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Cliff Richard

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Cliff Richard

Sir Cliff Richard, OBE (born Harry Rodger Webb, 14 October 1940)[1] is an Indian-born English musician, actor and entrepreneur.[citation needed]

With his backing group The Shadows, Richard, originally positioned as a rebellious rock and roll singer in the Elvis Presley style, dominated the British popular music scene in the pre-Beatles period of the late 1950s and early 1960s. His 1958 hit single "Move It" is often described as Britain's first authentic rock and roll song, and John Lennon once claimed that "before Cliff and the Shadows, there had been nothing worth listening to in British music."[2][3] A conversion to Christianity and subsequent softening of his music later led to a more middle of the road pop image, sometimes venturing into gospel.

Over a 52-year career, Cliff Richard has become a fixture of the British entertainment world. He has amassed hundreds of gold and platinum discs and awards, including three Brit awards and two Ivor Novello awards, making him one of the most successful singers of all time. He has had more than 130 singles, albums and EPs make the UK Top 20, more than any other artist.[4] He holds the record (with Elvis Presley) as the only act to make the UK singles charts in all of its first six decades (1950s–2000s). He has achieved 14 UK number one singles (or 18, depending on the counting methodology) and is the only singer to have had a number one single in the UK in five consecutive decades: the 1950s through to the 1990s (discounting digital downloads and counting only CDs, he also had a UK number one single in the 2000s). He is the biggest selling singles artist of all time in the UK, with total sales of over 21 million.

Richard has never achieved the same impact in the United States despite eight US Top 40 singles, three of which peaked in the Top 10, including "Devil Woman" and "We Don't Talk Anymore". He has, however, remained a popular music, film, and television personality in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe and Asia, and he retains a following in other countries also. He has sold more than 250 million records worldwide.[5]

Biography

1940–58: Childhood

Cliff Richard was born on 14 October 1940 at the King George Hospital, Victoria Street, in Lucknow, British India, to Anglo-Indian[citation needed] parents Rodger Oscar Webb, a manager for a catering contractor that serviced the Indian Railways, and Dorothy Marie Webb (née Dazely). He was christened Harry Rodger Webb on 2 November 1940 at St Thomas' Church, Dehradun, India. The family lived in a modest house with other Anglo-Indians at Maqbara, close to the main shopping centre of Hazratganj. Cliff's father was 17 years senior to his mother. Rodger Webb was educated at Christ Church School, Lucknow. The Anglo-Indians living at Maqbara often were employed as musicians; a band from there played at the Royal Cafe Restaurant, Lucknow, and another at the Mohmmad Bagh club, which was the officers' military club serving the large garrison at Lucknow.[6] Dorothy Marie's mother served as the dormitory matron at the La Martinier Girls' School. Anglo-Indians did not enjoy any social status in India and were looked down upon by the British.[6]

In 1948, following Indian independence, the family moved to England. The Webbs moved from comparative wealth in India, where they had servants and lived in a company-supplied flat at Howrah near Calcutta, to the semi-detached house of Harry's grandmother in Carshalton, Surrey. In 1949 his father obtained employment in the credit control office of Thorn Electrical Industries and the family moved in with other relatives in Hertfordshire until a three-bedroom council house in Cheshunt was allocated to them in 1950. Harry then attended Riversmead School (which was later renamed Bishopslea School) from 1952 to 1957. As a member of the top stream he stayed on beyond the mimimum leaving age to take GCE Ordinary Level examinations and he gained a pass in English. He then started work as a filing clerk for a company called Atlas Lamps.[7] A development of flats, Cliff Richard Court, has been named after him in Cheshunt.[8]

Webb became interested in skiffle. His father bought him a guitar at 16 and he formed the Quintones vocal group in 1957. He then sang in the Dick Teague Skiffle Group. He also mastered the art of sucking cold vegetable soup into his mouth and blowing it out of his nose.

