a tax accountant and consultant.Gulla, p. 357. Her mother came from an Irish family originally from

Tralee Tralee ( ; , ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the River Lee') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in ...

, County Kerry, that included a number of journalists. Dusty Springfield grew up in

High Wycombe High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye, Buckinghamshire, River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, ...

, Buckinghamshire living there until the early 1950s and later in

Ealing Ealing () is a district in west London (sub-region), west London, England, west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. It is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Pl ...

West London West London is the western part of London, England, north of the River Thames, west of the City of London, and extending to the Greater London boundary. The term is used to differentiate the area from the other parts of London: Central London, N ...

. She attended St Anne's Convent School in Northfields, a traditional all-girl Roman Catholic school in London. The comfortable middle-class upbringing was disturbed by dysfunctional tendencies in the family: her father's perfectionism and her mother's frustrations sometimes resulted in food-throwing incidents. Springfield and her brother were both prone to food-throwing as adults. She was given the nickname "Dusty" because she played football with boys in the street; she was described as being a

tomboy A tomboy is a girl or young woman who generally expresses masculine traits. Such traits may include wearing androgynous or unfeminine clothing and engaging in activities and behaviors traditionally associated with boys or men. Origins The w ...

. Springfield grew up in a music-loving family. Her father tapped out rhythms on the back of her hand and encouraged her to guess which musical piece had the beat. She listened to a wide range of music including

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned jazz, popular music, popular and classical music. Among his best-known works are the songs "Swan ...

Rodgers and Hart Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership between composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and the lyricist Lorenz Hart (1895–1943). They worked together on 28 stage musicals and more than 500 songs from 1919 until Hart's ...

Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their musical ...

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became Standard (music), standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway the ...

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

, and

Glenn Miller Alton Glen "Glenn" Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band conductor, arranger, composer, trombonist, and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Army Air Forces ...

.Gulla, p. 358. A fan of American

and the vocalists

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...

and

Jo Stafford Jo Elizabeth Stafford (November 12, 1917July 16, 2008) was an American traditional pop singer, whose career spanned five decades from the late 1930s to the early 1980s. Admired for the purity of her voice, she originally underwent classical tr ...

, she wished to sound like them. At age 12 she recorded herself performing the

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Isidore Beilin; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-born American composer and songwriter. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Berlin received numerous honors including an Acade ...

song "When the Midnight Choo-Choo Leaves for Alabama" at a record shop in Ealing.

Career

1958–1963: Career beginnings

After leaving school, Springfield sang with Tom, her brother, in local folk clubs. In 1957, the pair worked together at holiday camps. The next year, Springfield responded to an advertisement in ''

The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. Founded in 1880, ''The Stage'' contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at thos ...

'' to join The Lana Sisters, an "established sister act", with Iris 'Riss' Long (also known as Riss Lana, Riss Chantelle) and Lynne Abrams (a.k.a. Lynne Lana), who were not actually sisters. Dusty adopted the stage name "Shann Lana" and "cut her hair, lost the glasses, experimented with makeup, (and) fashion" becoming one of the 'sisters'.Gulla, p. 359. As a member of the pop vocal trio, Dusty Springfield developed skills in harmonizing and microphone technique; she recorded, performed on television, and played at live shows in the United Kingdom and at United States Air Force bases in continental Europe. In 1960, she left the Lana Sisters and formed a folk-pop trio, The Springfields, with Tom and Reshad Feild (both had been in The Kensington Squares), the latter of whom Mike Hurst replaced in 1962. The trio chose their name while rehearsing in a field in

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

in the springtime and took the stage names Dusty, Tom, and Tim Springfield.Valentine and Wickham, p. Intending to make an authentic US album, the group travelled to

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

to record ''Folk Songs from the Hills''. The music Springfield heard during their visit–but particularly the Exciters' " Tell Him", while in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

–influenced her shift from folk and country towards pop rooted in

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

. The band was voted the Top British Vocal Group in a ''

'' poll in 1961 and 1962, although their two biggest hits were in 1963: " Island of Dreams" and "Say I Won't Be There", both peaking at number five within five weeks of each other. The group appeared on the hip ITV music series ''

'', which Springfield often presented in the earlier days of its run.Gulla, p. 360. Dusty left the band after their final concert in October 1963. After the break-up of the Springfields, Tom continued songwriting and producing for other artists, notably

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

folk-pop group

The Seekers The Seekers were an Australian folk music, folk-influenced pop music, pop group originally formed in Melbourne in 1962. They were the first Australian pop music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the Unit ...

, producing, writing, and/or co-writing their four defining mid-1960s hits "

I'll Never Find Another You "I'll Never Find Another You" is a 1964 single by the Australian Folk music, folk-influenced Pop music, pop group the Seekers. It reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom in February 1965. It was The Seekers' first UK-released single, and the secon ...

", " A World of Our Own", "

The Carnival is Over "The Carnival Is Over" is a song written by Tom Springfield, for the Australian folk pop group the Seekers. It is based on a Russian traditional music, Russian folk song from about 1883, adapted with original English-language lyrics. The song ...

", and "

Georgy Girl ''Georgy Girl'' is a 1966 British romantic comedy film directed by Silvio Narizzano and starring Lynn Redgrave, Alan Bates, Charlotte Rampling, James Mason, and Rachel Kempson (Redgrave's mother). The screenplay was written by Margaret Fors ...

". He also wrote additional songs for Dusty–most famously her 1964 UK hit "Losing You", with Clive Westlake–and released his own solo material.

1963–1966: Early solo career

Dusty Springfield released her first solo single, "

", co-written and arranged by

Ivor Raymonde Ivor Raymonde (born Ivor Pomerance; 22 October 1926 – 4 June 1990) was a British musician, songwriter, arranger and actor, best known for his distinctive rock-orchestral arrangements for Dusty Springfield and others in the 1960s. Life and ca ...

, in November 1963. The record was produced by Johnny Franz in a manner similar to

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (December 26, 1939 – January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter who is best known for pioneering recording practices in the 1960s, followed by his trials and conviction for murder in the 2000s. S ...

's "

Wall of Sound The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of session m ...

"; it included rhythm-and-blues features like horn sections, backing singers, and double-tracked vocals along with strings, recalling Springfield's influences such as the Exciters and

the Shirelles The Shirelles were an American girl group formed in Passaic, New Jersey, in 1957. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston Reeves), Doris Coley (later Doris Kenner-Jackson), Addie "Micki" Harris (later Addie Harris McF ...

. In January 1964, the single peaked at no. 4 on the UK charts during a lengthy (for the time) 18-week run. In December 1963,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

disc jockey "Dandy" Dan Daniel of WMCA nominated the single as a "Sure Shot" pick of records not yet charted, preceding

Beatlemania Beatlemania was the fanaticism surrounding the English rock band the Beatles from 1963 to 1966. The group's popularity grew in the United Kingdom in late 1963, propelled by the singles " Please Please Me", "From Me to You" and " She Loves Yo ...

. The single debuted on ''Billboard'''s

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the 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), o ...

on the chart dated 25 January 1964, a week after the debut of

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

' first hit "

I Want to Hold Your Hand "I Want to Hold Your Hand" is a song by the English rock music, rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Recorded on 17 October 1963 and released on 29 November 1963 in the United Kingdom, it was the first Beatles recor ...

