13).[67]. Cliff Richard and his new house in New York. So because his commitments have been his career, his faith, and more latterly, tennis, he has given himself wholeheartedly to those three activities. I've just had to make, probably, one of the biggest decisions I'm ever going to make and I'm hoping that it won't hurt you too much. [57] In 1996, he led the Wimbledon Centre Court crowd in singing during a rain delay when asked by Wimbledon officials to entertain the crowd. The single went to No. 1 positions on the album and video charts with the compilation Private Collection, which summed up his biggest hits from 1979 to 1988. [74] In November 2013, Richard released the 100th album of his career, The Fabulous Rock 'n' Roll Songbook. 11). About 1,000 copies are known to exist on vinyl. 1 singles, two of which were as a solo artist; "Mistletoe and Wine" and "Saviour's Day". [149] Richard pulled out of a visit to the US Open tennis championships, turned down the freedom of his adopted Portuguese home city of Albufeira, and cancelled a scheduled appearance at Canterbury Cathedral because he did not want the event to be "overshadowed by the false allegation". Richard later helped to raise money for the hospital in East London and said that his nephew "had a terrible time but the hospital saved his life. Richard's next album, in 2001, was a covers project, Wanted, followed by another top ten album, Cliff at Christmas. In a 2006 interview, he spoke about the difficulties he and his sisters had in dealing with their mother's condition. 2 in the US through a cover version by Danish guitarist Jorgen Ingmann which was almost unchanged from their worldwide hit. He still recorded secular songs with the Shadows, but devoted a lot of his time to Christian work, including appearances with the Billy Graham crusades. [130] He called on the Church of England to affirm people's commitment in same-sex marriage. "[140] In 1990, Richard said: "Those of us who have something to offer have to be prepared to give all the time. [97], In December 2013, Richard said that he felt two of his singles, "Mistletoe and Wine" and "The Millennium Prayer", had created a negative reaction against him. Cliff Richard's 'secret relationship' exposed: 'We had to - Express [5] With his backing group, the Shadows, he dominated the British popular music scene in the pre-Beatles period of the late 1950s to early 1960s. [14] In 2019, he relocated to New York. After the Shadows split in 1968, Richard continued to record. [93] In the 1970s, Richard said that he was disturbed by the visual imagery and mock horror of singer Alice Cooper. With Richard's succession of hit songs and albums from the late 1970s into the early 1980s, followed by another strong run in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a strong fan base had been reestablished and Richard remained one of the best-known music artists in the country. "[95], Richard said that his faith in God was tested in 1999 after the murder of his close friend, the British television presenter Jill Dando. Notwithstanding this, Richard continued to release albums with contemporary Christian music content in parallel with his rock and pop albums, for example: Small Corners from 1978 contained the single "Yes He Lives". Throughout the early 1960s, his hits were consistently in the top five. 1992 saw "I Still Believe in You" (No. [99] Later in the 1960s, Richard considered marriage to the dancer Jackie Irving. If he was to have a relationship, he would give it everything. 1s "Travellin' Light" and "I Love You" and also "A Voice in the Wilderness", lifted from his film Expresso Bongo, and "Theme for a Dream" cemented Richard's status as a mainstream pop entertainer along with contemporaries such as Adam Faith and Billy Fury. It was claimed that Spanish TVE television executives offered to buy programmes in exchange for votes, as well as contract unknown-artists. For the "Move It" session, Paramor used the session guitarist Ernie Shears on lead guitar and Frank Clark on bass. In Canada, he had a successful period in the early 1960s, the late 1970s and early 1980s, with some releases certified gold and platinum. [145] Richard was not arrested, and strongly denied the allegations. Classic Gold managing director John Baish later confirmed Blackburn's suspension from the show. Cliff Richard: We Have It Made: Cliff Richard and The Shadows: October 7, 1960: Pete Votrian: We Kiss in a Shadow: Cliff Richard and The Norrie Paramor Orchestra: April 14, 1961: Doretta Morrow and Larry Douglas: Wenn du lachst, lacht das Glck: Cliff Richard: March 1971: Miki Antony: What a Friend We Have in Jesus: Cliff Richard: October 21 . [13] He has remained a popular music, film, and television personality at home in the UK as well as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Northern Europe and Asia, and retains a following in other countries. [90][142][143], In August 2014, Richard was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September's referendum on that issue. "[141], Richard has donated to the dementia research charity, Alzheimer's Research UK. In May 1989, Richard released his 100th single, "The Best of Me", becoming the first British artist to achieve the feat. Richard said: "At the time when I and many of us were in love with Olivia she was engaged to someone else. Sir Cliff Richard sells off his property empire - Daily Mail [9] He holds the record, with Presley, as the only act to make the UK singles charts in all of its first six decades (1950s2000s). He has helped to raise funds and awareness of the disease by speaking publicly about his mother's condition. His parents were Rodger Oscar Webb, a manager for a catering contractor that serviced the Indian Railways, and the former Dorothy Marie Dazely. "[121] Richard said that Dando had many likeable qualities and described her as "a very genuine person". In 2008, Richard said of his relationship with Barker: "I seriously contemplated asking her to marry me, but in the end I realised that I didn't love her quite enough to commit the rest of my life to her. There is an ageism in the radio industry. I'll never get over police raid, says castaway Cliff Richard [99] Sting also defended Richard, stating: "Cliff Richard is in my opinion one of Britain's finest singers technically and emotionally. It was "Move It" writer Ian Samwell who suggested the surname "Richard" as a tribute to Webb's musical hero Little Richard. Advertisement Sir Cliff Richard OBE was born Harry Rodger Webb on October 14, 1940. "[163] It was subsequently reported that during the 22-month police investigation a man was arrested over a plot to blackmail Richard. I've made sure I've always played a part in their lives. 