1958–1963: Success and stardom

Harry Webb became lead singer of a rock and roll group, The Drifters (not to be confused with the U.S. group of the same name). Before their first large-scale appearance, at the Regal Ballroom in Ripley, Derbyshire in 1958, they adopted the name "Cliff Richard and the Drifters". The four members were Webb (now going under the stage name "Cliff Richard"), Ian "Sammy" Samwell on guitar, Terry Smart on drums and Norman Mitham on guitar. None of the other three played with the later and better known Shadows, although Samwell wrote songs for Richard's later career.

For his debut session, Norrie Paramor provided Richard with "Schoolboy Crush", a cover of an American record by Bobby Helms. Richard was permitted to record one of his own songs for the B-side; this was "Move It", written by the Drifters' Samwell on a number 715 Green Line bus on the way to Richard's house for a rehearsal. For the "Move It" session Paramor used the session guitarist Ernie Shears on lead guitar and Frank Clark on bass.

There are a number of stories about why the A-side was replaced by the intended B-side. 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".[9]

The single went to No. 2 on the UK charts. Music critics Roy Carr and Tony Tyler wrote that it was the first genuine British rock classic, followed by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates' "Shakin' All Over". John Lennon was quoted as saying that "Move It" was the first English rock record.

In the early days, Cliff Richard was marketed as the British equivalent to Elvis Presley. Like previous British rockers such as Tommy Steele and Marty Wilde, Richard adopted Presley-like dress and hairstyle. In performance he struck a pose of rock attitude, rarely smiling or looking at the audience or camera. His late 1958 and early 1959 follow-up singles, "High Class Baby" and "Livin' Lovin' Doll", were followed by "Mean Streak", which carried a rocker's sense of speed and passion, and Lionel Bart's "Living Doll". It was on "Living Doll" that the Drifters began to back Richard on record. It was his fifth record,and became his first number 1 single . By that time the group's lineup had changed with the arrival of Jet Harris, Tony Meehan, Hank Marvin, and Bruce Welch. The group was obliged to change its name to "The Shadows" after legal complications with the U.S. Drifters as "Living Doll" entered the American top 40, licensed by ABC-Paramount. "Living Doll" was used in Richard's debut film Serious Charge, but as a country standard, rather than a rock and roll standard.

The Shadows were not a typical backing group. They would become contractually separate from Richard, and the group received no royalties for records backing Richard. In 1959, The Shadows (then still the Drifters) landed an EMI recording contract of their own, for independent recordings. That year, they released three singles, two of which featured double-sided vocals and one of which had instrumental A and B sides. In 1960, they recorded and released "Apache". Reaching the top of the charts in more than one country, the single set The Shadows on a path of their own. They thereafter had several major hits, including five UK No. 1s. The band also continued to appear and record with Richard and wrote many of his hits. On more than one occasion, a Shadows' instrumental replaced a Richard song at the top of the British charts.

Richard's fifth single "Living Doll" triggered a softer, more relaxed, sound. Subsequent hits, the No. 1s "Travellin' Light" and "I Love You" and also "A Voice in the Wilderness" and "Theme for a Dream" cemented Richard's status as a mainstream pop entertainer along with contemporaries such as Adam Faith and Billy Fury. Throughout the early sixties his hits were consistently in the top five.

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. Tony Meehan and Jet Harris left the group in 1961 and 1962 respectively and later had their own chart successes for Decca. The Shadows added bass players and took on Brian Bennett on drums.

In the early days, Richard sometimes recorded without The Shadows in order to cater to other styles. Even after the Beatles' rise he continued to achieve hits, although more often with an orchestra rather than The Shadows: a revival of "It's All In The Game" and "Constantly". A session under the direction of Billy Sherrill in Nashville yielded two more top two hits: "The Minute You're Gone" and "Wind Me Up" in 1965.

Cliff Richard, and in particular The Shadows, never achieved star status in the United States. In 1960 they toured the U.S. and were well-received; however, lacklustre support and distribution from a revolving door of American record labels proved an obstacle to long-term success Stateside despite several chart records by Cliff including the aforementioned "It's All In The Game" on Epic, via a renewed linking of the worldwide Columbia labels after Philips ended its distribution deal with CBS. To the Shadows' chagrin, Apache reached #1 in the U.S. via a cover version by Danish guitarist Jorgen Ingmann which was virtually unchanged from their worldwide hit, save a sound effect Ingmann added evoking whooshing arrows in flight created by flicking his fingers on the fretboard. Cliff and the band appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, which was crucial for The Beatles, but these performances did not help them gain sustained success in North America.