" and in the same week as the debut of "

She Loves You "She Loves You" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and released as a single in the United Kingdom on 23 August 1963. The single set and surpassed several sales records in the United Kingdom c ...

", positioning Springfield at the forefront of the

British Invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when Rock music, rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of Culture of the United Kingdom, British culture became popular in the United States with sign ...

. "I Only Want to Be with You" peaked at no. 12 during its ten-week chart run, and ranked 48 in the year-end Top 100 of New York radio station WABC. The

's 1964–2006 weekly chart-based music programme ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...

'' debuted on 1 January 1964, with "I Only Want to Be with You" as the show's kick-off record. The single was certified

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

in the UK, and its

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

, "Once Upon a Time", was written by Springfield. Springfield's debut solo album '' A Girl Called Dusty''–featuring mostly covers of her favourite songs–was released on 17 April 1964 in the UK (but not in America). Tracks included " Mama Said", " When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes", "

You Don't Own Me "You Don't Own Me" is a pop song written by Philadelphia songwriters John Madara and David White and recorded by Lesley Gore in 1963, when she was 17 years old. The song was Gore's second most successful recording and her last top-ten single ...

", and " Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa". In May 1964, the album reached no. 6 in the UK–one of only two of her Top Ten non-hits albums. After "I Only Want to Be with You", she had five more singles chart in 1964, with just "Stay Awhile" registering as a transatlantic success (UK no. 13/US no. 38). Its B-side, "Somethin' Special", was written by Springfield, later described as "a first-rate Springfield original" by

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

Richie Unterberger Richie Unterberger (born 1962) is an American author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing. Life and writing Unterberger attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he wrote for the university newspaper '' The Daily P ...

. She was quoted as saying "I don't really see myself as a songwriter. I don't really like writing... I just don't get any good ideas and the ones I do get are pinched from other records. The only reason I write is for the money–oh mercenary creature!" The highest-charting of Springfield's 1964 releases were both

songs: "

"–a US no. 6 hit which featured on '' A Girl Called Dusty''–and "

", which in July peaked at no. 3 on the UK singles chart (behind the Beatles' " A Hard Day's Night" and

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

' "

It's All Over Now "It's All Over Now" is a song written by Bobby Womack and his sister-in-law Shirley Womack. It was first released by The Valentinos, featuring Bobby Womack, in 1964. The Rolling Stones heard it on its release and quickly recorded a cover ver ...

"). The dramatic and emotive "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" set the standard for much of her later material. In the autumn of 1964, Springfield peaked at no. 41 in the United States with "All Cried Out", but in her native Britain she hit big with "Losing You" (UK no. 9/US no. 91), which peaked in December–the same month in which the singer's tour of South Africa, with her group The Echoes, was terminated following a controversial performance before an integrated audience at a theatre near

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

, in defiance of the government's segregation

policy Policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an or ...

. Springfield was deported.Gulla, p. 368. Her contract specifically excluded segregated performances, making her one of the first British artists to do so. In the same year, she was voted the year's top British Female Singer in the ''

'' readers' poll, ahead of

Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, a C ...

, Sandie Shaw, and

Cilla Black Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer and television presenter. Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her singles "A ...

. Springfield received the award again for the next three years. In 1965, Springfield reached the UK Top 40 with three hit singles: "Your Hurtin' Kinda Love" (no. 37), "In the Middle of Nowhere" (no. 8) and the

Gerry Goffin Gerald Goffin (February 11, 1939 – June 19, 2014) was an American lyricist. Collaborating initially with his first wife, Carole King, he co-wrote many international pop hits of the early and mid-1960s, including the US No.1 hits " Will You L ...

Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter and musician renowned for her extensive contributions to popular music. She wrote or co-wrote 118 songs that charted on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billbo ...

-penned "Some of Your Lovin (no. 8), though none was included on her next UK album recorded with The Echoes, ''

Ev'rything's Coming Up Dusty ''Ev'rything's Coming Up Dusty'' is the second studio album by singer Dusty Springfield, released on Philips Records in the UK in 1965. Springfield's 1964 debut album, '' A Girl Called Dusty'', sold well enough to make her Philips Records' top- ...

''. Released in October 1965, the LP featured songs by

Leslie Bricusse Leslie Bricusse OBE (; 29 January 1931 – 19 October 2021) was a British composer, lyricist, and playwright who worked on theatre musicals and wrote theme music for films. He was best known for writing the music and lyrics for the films '' D ...

Anthony Newley Anthony Newley (24 September 1931 – 14 April 1999) was an English actor, director, comedian, singer, and composer. A "latter-day British Al Jolson", he achieved widespread success in song, and on stage and screen. "One of Broadway's greatest ...

Rod Argent Rodney Terence Argent (born 14 June 1945) is an English musician. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Argent came to prominence in the mid-1960s as the keyboardist, founder and leader of the rock band the Zombies, and went on to form the ba ...

and

Randy Newman Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, pianist, composer, conductor and orchestrator. He is known for his non-rhotic Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early America ...

, and a cover of the traditional Mexican song " La Bamba". In November 1965, the album peaked at no. 6 on the UK chart. Springfield's one appearance on ''Billboard'''s

in 1965 was "Losing You", which stalled at 91. From 28 to 30 January 1965, Springfield took part in the Italian Song Festival in San Remo, reaching a semi-final with "Tu che ne sai?" (English: "What Do You Know?") while failing to qualify for the final. During the competition, she heard the song "Io Che Non Vivo (Senza Te)", performed by one of its composers,

Pino Donaggio Giuseppe "Pino" Donaggio (born 24 November 1941) is an Italian musician, singer, and composer of film and television scores. A classically-trained violinist, Donaggio is known for his collaborations with director Brian De Palma, and for his work i ...

, and separately by US country music singer Jody Miller.Gulla, p. 365. An English-language version, " You Don't Have to Say You Love Me", featured lyrics newly written by Springfield's friend (and future manager) Vicki Wickham and another future manager,

Simon Napier-Bell Simon Robert Napier-Bell (born 22 April 1939) is an English record producer, music manager, author and journalist. At different times, he has managed artists as diverse as the Yardbirds, John's Children, Marc Bolan, Japan, London, Sinéad O'Co ...

. Springfield's dramatic recording of the ballad was released in March 1966 and reached number one in the UK in its fifth week on the singles chart. Success followed in the US, where in July it reached no. 4 on ''Billboards Hot 100, ranking 21 for the year. Springfield called it "good old schmaltz", and it became her signature song. In 1967, Springfield was nominated for the Best Contemporary (R&R) Solo Vocal Performance – Male or Female award at the 9th Annual Grammy Awards, losing to

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

for "

Eleanor Rigby "Eleanor Rigby" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album ''Revolver''. It was also issued on a double A-side single, paired with " Yellow Submarine". Credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership, the s ...

". In 1999, "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" featured in an all-time Top 100 of songs as voted for by listeners of

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

. In 1966, Springfield scored with three other UK hits, all varying in style: the snappy "Little By Little" (no. 17), a cover of

and Carole King's poignant and reflective "

" (no. 10), and the sweeping dramatic ballad "All I See Is You" (no. 9), co-written by Ben Weisman and Clive Westlake. The last peaked at no. 20 in the United States. In August and September 1966, she hosted ''Dusty'', a six-part

BBC TV BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios ...

music/talk show series. A compilation of her singles, ''Golden Hits'', released in November 1966, peaked at no. 2 in the UK (behind the

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

to ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...

