Shirley Bassey

Dame Shirley Bassey is the vivacious Welsh diva best known for performing the themes to three James Bond films: most memorably Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever, and Moonraker too.

She began her career in the mid-50s and had a Top 10 UK hit with "Banana Boat Song" in 1957. Two years later she enjoyed the happy coincidence of two songs simultaneously reaching the Top 3, as slow-burner "As I Love You" eventually topped the chart while newer single "Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me" followed closely behind. She continued her chart success into the 60s with "As Long As He Needs Me", a second No.1 "Reach For The Stars", "What Now My Love?", and the belting "Goldfinger". In 1970 she took the Beatles' "Something" to No.4, and returned to Bond themes in 1972 with the equally epic "Diamonds Are Forever". "For All We Know" and "Never, Never, Never" were Top 10 hits shortly after. All together she recorded fifteen albums in the 1970s (four of those live recordings), and would close out the decade with her third Bond anthem "Moonraker."

But claiming semi-retirement, she only recorded 3 albums in all of the 1980s, and provided vocals for the Swiss group Yello on "The Rhythm Divine." The 1990s would see her release a half-dozen albums (not counting the dizzying array of compilation albums) and collaborate with the Propellerheads on "History Repeating." She continued to perform, selling out ten shows at the Royal Festival Hall in 1998. In 2003 her album Thank You For The Years commemorated 50 years in show business. Dame Shirley came back to public attention when "Diamonds Are Forever" was heavily sampled by Kanye West in "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" (2005). 2007 would see her return to the charts with her collaboration with Never The Bride on "The Living Tree," and her cover of Pink's "Get The Party Started." In that same year she performed at the Glastonbury Festival. On December 31, 1999, Bassey was made a Dame in the Queen's New Year's Honours list. Dame Shirley currently lives in Monte Carlo.