Richard and The Shadows appeared in six feature films, including a rather odd debut in the 1959 film Serious Charge but most notably in The Young Ones, (the title song being his biggest hit up to "Mistletoe and Wine"), Summer Holiday (which featured a slimmed-down Richard with visible dancing skills), Wonderful Life and Finders Keepers. These films created their own genre known as the "Cliff Richard musical" and led to Richard being named the number one cinema box office attraction in Britain for both 1962 and 1963. The irreverent 1980s TV sitcom The Young Ones took its name from Richard's 1962 movie, and also made references to the singer. In 1966, Richard and the Shadows appeared as marionettes in the Gerry Anderson film Thunderbirds Are GO. In the summer of 1963 Cliff and the Shadows appeared for a season in Blackpool, where Cliff had his portrait modelled by Victor Heyfron, M.A.

1964–1975: Changing circumstances

As with the other existing rock acts in Britain, Richard's career was affected by the sudden advent of The Beatles and the Mersey sound in 1963 and 1964. However, his popularity was established enough to allow him to weather the storm and continue to have hits in the charts throughout the 1960s, albeit not at the level that he had enjoyed before. Nor did doors open to him in the U.S. market; he was not considered part of the British Invasion, and despite four Hot 100 hits (including the top 25 "It's All In The Game") between August 1963 and August 1964, the U.S. public had little awareness of him. However, he continued having international hits, including 1967's "The Day I Met Marie", which reached #10 in the UK Singles Chart and #5 in the Australian charts, and is considered a quintessential summer hit, due to its summery nature.

Although baptised as an Anglican, Richard did not appear to practise the faith in his early years. However, in 1964, he became an active Christian and this conversion has become an important aspect of his life. Standing up publicly as a Christian affected his career in several ways. Initially, he believed that he should quit rock 'n roll, feeling he could no longer be the rocker who had been called a "crude exhibitionist" and "too sexy for TV" and a threat to parents' daughters. However, by the time Richard converted, his image had become tamer because of his film roles and well-spoken manners on radio and TV. Richard intended at first to 'reform his ways' and become a teacher, but Christian friends advised him not to abandon his career just because he had become a Christian. Soon after, Cliff Richard re-emerged, performing with Christian groups and recording some Christian material. 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. As time progressed, Richard balanced his faith and work, enabling him to remain one of the most popular singers in Britain as well as one of its best-known Christians. He was a leading figure in the Nationwide Festival of Light during 1971, protesting against the commercial exploitation of sex and violence in Britain, and advocating the teaching of Christ as the key to recovering moral stability in the nation.[citation needed]

Cliff Richard's first serious acting role took place in the 1967 film Two a Penny, released by Billy Graham's World Wide Pictures,[10] in which he played a young man who gets involved in drug dealing while questioning his life after his girlfriend changes her attitude. He released the live album "Cliff in Japan", which featured Olivia Newton-John as backing singer and John Farrar on guitar (Farrar would later be Newton-John's producer).

Also in 1968 he sang the UK's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest: "Congratulations" by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter; it lost by just one point to Spain's "La La La". According to John Kennedy O'Connor's The Eurovision Song Contest — The Official History, this was the closest result yet in the contest and Richard locked himself in the toilet to avoid the nerves of the voting.[11] In May 2008 a Reuters news report claimed that voting in the competition had been fixed by the host country's dictator leader, Francisco Franco, to ensure that the Spanish entry won, allowing them to host the contest the following year (1969). In particular, it is claimed that Spanish TVE television executives offered to buy programmes in exchange for votes.[12][13] This has not been proved beyond doubt, but it is thought likely.[by whom?] The story was widely covered and featured on UK Channel 4 News as a main story, with Jon Snow interviewing author and historian John Kennedy O'Connor about the matter.[14] Eurovision later ended voting by national juries in a bid to eradicate such alleged scams. Nevertheless, "Congratulations" was a huge hit throughout Europe and yet another No. 1 in April 1968.

