Dame Shirley Bassey ‘humbled’ as honour recognises music career spanning decades
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Dame Shirley Bassey has said she is “truly humbled” to be made a Companion of Honour in the New Year Honours list.
The Welsh singer, 86, is recognised for her services to music this year after previously becoming a dame in the 1999 honours list.
Dame Shirley said in a statement to the PA news agency: “Receiving the Order of the Companions of Honour is just one of the most wonderful feelings.
“Music has been a constant companion in my life. As a little girl growing up in Tiger Bay, I would dream of travelling the world and never imagined that one day, my voice would take me to where I am now.
“Every step of my career has been about taking that chance, believing in myself and making that leap.
“I live to sing and love to perform. Entertaining audiences for over 70 years has been a privilege. My heart is full of emotion and I am truly humbled.”
Dame Shirley was born the youngest of seven children in Tiger Bay, Cardiff.
Her early jobs included working in a factory’s wrapping and packing department while she sang at working men’s clubs at weekends.
After touring Britain in revues and variety shows, she enjoyed her first hit in 1957, with the calypso-style Banana Boat Song.
With her powerful voice, lavish gowns, and extravagant arm and hand movements, she became the first Welsh singer to score a number one single, in January 1959, with As I Love You from the album The Bewitching Miss Bassey.
She was the first recipient of the Brit Award for best British female solo artist in 1977, and the first musician to be awarded the Freedom of the City of Cardiff.
Such has been her success that even into the 1990s, her records have spent more time in the UK charts than those of any other British female performer.
Twenty-nine of her albums were registered as best sellers between 1961 and 1991.
In 1964 she had a major hit in the United States with Goldfinger, one of three title songs she has performed for James Bond films. She also recorded the theme songs for Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker.
In 1997 she scored a notable hit with Propellerheads on History Repeating, and in 2005 she featured on the top 10 hit Diamonds Are From Sierra Leone by Kanye West.
In 2007 Dame Shirley wore a bedazzled pink dress with a feathered train to perform at the Glastonbury music festival.
The outfit, by Welsh designer Julien Macdonald, was completed with a pair of bejewelled Wellington boots with her initials DSB on the side.
This year the Royal Mint released a limited-edition series of coins created in her honour, with a design featuring the name and silhouette of the Big Spender singer striking her famous arms-outstretched pose.
The coin is embossed with the names of her three James Bond theme tunes and also pays tribute to the performer’s roots through a small depiction of the Welsh dragon.
In September, Royal Mail issued a set of 12 special stamps to mark 70 years since the start of Dame Shirley’s career.
She is the first solo female music artist to be honoured with a dedicated stamp issue.
The stamps include Dame Shirley singing at the Pigalle nightclub in 1965, in Bournemouth in 1974, at the BBC Electric Proms in 2009, singing World In Union with Bryn Terfel during the opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup in 1999, and performing during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, in 2013.