''). From the mid-1960s onward Springfield used the pseudonym "Gladys Thong" when recording backing vocals for other artists including Madeline Bell,

Kiki Dee Pauline Matthews (born 6 March 1947), better known by her stage name Kiki Dee, is an English pop singer. Known for her blue-eyed soul vocals, she was the first female singer from the UK to sign with Motown's Tamla Records. Dee is best known f ...

Anne Murray Morna Anne Murray (born June 20, 1945) is a retired Canadian country, pop and adult contemporary music singer who has sold over 55 million album copies worldwide during her over 40-year career. Murray has won four Grammys including the Grammy ...

and

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

.Randall, (2009)
pp. 3257173
Bell was a regular backing singer on early Springfield albums, and the pair, together with Lesley Duncan, co-wrote "I'm Gonna Leave You" , the B-side of "Goin' Back". During this period, Springfield was also known for her love of

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

. She introduced the Motown sound to a wider UK audience, both with her covers of Motown songs and by facilitating the first UK TV appearance for

the Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield ...

the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...

, Martha & The Vandellas,

the Miracles The Miracles (later known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1955. They were the first successful recording act for Motown Records and are considered one of the most ...

and

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

in a special edition of the 1963–66 British TV music series ''Ready Steady Go!'', produced by Vicki Wickham.Randall, (Fall 2005). ''The Sound of Motown'' was broadcast by

Associated-Rediffusion Associated-Rediffusion, later Rediffusion London, was the British ITV franchise holder for London and parts of the surrounding counties, on weekdays between 22 September 1955 and 29 July 1968. It was the first ITA franchisee to go on air, ...

/ ITV on 28 April 1965, with Springfield opening each half accompanied by

Martha and the Vandellas Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1973 as Martha Reeves & the Vandellas) were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1957. The group achieved fame in the 1960s as a major act for Motown Records. Formed by friends Annett ...

and Motown's in-house band,

the Funk Brothers The Funk Brothers were a group of Detroit-based session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972. Its members are considered among the most successful groups of stud ...

. The associated touring Tamla-Motown Revue–featuring the Supremes, the Miracles and Stevie Wonder–had started in London in March and was, according to the Supremes' Mary Wilson, a flop: "It's always... disheartening when you go out there and you see the house is half-full... but once you're on stage... You perform as well for five as you do for 500." Wickham, a fan of the Motown artists, booked them for the ''Ready Steady Go!'' special and enlisted Springfield to host it.

1967–68

As with Springfield's chart success in the previous three years, there was minimal agreement in 1967 and 1968 between UK and US releases. The closest Springfield got to a transatlantic hit during this period was the spirited " I'll Try Anything", which charted in the spring of 1967 (UK no. 13/US no. 40). The follow-up single, "Give Me Time"–the singer's last traditional-sounding sweeping ballad–peaked outside the UK Top 20 (no. 24) and stalled at 76 in the United States. However, the single's B-side – the smokey-sultry Bacharach-

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

song " The Look of Love", recorded for the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

parody film '' Casino Royale''–emerged as one of Springfield's five defining US 1960s hits. For "one of the slowest-tempo hits" of the sixties, Bacharach created the "sultry" feel by the use of "minor-seventh and major-seventh chord changes", while Hal David's lyrics "epitomised longing and, yes, lust." The song was recorded in two versions at the

Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), simply branded Philips, is a Dutch multinational health technology company that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, its world headquarters have been situated in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarter ...

Studios in London. The soundtrack version was released on 29 January 1967. The single version charted briefly in July, then re-entered ''Billboards Hot 100 in early September, peaking at no. 22. However, it reached the Top Ten in several markets across the US, reaching number one in San Francisco ( KFRC and KYA) and

San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...

( KLIV) as well as no. 2 in Boston ( WBZ), among other cities. "The Look of Love" received an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

nomination for Best Song. In August and September 1967, Springfield headlined the second season of her BBC TV series ''Dusty'' (also known as ''The Dusty Springfield Show''), in which she welcomed guests and performed songs, among them a rendition of " Get Ready" and her then-recent hit "I'll Try Anything". The series attracted a healthy audience but was seen as not keeping up with changes in pop music. Springfield's next LP '' Where Am I Going?'' (October 1967)–her first album of new material since 1965–experimented with various styles including a "jazzy", orchestrated version of " Sunny" and an acclaimed cover of

Jacques Brel Jacques Romain Georges Brel (; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed theatrical songs. He generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, but later throughout the world ...

's "

Ne me quitte pas "Ne me quitte pas" (''"Don't leave me"'') is a 1959 song by Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel. It has been covered in the original French by many artists and has also been translated into and performed in many other languages. A well-known ...

" (" If You Go Away"). Though critically appreciated, the album peaked at 40 in the UK and failed to chart in the US. In November 1968, a similar fate befell '' Dusty... Definitely'', which was not issued in the US, though it reached no. 30 in the UK during a six-week chart run. Material ranged from the rolling "Ain't No Sun Since You've Been Gone" to the achingly emotive cover of

's " I Think It's Gonna Rain Today". Also in 1968, Springfield scored with one of her biggest UK hits of the decade: the dramatic " I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten", Note: Click on tab to access Albums charting. written by Clive Westlake. The single peaked at no. 4 in August 1968. Its flip side, "No Stranger Am I", was co-written by American singer-songwriter Norma Tanega–known for her transatlantic 1966 Top 30 folk-pop hit "Walkin' My Cat Named Dog"–and Norma Kutzer. By late 1966, Springfield was in a domestic relationship with Tanega.Randall, (2009), pp. vii, 113
121
125, 129, 135, 141, 185, 187. Springfield's 1968 TV series ''It Must Be Dusty'' was broadcast on ITV in May and June; episode six featured a duet performance of "

Mockingbird Mockingbirds are a group of New World passerine birds from the family (biology), family Mimidae. They are best known for the habit of some species Mimicry, mimicking the songs of other birds and the sounds of insects and amphibians, often loudly ...

" with singer-guitarist

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...

, fronting his band the Experience.

1968–69: ''Dusty in Memphis''

By the late 1960s, Carole King–who with

co-wrote "Some of Your Lovin, "Goin' Back" and four songs on the ''Dusty in Memphis'' album–had embarked on a solo singing career. At the same time, Springfield's relationship with the high-charting Bacharach-

partnership was floundering. Her status in the music industry was further complicated by a "progressive" music revolution which dictated an uncomfortable dichotomy: underground/"fashionable" vs. pop/"unfashionable". Her performing career was limited to the UK touring circuit of

working men's club Working men's clubs are British private social clubs first created in the 19th century in industrial areas, particularly the North of England, Midlands, Scotland, Northern Ireland and South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education ...

s, hotels and cabarets. Hoping to reinvigorate her career and boost her credibility, she signed with

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

, the label of her idol

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...