After the Shadows split in 1968, Richard continued to record. He had already become accustomed to the Shadows' absence, and was able to record in a variety of settings. Although many of his earliest fans regretted that Richard had tried out songs which were not strictly in the rock 'n roll genre, most had got used to his habit of recording rockier material with the Shadows, while producing more middle-of-the-road material at other times; this versatility extended Richard's career prospects.

Portrait by Allan Warren

During the 1970s, Richard took part in television shows, such as It's Cliff, many of which also starred Hank Marvin and Una Stubbs, and which included A Song for Europe. These shows, for a time, branded Cliff Richard as a television personality more than a recording artist. He began 1970 by appearing live on the BBC's review of the sixties music scene, Pop Go The Sixties, which was broadcast across Britain and Europe on January 1. He performed "Bachelor Boy" with The Shadows and "Congratulations" solo. In 1972, he made a short BBC television comedy film called The Case with appearances from comedians and his first ever duets with a woman, Olivia Newton-John. In 1973 he starred in the film Take Me High.

In 1973 he sang the British Eurovision entry "Power to All Our Friends"; the song finished third, close behind Luxembourg's "Tu Te Reconnaîtras" and Spain's "Eres Tú". This time, Richard took Valium in order to overcome his nerves and his manager was almost unable to wake him for the performance.[15] Richard also hosted the BBC's qualifying heat for the Eurovision Song Contest, A Song for Europe, in 1970, 1971 and 1972 as part of his BBCTV variety series. He presented the Eurovision Song Contest Previews for the BBC in 1971 and 1972.

1976–1994: Comeback

In 1976 the decision was made to repackage Cliff Richard as a "rock" artist. That year he produced the landmark album I'm Nearly Famous, which included the successful but controversial guitar-driven track "Devil Woman" (Richard's first true hit in the United States) and the ballad "Miss You Nights". Richard's fans were excited about this revival of a performer who had been a part of British rock from its early days. Many music names such as Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Elton John were seen sporting I'm Nearly Famous badges, pleased that their boyhood idol was getting back into the heavier rock in which he had begun his career.

Notwithstanding this, Richard continued to release Gospel-tinged albums in parallel with his rock and pop albums, for example: Small Corners from 1978 contained the single "Yes He Lives". Despite his 1976 comeback, this single failed to chart in the United Kingdom. In 1980, the singer officially changed his name by deed poll from Harry Webb to Cliff Richard.[16] On December 31, 1976, he performed his latest single "Hey, Mr. Dream Maker" on BBC1's A Jubilee Of Music, celebrating British pop music for Queen Elizabeth II's impending Silver Jubilee.

In 1979, Richard teamed up with the producer Bruce Welch for the pop hit single "We Don't Talk Anymore", which hit #1 in the UK and #7 in the U.S. Brian Ferry added hummed backing vocals to the song. The record gave Richard the distinction of becoming the first act to reach the Hot 100 in the 1980s who had also reached the Hot 100 in each of the three previous decades. The song was quickly added onto the end of his latest album Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile. It was his first time at the top of the UK singles chart in over ten years, and the song would become his biggest-selling single ever. The accompanying music video was the sixth to appear on American cable channel MTV when it debuted on August 1, 1981.

At long last he had some extended success in the United States following "Devil Woman". The follow-up "Dreaming" also reached the top ten, peaking at #10. His 1980 duet "Suddenly" with Olivia Newton-John, from the film Xanadu, was a Top 20 hit in America, peaking at #20. Richard continued with a string of top ten albums, including I'm No Hero, Wired for Sound, Now You See Me, Now You Don't, and, marking his 25th year in show business, Silver. The singles chart also saw his most consistent period of top twenty hits since the mid 1960s, with three of them on the Hot 100 at the same time at the end of 1980. His 1985 single "She's So Beautiful" reached No. 17 in the UK. 1987 saw Richard record his Always Guaranteed album, which became his best selling album of all new material. It contained the two top ten hit singles "My Pretty One" and "Some People". Richard concluded his thirtieth year in music by reaching number one on the British singles chart with "Mistletoe and Wine", while simultaneously holding the number one positions on the album and video charts with the compilation Private Collection summing up his biggest hits from 1979-1988. "Mistletoe and Wine" was his biggest seller to that point.