17) and "Stronger Than That" (No. Cliff Richard Plastic Surgery: Where Is He Now? [46] 1987 saw the release of his Always Guaranteed album, which became his best-selling album of all-new material, and included the two top-10 hit singles "My Pretty One" and "Some People". This time, Richard took Valium to overcome his nerves and his manager was almost unable to wake him for the performance. 24) and "Healing Love" (No. In performance he struck a pose of rock attitude, rarely smiling or looking at the audience or camera. Sir Cliff Richard has revealed the devastating impact of his four-year legal battle with the BBC after it finally came to an end today, saying he 'won't go anywhere near children' again. This industry can be very destructive. As with the other existing rock acts in Britain, Richard's career was affected by the advent of the Beatles and the Mersey sound in 1963 and 1964. That year, they released three singles, two of which featured double-sided vocals and one of which had instrumental A and B sides. In reviewing the new album in Melody Maker, Geoff Brown heralded it the renaissance of Richard. [36] Nevertheless, "Congratulations" was a huge hit throughout Europe and Australia, and yet another No. Cliff Richard facts: Pop legend's age, net worth, partner and more 1 cinema box office attraction in Britain for both 1962 and 1963, beating that of even James Bond. The single was featured on playlists until the true artist was revealed. Sir Cliff Richard OBE (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an English singer who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. The CPS reviewed the evidence following applications by two of his accusers,[166] and concluded that the decision not to charge Richard was correct. The single went on to top the UK chart for three weeks, becoming his fourteenth and, as of December 2022, most recent No.1 single.[63][64]. Cliff Richard's Wife and Children. I've been in love, but marriage is a big commitment and being an artist consumes a great deal of time. His first such single without the Shadows was When the Girl in Your Arms Is the Girl in Your Heart in 1961, and he continued to release one or two per year, including covers of "It's All in the Game" in 1963 and "Constantly" in 1964, a revival of a popular Italian hit. [178][179] His successful performing and recording career in the UK has extended over six decades.[180]. [124] In 2008, Richard said: "John now spends most of his time looking after my properties, which means I don't have to. Secondly, to be good and responsible stewards of what was entrusted to us. 1 single in the UK in each of five consecutive decades. They thereafter had several major hits, including five UK No. British singer who has sold more than 250 million records internationally and who adopted a singing style reminiscent of Little Richard. In response to his initial suggestions in the late 1970s, Richard said: "It's untrue. Typically, the Shadows closed the first half of the show with a 30-minute set of their own, then backed Richard on his show-closing 45-minute stint as exemplified by the retrospective CD album release of Live at the ABC Kingston 1962. The first single of the album, "Rise Up", was released in vinyl format and reached No. The official party celebrating Richard's 70th birthday was held on 23 October 2010, with guests including Cilla Black, Elaine Paige and Daniel O'Donnell. ", "Mistletoe and Wine's political beginnings", "Sir Cliff Richard chose music over love, letter shows", "Sir Cliff Richard picked music over love", "Sir Cliff Richard talks of ex-priest companion", "Cliff Richard, the pop world's greatest survivor, says", "Sir Cliff Richard: Evergreen entertainer", "The Sun Hasn't Set on Cliff Richard in 20 Years, and Now He's Conquered the U.S. with 'We Don't Talk Anymore, "Book Review: Well, is he or isn't he? The total of 18 concerts were attended by over 300,000 fans. Richard frequently declines conversations about intimate relationships, and when questioned about rumours that he might be gay, he categorically denies being so. [164], On 21 June 2016, the BBC apologised publicly to Richard for causing distress after the controversial broadcast. At the age of 22, a year after his relationship with Delia Wicks ended, Richard had a brief romance with the actress Una Stubbs. In 1961, EMI records organised Richard's 21st birthday party at its London headquarters in Manchester Square led by his producer Norrie Paramor. "[110] In July 1984, Barker said of her romance with Richard: "I love him, he's great and I'm sure we love each other. He said: "I'm officially a non-resident [of the UK], although I will always be British and proud of it. One is that Norrie Paramor's young daughter raved about the B-side; another was that influential TV producer Jack Good, who used the act for his TV show Oh Boy!, wanted the only song on his show to be "Move It" as opposed to "Schoolboy Crush". [75], Richard was scheduled to open for Morrissey at a live concert at New York's 19,000-capacity Barclays Center on 21 June 2014. Richard has said: "Playing a part in relieving poverty is, as I see it, the responsibility of us all.