. (She signed with the label only in the United States; she remained under contract with Philips outside the USA.) The Memphis sessions at the

American Sound Studio The American Sound Studio was a recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee which operated from 1964 to 1972. Founded by Chips Moman, the studio at 827 Thomas Street came to be known as American North, and the studio at 2272 Deadrick Street ...

were produced by

Jerry Wexler Gerald Wexler (January 10, 1917 – August 15, 2008) was a music journalist turned music producer, and was a major influence on American popular music from the 1950s through the 1980s. He coined the term "rhythm and blues", and was integra ...

Tom Dowd Thomas John Dowd (October 20, 1925 – October 27, 2002) was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multitrack recording method. Dowd worked on a veritable "who's who" of recordings ...

, and

Arif Mardin Arif Mardin (March 15, 1932 – June 25, 2006) was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco and country. He worked at Atlantic Records for ov ...

; the back-up vocal band Sweet Inspirations; and the instrumental band Memphis Boys. They were led by guitarist

Reggie Young Reggie Grimes Young Jr. (December 12, 1936 – January 17, 2019) was an American musician who was lead guitarist in the American Sound Studio house band, The Memphis Boys, and was a leading session musician. He played on various recordings with ...

and bass guitarist Tommy Cogbill. The producers recognized that Springfield's natural soul voice should be placed at the forefront, rather than competing with full string arrangements. At first, she felt anxious when compared with the soul greats who had recorded in the same studios.Gulla, p. 369. She had never worked with just a rhythm track, and it was her first time with outside producers; many of her previous recordings had been self-produced, while not being credited. Wexler felt Springfield had a "gigantic inferiority complex", and due to her pursuit of perfection, her vocals were re-recorded later, in New York. In November 1968, during the Memphis sessions, Springfield suggested to Wexler (one of the heads of Atlantic Records) that he should sign the newly formed UK band

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

. She knew their bass guitarist,

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...

, from his session work on her earlier albums. Without ever having seen them and partly on her advice, Wexler signed Led Zeppelin to a $200,000 deal with Atlantic–the biggest such contract for a new band until then. The album '' Dusty in Memphis'' received excellent reviews on its initial releases both in the UK and US.Gulla, p. 370.

Greil Marcus Greil Marcus (né Gerstley; born June 19, 1945) is an American author, music journalist and cultural critic. He is notable for producing scholarly and literary essays that place rock music in a broader framework of culture and politics. Biogra ...

of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' magazine wrote: "most of the songs... have a great deal of depth while presenting extremely direct and simple statements about love... Dusty sings around her material, creating music that's evocative rather than overwhelming... Dusty is not searching–she just shows up, and she, and we, are better for it."

After ''Memphis''

Commercial and chart success did not follow. The album failed to chart in the UK, and in April 1969 it stalled at no. 99 on ''Billboard'''s Top LP's chart, with sales of 100,000 copies. However, by 2001, the album had received the

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

award and was listed among the greatest albums of all time by US music magazine ''Rolling Stone'' and in polls conducted by

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...

, ''New Musical Express'' and UK TV network

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

. In November 1968, the album's lead single, "Son of a Preacher Man", was issued. It was written by John Hurley and

Ronnie Wilkins John David Hurley (April 18, 1941 – August 16, 1986) and Ronald Stephen Wilkins (born October 8, 1941) were American musicians and songwriting partners responsible for writing the hit songs " Love of the Common People" and " Son of a Preache ...

. Credited as "Son-of-a Preacher Man" on UK, US and other releases, it became an international hit, reaching no. 9 in the UK singles chart and no. 10 on ''Billboard'''s

in January 1969. In continental Europe, the single reached the Top Ten in the Austrian, Dutch and Swiss charts. In 1970, Springfield was nominated for the Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Female award at the 24th Annual Grammy Awards, losing to " Is That All There Is?" by

, whom Springfield often cited as an influence. In 1987, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine placed the single at no. 77 in its critics' list The 100 Best Singles of the Last 25 Years. In 2002, the record ranked 43 in the 100 Greatest Singles of All Time, as voted for by ''New Musical Express'' critics. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it 240 in its list of

The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring song ranking compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2 ...

. "Son of a Preacher Man" found a new audience when it was included on the soundtrack of

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...

's 1994 film ''

Pulp Fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American independent crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; It tells four intertwining tales of crime and violence ...

''. The

reached no. 21 on ''Billboard'''s

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...

album chart and at the time went platinum (100,000 units) in Canada alone. It is thought that "Son of a Preacher Man" contributed to the sales of the soundtrack album, which sold more than 2 million copies in the US. During September and October 1969, Springfield hosted her third and final BBC musical variety series (her fourth variety series overall), ''Decidedly Dusty'' (co-hosted by Valentine Dyall). All eight episodes were later wiped from the BBC archives, and to date the only surviving footage consists of domestic audio recordings. Until her 1987 comeback with

, 1969 marked the last year in which Springfield achieved any notable singles chart presence. In Britain, following "Son of a Preacher Man", she charted with only " Am I the Same Girl" (no. 43), while on the US Hot 100 she charted with the double A-side "Don't Forget About Me" (no. 64)/"

Breakfast in Bed "Breakfast in Bed" is a soul–R&B song written by Muscle Shoals songwriters Eddie Hinton and Donnie Fritts for Dusty Springfield. It takes a knowing spin on the line " You Don't Have to Say You Love Me", the title of a song that had previousl ...

" (no. 91), a cover of " The Windmills of Your Mind" (no. 31), "Willie & Laura Mae Jones" (no. 78) and "A Brand New Me" (no. 24). Springfield's 1960s repertoire also is noted for interpretations of songs associated primarily with other artists. Those which have appeared on Springfield

EPs An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

and compilations include " Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa", "

", " La Bamba", " If You Go Away" (released on the 1968 Philips EP ''If You Go Away'', which also featured tracks such as "Magic Garden" and "Sunny"), "

Piece of My Heart "Piece of My Heart" is a romantic soul song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns, originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. Franklin's single peaked in December 1967 at number 10 on the '' Billboard'' Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart ...

" (released as "Take Another Little Piece of My Heart"), " I Think It's Gonna Rain Today", ''Spooky'' and " Yesterday When I Was Young". Springfield was one of the best-selling UK singers of the 1960s. She was voted the Top Female Singer (UK) by the readers of the ''New Musical Express'' in 1964 to 1966 and Top Female Singer in 1965 to 1967 and 1969.

1970s

By the beginning of the 1970s, Springfield was a major star, though her record sales were declining. Her partner, Norma Tanega, had returned to the US after their relationship had become stressful, and Springfield was spending more time in the US herself. In January 1970, her second and final album on Atlantic Records, '' A Brand New Me'' (re-titled ''From Dusty... With Love'' in the UK), was released; it featured tracks written and produced by

Gamble and Huff Kenneth Gamble (born August 11, 1943, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and Leon A. Huff (born April 8, 1942, Camden, New Jersey) are an American songwriting and production duo credited for developing the Philadelphia soul music genre (also known as ...

. The album and related singles only sold moderately; Springfield was unhappy with both her management and record company.O'Brien, pp. 142–144. She sang backing vocals with her friend Madeline Bell on two tracks on Elton John's 1971 hit album '' Tumbleweed Connection''. Springfield recorded some songs with producer

Jeff Barry Jeff Barry (born Joel Adelberg; April 3, 1938) is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer. Among the most successful songs that he has co-written in his career are " Tell Laura I Love Her" (written with Ben Raleigh and a ...

in early 1971, which were intended for an album to be released by Atlantic Records. However, her new manager Alan Bernard negotiated her out of the Atlantic contract; some of the tracks were used on the UK-only album '' See All Her Faces'' (November 1972) and the 1999 release '' Dusty in Memphis-Deluxe Edition''. She signed a contract with ABC Dunhill Records in 1972, and '' Cameo'' was issued in February 1973 to respectable reviews, though poor sales. In 1973, Springfield recorded the theme song for the TV series ''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After being seriously injured in a NASA test f ...

