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Shirley Bassey music biography continued...

in men's clubs and local revues. She was discovered in 1955 by comedian Al Read, who put her on his prevue his popular review show "Such Is Life." The show ran for over a year, and earned Bassey a recording contract with Philips Records. Her first tune for Philips, "Banana Boat Song," landed on the British Top Ten in early 1957, followed by her number one hits, 1959's "As I Love You" and 1961's "Reach for the Stars/Climb Every Mountain." Now a star in Britain, she tried to crack America. After initially struggling to get recognition across the pond, her 1964 song "Goldfinger" - from the third "James Bond" film - propelled her to chart success on both sides of the Atlantic. The song showcased her true-diva style and powerful, unique vocals. Hot on the heels of her breakthrough song, the sixties hits "I (Who Have Nothing)", "Big Spender" and "No Regrets" followed. Her popularity continued to grow throughout the following two decades, and she started to bring more styles into her music, including jazz, funk and soul. Notably, during the 70s she recorded two more James Bond themes, "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971) and "Moonraker" (1979) that made her a true superstar.



After the crowning achievement of her career, a 1977 Britannia Award for Best Female Solo Singer in the Last 50 Years, Bassey gained her own highly rated BBC-TV show in the late '70s, She disappeared from the public eye and kept a low profile throughout the eighties, but she came back to the spotlight in 1997 - to coincide with her 60th birthday - by working on collaboration with the Propellerheads. The song, "History Repeating", laid her big vocals over dance beats, and introduced her to a new generation of music fans (including British royalty Princes William and Harry). It even reached number one in the British dance charts, and inspired a 2000 remix album, on which her famous hits were remixed by top dance acts. In 1999, Shirley's achievements were recognized and she was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire, cementing her status as one of Britain's best loved stars. She continues to perform to this day, electrifying audiences with her powerful vocals and commanding stage presence.