'', which was used for two of its film-length episodes: "Wine, Women & War" and "The Solid Gold Kidnapping". Her second ABC Dunhill album was given the working title ''Elements'' and was then scheduled for release in late 1974 as '' Longing''. However, the recording sessions were abandoned, although part of the material, including tentative and incomplete vocals, was issued on the 2001 posthumous compilation ''Beautiful Soul,'' and the album eventually received a standalone release in June 2025. In the mid-1970s she sang background vocals on Elton John's album ''

Caribou The reindeer or caribou (''Rangifer tarandus'') is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. It is the only represe ...

'' (June 1974), including his single " The Bitch Is Back"; and on Anne Murray's album ''

Together ''ToGetHer'' (, aka Superstar Express) is a 2009 Taiwanese drama starring Jiro Wang of Fahrenheit, Rainie Yang and George Hu. It was produced by Comic International Productions ( 可米國際影視事業股份有限公司) and directed by Linzi ...

'' (November 1975). By 1974, Springfield put her solo musical career on hold and lived as a recluse in the US avoiding scrutiny by UK tabloids. In the 1960s and early 1970s, gay or bisexual performers "knew that being 'out' would lead to prurient media attention, loss of record contracts... the tabloids became obsessively interested in the contents of celebrity closets". Springfield did not record again until the summer of 1977, when she began recording '' It Begins Again''. In the late 1970s, Springfield released two albums on

United Artists Records United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B. History Genres In 1958 ...

. The first was ''It Begins Again'', issued in 1978 and produced by

Roy Thomas Baker Roy Thomas Baker (10 November 1946 – 12 April 2025) was an English record producer, songwriter and arranger who produced rock and pop songs. Life and career Baker was born in Hampstead, London on 10 November 1946. He began his career at De ...

. The album peaked in the UK top 50 and was well received by critics. Her next album, '' Living Without Your Love'' (1979), did not reach the top 50. In early 1979, Springfield played club dates in New York City. In London, she recorded two singles with David Mackay for her UK label,

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. Mercury Records released ...

(formerly

Philips Records Philips Records is a record label founded by Netherlands, Dutch electronics company Philips and in 1999 was absorbed into Netherlands, Dutch-United States, American music corporation Universal Music Group. It was founded as Philips Phonograph ...

). The first was the disco-influenced "Baby Blue", co-written by

Trevor Horn Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English record producer and musician. His influence on pop and electronic music in the 1980s was such that he has been called "the man who invented the eighties". Horn took up the bass guitar at an ...

and

Geoff Downes Geoffrey Downes (born 25 August 1952) is an English keyboardist who gained fame as a member of the new wave group the Buggles with Trevor Horn, the progressive rock band Yes, and the supergroup Asia. Born in Stockport, Downes moved to Lond ...

, which reached no. 61 in the UK. The second, "Your Love Still Brings Me to My Knees", released in January 1980, was Springfield's final single for Mercury Records; she had been with the label for nearly 20 years. On 3 December 1979, Springfield performed a charity concert for a full house at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

, in the presence of

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She was the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. ...

1980s

In 1980, Springfield sang "Bits and Pieces", the theme song from the movie ''

The Stunt Man ''The Stunt Man'' is a 1980 American satirical psychological black comedy film starring Peter O'Toole, Steve Railsback and Barbara Hershey, and directed by Richard Rush. The film was adapted by Lawrence B. Marcus and Rush from the 1970 nove ...

''. She signed a US deal with

20th Century Records 20th Century Fox Records (also known as 20th Fox Records and 20th Century Records, or simply 20th Century Fox Film Scores and Fox Records) was a wholly owned subsidiary of film studio 20th Century Fox. The history of the label covers three distin ...

, which resulted in the single "

It Goes Like It Goes "It Goes Like It Goes" is a song written by David Shire and Norman Gimbel. Jennifer Warnes sang the vocals for the ''Norma Rae'' soundtrack in 1979. "It Goes Like It Goes" won an Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Osca ...

", a cover of the Oscar-winning song from the film ''

Norma Rae ''Norma Rae'' is a 1979 American drama film directed by Martin Ritt from a screenplay written by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr. The film is based on the true story of Crystal Lee Sutton – which was told in the 1975 book ''Crystal ...

''. Springfield was uncharacteristically proud of her 1982 album '' White Heat'', which was influenced by

new wave music New wave is a music genre that encompasses pop music, pop-oriented styles from the 1970s through the 1980s. It is considered a lighter and more melodic "broadening of Punk subculture, punk culture". It was originally used as a catch-all fo ...

. She tried to revive her career in 1985 by returning to the UK and signing to

Peter Stringfellow Peter James Stringfellow (17 October 1940 – 7 June 2018) was an English businessman who owned several nightclubs. Early life Stringfellow was born in the City General Hospital, Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, on 17 October 1940, to Elsi ...

's Hippodrome Records label. This resulted in the single "Sometimes Like Butterflies" and an appearance on

Terry Wogan Sir Michael Terence Wogan (; 3 August 1938 – 31 January 2016) was an Irish radio and television broadcaster who worked for the BBC in Britain for most of his career. Between 1993 and his semi-retirement in 2009, his BBC Radio 2 weekday brea ...

's TV chat show ''

Wogan ''Wogan'' is a British television talk show which was broadcast on BBC1 from 1982 to 1992 and presented by Terry Wogan. It was usually broadcast live from the BBC Television Theatre in Shepherd's Bush, London, until 1991. It was then broadcast ...

''. None of Springfield's singles from 1971 to 1986 charted on the UK Top 40 or ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In 1987, she accepted an invitation from

to duet with their lead singer,

Neil Tennant Neil Francis Tennant (born 10 July 1954) is an English singer, songwriter and music journalist, and co-founder of the synth-pop duo the Pet Shop Boys, which he formed with Chris Lowe in 1981. He was a journalist for '' Smash Hits'', and assist ...

, on the single " What Have I Done to Deserve This?". Tennant cites ''Dusty in Memphis'' as one of his favourite albums, and he leapt at the suggestion of using Springfield's vocals for "What Have I Done To Deserve This?". She also appeared on the promotional video. The single rose to no. 2 on both the US and UK charts. It appeared on the Pet Shop Boys album '' Actually'', and on both artists' greatest-hits collections. Springfield sang lead vocals on the Richard Carpenter song " Something in Your Eyes". "Something in Your Eyes" was featured on Carpenter's first solo album, ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' (October 1987); released as a single, it became a US no. 12

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

hit. Springfield recorded a duet with B. J. Thomas, "As Long as We Got Each Other", which was used as the opening theme for the US sitcom ''

Growing Pains ''Growing Pains'' is an American television sitcom created by Neal Marlens that ran on ABC for seven seasons from September 24, 1985, to April 25, 1992. The series follows the misadventures of the Seaver family, including psychiatrist and fathe ...

'' in season 4 (1988–89). (Thomas had collaborated with

Jennifer Warnes Jennifer Jean Warnes (born March 3, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter who has performed as a vocalist on a number of film soundtracks. She has won two Grammy Awards, in 1983 for the Joe Cocker duet " Up Where We Belong", and in 1987 fo ...

on the original version, which was neither re-recorded with Warnes nor released as a single.) It was issued as a single and reached no. 7 on the Adult Contemporary Singles Chart. In 1988, a new compilation, '' The Silver Collection'', was issued. Springfield returned to the studio with the Pet Shop Boys, who produced her recording of their song " Nothing Has Been Proved", commissioned for the soundtrack of the 1989 drama film ''

Scandal A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way a ...

''. Released as a single in February 1989, it gave Springfield her fifteenth UK Top 20 hit. In November its follow-up, the upbeat "

", also written and produced by Pet Shop Boys, peaked at no. 14.

1990s

Springfield's 1990 album, ''

Reputation The reputation or prestige of a social entity (a person, a social group, an organization, or a place) is an opinion about that entity – typically developed as a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria, such as behavior or performance. ...

'', was her third UK Top 20 studio album. The writing and production credits for half the album, which included the two recent hit singles, went to Pet Shop Boys, while the album's other producers included Dan Hartman. By 1988 Springfield had left

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

and other than when recording tracks for ''Reputation'', she returned to the UK to live. In 1993, she recorded a duet with her former 1960s professional rival and friend, Cilla Black. In October, "Heart and Soul" was released as a single and, in September it had appeared on Black's album, '' Through the Years''. Springfield's next album, provisionally titled ''Dusty in Nashville'', was started in 1993 with producer,

Tom Shapiro Tom Curtis Shapiro (born in Kansas City, Missouri) is an American songwriter and occasional record producer, known primarily for his work in country music. To date, he holds four Country Songwriter of the Year awards from Broadcast Music Incorpor ...

, but was issued as '' A Very Fine Love'' in June 1995. Though originally intended by Shapiro as a country music album, the track selection by Springfield pushed the album into pop music with an occasional country feel. The last studio track Springfield recorded was George and

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the ...

's song " Someone to Watch Over Me" in London in 1995 for an insurance company TV ad. It was included on ''Simply Dusty'' (2000), an anthology that she had helped plan. Her final live performance was on ''The Christmas with Michael Ball'' special in December 1995. According to Australian film director Emma-Kate Croghan, Springfield personally approved the use of her recording of "The Look of Love" in the 1999 film '' Strange Planet'' just days before her death in March 1999.''Strange Planet'' Emma Kate-Croghan DVD commentary track, 1999.

Musical style

Influenced by US pop music, Dusty Springfield created a distinctive blue-eyed soul sound.

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

noted " r soulful voice, at once strident and vulnerable, set her apart from her contemporaries... She was equally at home singing Broadway standards, blues, country or even techno-pop". Allmusic's Jason Ankeny described her: Most responses to her voice emphasise her breathy sensuality. Another powerful feature was the sense of longing, in songs such as "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" and "Goin' Back". The uniqueness of Springfield's voice was described by Bacharach: "You could hear just three notes and you knew it was Dusty". Wexler declared, " r particular hallmark was a haunting sexual vulnerability in her voice, and she may have had the most impeccable intonation of any singer I ever heard". Greil Marcus of ''Rolling Stone'' captured Springfield's technique as "a soft, sensual box (voice) that allowed her to combine syllables until they turned into pure cream". She had a finely tuned musical ear and extraordinary control of tone. She sang in a variety of styles, mostly pop, soul, folk, Latin, and rock'n'roll. Being able to wrap her voice around difficult material,Gulla, p. 356. her repertoire included songs that their writers ordinarily would have offered to black vocalists. In the 1960s, on several occasions, she performed as the only white singer on all-black bills. Her soul orientation was so convincing that early in her solo career, US listeners who had only heard her music on radio or records sometimes assumed that she was black. Later, a considerable number of critics observed that she sounded black and American or made a point of saying she did not. Springfield consistently used her voice to upend commonly held beliefs on the expression of

social identity Identity is the set of qualities, beliefs, personality traits, appearance, or expressions that characterize a person or a group. Identity emerges during childhood as children start to comprehend their self-concept, and it remains a consistent ...

through music. She did this by referencing a number of styles and singers, including

Martha Reeves Martha Rose Reeves (born July 18, 1941) is an American R&B and pop singer. She is best known for being the lead singer of the Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas, which scored several major Hot 100 hits such as " Nowhere to Run", "Heat ...

, Carole King, Aretha Franklin, Peggy Lee,

Astrud Gilberto Astrud Gilberto (; born Astrud Evangelina Weinert; March 29, 1940 – June 5, 2023) was a Brazilian samba and bossa nova singer and songwriter. She gained international attention in the mid-1960s following her recording of the song " The Girl f ...

, and Mina.Randall, (2009)
p. 3
Springfield instructed UK backup musicians to capture the spirit of US musicians and copy their instrumental playing styles. However, the fact that she could neither read nor write music made it hard to communicate with session musicians.Leeson
p. 49"> p. 49
In the studio she was a perfectionist. Despite producing many tracks, she did not take credit for doing so. During extensive vocal sessions, she repeatedly recorded short phrases and single words. When recording songs, headphones were typically set as high in volume as possible–at a

decibel The decibel (symbol: dB) is a relative unit of measurement equal to one tenth of a bel (B). It expresses the ratio of two values of a Power, root-power, and field quantities, power or root-power quantity on a logarithmic scale. Two signals whos ...

level "on the threshold of pain". The Philips Record company's studio was slated as "an extremely dead studio", where it felt as though it had turned the treble down: "There was no ambience and it was like singing in a padded cell. I had to get out of there". Springfield wound up recording in the ladies' toilets because of superior

acoustics Acoustics is a branch of physics that deals with the study of mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including topics such as vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician ...

. Another example of refusal to use the studio is "I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten"–recorded at the end of a corridor.

Personal life

Springfield's parents, Catherine and Gerard, lived in

Hove Hove ( ) is a seaside resort in East Sussex, England. Alongside Brighton, it is one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove. Originally a fishing village surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th century in respon ...

, East Sussex from 1962. Catherine died in a nursing home there in 1974 of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

. In 1979, Gerard died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

in Rottingdean, East Sussex. A recurring theme amongst journalists and Springfield's biographers is that she had two personalities: shy, quiet Mary O'Brien and the public face she had created as Dusty Springfield. An editorial review at ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' of Valentine and Wickham's 2001 biography, ''Dancing with Demons'', finds that "the confidence pringfieldexuded on vinyl was a façade masking severe insecurities, addictions to drink and drugs, bouts of

self-harm Self-harm refers to intentional behaviors that cause harm to oneself. This is most commonly regarded as direct injury of one's own skin tissues, usually without suicidal intention. Other terms such as cutting, self-abuse, self-injury, and s ...

and fear of losing her career if exposed as a lesbian". Simon Bell, one of Springfield's session singers, disputed the twin personality description: "It's very easy to decide there are two people, Mary and Dusty, but they were the one person. Dusty was most definitely Dusty right to the end."Randall, (2009)
p. 129
In her early career, much of her odd behaviour was seen as more or less in fun, described as a "wicked" sense of humour, including her food fights and hurling crockery down stairs. She had a great love for animals, particularly cats, and became an advocate for animal protection groups. She enjoyed reading maps and would intentionally get lost to navigate her way out. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Springfield's alcoholism and drug addiction affected her musical career. She was hospitalised several times for self-harm and was diagnosed with

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that each last from days to weeks, and in ...

.Randall, (2009)
p. 128
Springfield was never reported to be in a

heterosexual Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions ...

relationship; it meant the issue of her

sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring personal pattern of romantic attraction or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. Patterns ar ...

was raised frequently during her life. From mid-1966 to the early 1970s, Springfield lived in a domestic partnership with fellow singer Norma Tanega. In September 1970, Springfield told

Ray Connolly Ray Connolly (born 4 December 1940) is a British writer. He is best known for his journalism and for writing the screenplays for the films '' That'll Be the Day'' and its sequel '' Stardust'', for which he won a Writers' Guild of Great Britain ...

of the ''

Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...

'': By the standards of 1970, that was a bold statement. Three years later, she told Chris Van Ness of the ''

Los Angeles Free Press The ''Los Angeles Free Press'', also called the "''Freep''", is often cited as the first, and certainly was the largest, of the underground newspapers of the 1960s. The ''Freep'' was founded in 1964 by Art Kunkin, who served as its publisher un ...

'': In the 1970s and 1980s, Springfield became involved in several romantic relationships with women in Canada and the United States that were not kept secret from the gay and lesbian community. From 1972 to 1978, she had an "off and on" domestic relationship with Faye Harris, an American photojournalist.Gulla
p. 372
In 1981, Springfield had a six-month relationship with singer-musician Carole Pope of the rock band Rough Trade. During periods of psychological and professional instability, Springfield's involvement in some intimate relationships, influenced by addiction, resulted in episodes of personal injury. She met an American actress, Teda Bracci, at an

Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a global, peer-led Mutual aid, mutual-aid fellowship focused on an abstinence-based recovery model from alcoholism through its spiritually inclined twelve-step program. AA's Twelve Traditions, besides emphasizing anon ...

meeting in 1982 and they moved in together in April 1983. Seven months later they exchanged vows at a wedding ceremony, which was not recognised under California law of the time. The pair had a "tempestuous" relationship which led to an altercation with both hospitalised. Bracci hit Springfield in the mouth with a saucepan and knocked out her teeth, necessitating plastic surgery.Gulla
p. 375
The pair separated within two years.

Death

In January 1994, while recording her album, ''A Very Fine Love'', in Nashville, Springfield began to feel ill. When she returned to England a few months later, her physicians diagnosed her with

breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...

. She received months of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and the cancer was found to be in remission. In 1995, in apparent good health, she set about to promote the album, which was released that year. By mid-1996, the cancer had returned, and despite vigorous treatments, Springfield died on 2 March 1999, aged 59, in

Henley-on-Thames Henley-on-Thames ( ) is a town status in the United Kingdom, town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Thames, in the South Oxfordshire district, in Oxfordshire, England, northeast of Reading, Berkshire, Reading, west of M ...

, Oxfordshire. Springfield's funeral service was attended by hundreds of fans and people from the music business, including

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...

, and the

. It was held at the Anglican St Mary the Virgin church in Henley-on-Thames. A marker dedicated to her memory was placed in the church graveyard. In accordance with Springfield's wishes, she was cremated and some of her ashes were buried at Henley, while the rest were scattered by her brother, Tom Springfield, at the

Cliffs of Moher The Cliffs of Moher (; ) are sea cliffs located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland. They run for about . At their southern end, they rise above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and, to the north, the ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

Legacy

She was inducted into the

two weeks after her death. Her friend

helped induct her into the Hall of Fame declaring, "I'm biased but I just think she was the greatest white singer there ever has been... every song she sang, she claimed as her own". Of the female singers of the

, Springfield made one of the biggest impressions on the US market, scoring 18 singles in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 from 1964 to 1970 including six in the top 20.

caused a revival of interest in her music in 1994 by including "Son of a Preacher Man" on the ''

'' soundtrack, which sold over three million copies. In the same year in the documentary ''Dusty Springfield: Full Circle'', guests of her 1965 ''Sound of Motown'' show credited her efforts with helping to popularise US soul music in the UK. In 2008, country/blues singer-songwriter

Shelby Lynne Shelby Lynne (born Shelby Lynn Moorer, October 22, 1968) is an American singer and songwriter and the older sister of singer-songwriter Allison Moorer. The success of her pop rock album '' I Am Shelby Lynne'' (1999) led to her winning the Grammy A ...

recorded a tribute album featuring ten of Springfield's songs as well as one original. The album, titled '' Just a Little Lovin''', featured two tracks selected from Springfield's debut, four from ''Dusty in Memphis'' and four from her back catalogue. Lynne's album received critical acclaim, charted at number 41 on the US Billboard Charts and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical). Springfield was popular in Europe and performed at the

Sanremo Music Festival The Sanremo Music Festival ( ), officially the Italian Song Festival (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria, organized and broadcast by (RAI). It is the longest-running ...

. Recordings were released in French, German, and Italian. Her French works include a 1964 four-track extended play with "Demain tu peux changer" (also known as " Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow"), "Je ne peux pas t'en vouloir" ("Losing You"), "L'été est fini" (" Summer is Over"), and "Reste encore un instant" ("Stay Awhile"). German recordings include the July 1964 single, "Warten und hoffen" ("Wishin' and Hopin) backed with "Auf dich nur wart' ich immerzu" ("I Only Want to Be with You"). Italian recordings include "Tanto so che poi mi passa" ("Every Day I Have to Cry") issued as a single. Her entries at the Sanremo festival were "Tu che ne sai" and "Di fronte all'amore" ("I Will Always Want You"). Springfield is known to have brought many little-known

singers to the attention of a wider UK record-buying audience. In April 1965, she hosted a special

edition of the hugely popular British TV music series ''

'', featuring the first national TV performances of many top-selling Motown artists. Although her music was not directly associated with the British music/dance movement

northern soul Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England and the Midlands in the early 1970s. It developed from the British Mod (subculture), mod scene, based on a particular style of African American music, Black American ...

, her efforts were seen as a contributing factor in the formation of the genre. Springfield is a cultural icon of the

, where she "was an instantly recognisable celebrity". In public and on stage, she developed a joyful image supported by her peroxide-blonde bouffant hairstyle,

s and heavy make-up that included her much-copied "panda eye" mascara. She borrowed elements of her look from blonde glamour queens such as

Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a French former actress, singer, and model as well as an animal rights activist. Famous for portraying characters with Hedonism, hedonistic life ...

and

Catherine Deneuve Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress. She is considered one of the greatest European actresses on film. In 2020, ''The New York Times'' ranked her as one of th ...

and pasted them together according to her own taste.Randall, (2009)
p. 16
Gulla, p.361. By the 1990s, she had become a camp icon, especially with her ultra-glamorous look and this, combined with her emotive vocal performances, won her a powerful and enduring following in the gay community. Besides being a prototypical female for

drag queens A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and have ...

, she was presented in the roles of the 'Great White Lady' of pop and soul and the 'Queen of Mods'.

Awards and tributes

Springfield is an inductee of the US

(1999), the

(2006), and the

(2023). She was named among the top 25 female artists of all time by readers of ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in Hoodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * ''Mojo'' (2017 film), a 2017 Indian Kannada drama film written and directed by Sreesha Belakvaadi * '' ...

'' magazine (May 1999), editors of '' Q'' magazine (January 2002), and a panel of artists on

TV channel (August 2007). In 2008, she appeared at No. 35 on the ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In the 1960s she topped a number of popularity polls, including ''

''s Best International Vocalist for 1966; in 1965 she was the first British singer to top the ''New Musical Express'' readers' polls for Female Singer topping that poll again in 1966, 1967, and 1969 as well as getting the most votes in the British Singer category from 1964 to 1966.O'Brien, pp. 93–100. Her album ''Dusty in Memphis'' has been listed among the greatest albums of all time by ''Rolling Stone'' and in polls by

artists, ''New Musical Express'' readers, and the

viewers; in 2001 she received the

award. In March 1999, Springfield was scheduled to receive her award at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, 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 r ...

as an officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, given for "services to popular music". Due to the recurrence of the singer's breast cancer, officials of Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

gave permission for the medal to be collected earlier in January, by Wickham and it was presented to Springfield in hospital with a small group of friends and relatives attending. She died on the day that she would have collected her award from the Palace. Various films and stage musicals have been created or proposed to commemorate her life. On 12 January 2006 an Australian stage musical, '' Dusty – The Original Pop Diva'', received its world premiere at the State Theatre of the

Victorian Arts Centre Arts Centre Melbourne, originally known as the Victorian Arts Centre and briefly called the Arts Centre, is a performing arts centre consisting of a complex of theatres and concert halls in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, located in the central M ...

in Melbourne. In May 2008, actress

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for Nicole Kidman on screen and stage, her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world ...

was announced as the star and producer of a biographical film, but in July 2012 it had yet to surface. Another reported candidate for a role as Springfield was

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

in a TV film project.

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

scheduled a biopic with

Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...

in the starring role. However, according to Chenoweth in January 2012, the project's status was in limbo and the "script… needed a lot of work". In 1970, US jazz singer-pianist Blossom Dearie recorded a tribute song, "Dusty Springfield", on her album '' That's Just the Way I Want to Be''–it was co-written by Dearie, Tanega (Springfield's then-partner), and Jim Council. UK singer-songwriter David Westlake on his 2002 release, '' Play Dusty for Me'', "fêted pringfieldin both the album title and opening title track". US singer-songwriter

's tenth studio album, '' Just a Little Lovin''' (2008), was issued as a tribute. In 2012, a biographical

jukebox musical A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film in which a majority of the songs are well-known, pre-existing popular music songs, rather than original music composed for the musical. Some jukebox musicals use a wide variety of songs, while ...

titled '' Forever Dusty'' opened

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

in New York City at New World Stages. The production starred Kirsten Holly Smith as Springfield; Smith also co-wrote the book of the musical. In 2015, Springfield was named by Equality Forum as being one of their 31 Icons of the 2015 LGBT History Month. On 8 November 2022, she was honoured with a

Google Doodle Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running annual Bu ...

to celebrate her life and career.

Discography

* '' A Girl Called Dusty'' (1964) * '' Stay Awhile/I Only Want To Be With You'' (1964) * '' Dusty'' (1964) * '' Ooooooweeee!!!'' (1965) * ''

'' (1965) * '' You Don't Have to Say You Love Me'' (1966) * '' Where Am I Going?'' (1967) * '' The Look Of Love'' (1967) * '' Dusty... Definitely'' (1968) * '' Dusty in Memphis'' (1969) * '' A Brand New Me'' (1970) * '' See All Her Faces'' (1972) * '' Cameo'' (1973) * '' It Begins Again'' (1978) * '' Living Without Your Love'' (1979) * '' White Heat'' (1982) * ''

'' (1990) * '' A Very Fine Love'' (1995) * '' Faithful'' (2015, recorded in 1971) * '' Longing'' (2025, recorded in 1974)

Filmography

Springfield was the presenter or host of several TV musical series:

UK TV Series

''Dusty'' – Series 1 (1966)

Produced by

Stanley Dorfman Stanley Dorfman (born 24 November 1927) is a South African-born British music television director, producer, and painter. He is known as the co-creator and original producer and director of the world's longest running music television series, '' ...

. Musical director:

Johnny Pearson John Valmore Pearson (18 June 1925 – 20 March 2011) was a British composer, orchestra leader and pianist. He led the ''Top of the Pops'' orchestra for sixteen years, wrote a catalogue of library music, and had many of his pieces used as the ...

. Broadcast Thursdays on

BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...

at 9:00 pm (Except Episode 4 at 9:05 pm)

''Dusty'' – Series 2 (1967)

Produced by

. Backing vocals: Madeline Bell, Lesley Duncan and Maggie Stredder. Musical director:

. Broadcast Tuesdays on BBC1 at 9:05 pm

''It Must Be Dusty'' – Series 1 (1968)

Produced by ATV. Broadcast on ITV. Producer Colin Clews.

Show of the Week: ''Dusty at The Talk of the Town''

Christmas Special

''Decidedly Dusty'' – Series 1 (1969)

Produced by Mel Cornish. Introduced by Valentine Dyall. Dancers: Cassandra Mahon & Peter Newton. Choreographer: Ruth Pearson. Vocal backing: Kay Garner, Lesley Duncan & Madeline Bell. Musical associate: Larry Ashmore. Musical Director: Johnny Pearson. Broadcast Tuesdays on BBC1 at 7:30 pm

TV Specials

References

Notes

^ Different sources use either Isobel or Isabel as the spelling of her second name. For Isobel see Gulla, here. For Isabel see Britannica Online Encyclopedia.
^ * For blonde beehive hair-dos and "Panda" eye make-up, see Welch. * For peroxide hair and heavy make-up, see Silverton. * For public and on-stage image, see Cole. * For hairstyle and eye make-up described as "blonde bouffant and thick black Cleopatra eyeliner", see Taylor. * For image, hairstyle and make-up, see Smith.

Specific

Bibliography

* * * * . * * * Cole, Laurence (2008). ''Dusty Springfield in the middle of nowhere''. Middlesex University Press. ISBN 978-1- 904750413

External links

Dusty Springfield Fan Website

Dusty Springfield TV biography
* *
The legacy of Dusty Springfield
By Bob Stanley for

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

3 April 2009 {{DEFAULTSORT:Springfield, Dusty 1939 births 1999 deaths Atlantic Records artists Bisexual singers Bisexual women musicians British Invasion artists Burials in Oxfordshire Deaths from breast cancer in England Dunhill Records artists English bisexual women English bisexual musicians English LGBTQ singers English mezzo-sopranos English people of Irish descent English pop rock singers English soul singers English women pop singers Mercury Records artists Musicians from London People from Ealing Musicians from Oxfordshire Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Henley-on-Thames People from High Wycombe People from West Hampstead People with bipolar disorder Philips Records artists Singers from the London Borough of Camden Parlophone artists Columbia Records artists Phonogram Inc. artists 20th Century Fox Records artists United Artists Records artists 20th-century English LGBTQ people 20th-century English women singers LGBTQ women singers