In 1986, Richard teamed up with The Young Ones to re-record his smash hit "Living Doll" for the charity Comic Relief. Along with the song, the recording contained comedy dialogue between Richard and The Young Ones. The release went to No. 1. That same year he opened in the West End as a rock musician called upon to defend Earth in a trial set in the Andromeda Galaxy in the multi-media Dave Clark musical Time. Two Richard singles, "She's So Beautiful" and "Born To Rock 'n Roll", were released respectively in 1985 and 1986 from the concept album recorded for Time.

Further top ten albums included Stronger in 1989, which included the UK No. 2 hit "Best Of Me", and UK No. 3 "Just Don't Have The Heart" written and produced by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman, and From a Distance in 1990. Later that year, Richard scored his second UK Christmas No. 1 single with "Saviour's Day". Richard unsuccessfully bid for the Christmas No. 1 spot again with "We Should Be Together" and "Healing Love" in 1991 and 1993 respectively – the latter being taken from his No. 1 studio album Cliff Richard – The Album. The next few years saw Richard concentrate on bringing the musical Heathcliff to the stage. The production was a resounding success,[citation needed] but the time it took seemed to take a toll on his reinvigorated chart status. Back in the UK during the next years and throughout the 1980s, Richard remained one of the best-known music artists in the country. In the space of a few years he worked with Elton John, Mark Knopfler, Julian Lennon, Freddie Mercury, Stevie Wonder, Phil Everly, Janet Jackson, Sheila Walsh, and Van Morrison. Richard also reunited with Olivia Newton-John. In 1989, he filled the Wembley Stadium for a few nights with a spectacular titled "The Event". Meanwhile, The Shadows later re-formed (and again split). They recorded on their own, but also reunited with Richard in 1978, 1984, and 1989–90 for some concerts. On 14 June 2004 Cliff Richard joined the Shadows on-stage at the London Palladium. The Shadows had decided to re-form for one final tour of the UK, with this concert heralded as their final ever concert as "Cliff and the Shadows."

1995–2009: Sir Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard was knighted on 25 October 1995, the first rock star to be so honoured (Bob Geldof had received his honorary knighthood a full nine years earlier, but not being a British subject, he is not permitted to use the title 'Sir', whether in the UK or abroad). Richard was knighted ahead of Paul McCartney (1997), Elton John (1998), Mick Jagger and Tom Jones.

In 1996 he famously led the Wimbledon Centre Court crowd in singing during a rain delay when asked by Wimbledon officials to entertain the crowd. Richard was not aware this performance was being televised by the BBC and after singing six of his golden greats, TV presenter Des Lynam commented on this and added jokingly "we'll probably get one hell of a bill". The performance was front page headlines on many of the major British newspapers the following day.

In 1998, Richard demonstrated that radio stations were refusing to play his music by releasing his latest single "Can't Keep This Feeling In" on a white label under the pseudonym of Blacknight. The single was well regarded and featured on playlists until the true artist was revealed.[17] In 1999, controversy again arose regarding radio stations refusing to play his releases when EMI, Richard's label since 1958, refused to release his latest song, "Millennium Prayer".[clarification needed] Richard took it to an independent label, Papillon, which released the charity recording (in aid of Children's Promise). The single went on to top the UK chart for three weeks, becoming his fourteenth No. 1 and the third-highest-selling single of his career. Richard's next album, in 2001, was a covers project, Wanted, followed by another top ten album, Cliff at Christmas. The holiday album contained both new and older recordings, including the single "Santa's List", which reached No. 5 in 2003.

Cliff Richard finished number 56 in the 2002 100 Greatest Britons list, sponsored by the BBC and voted for by the public.

Richard decamped to Nashville, Tennessee for his next album project in 2004, employing a writers' conclave to give him the pick of all new songs for the album Something's Goin' On. Though the collection was critically well-received, it had disappointing sales. Nevertheless it was yet another top ten album, and produced three top fifteen singles: "Something's Goin' On", "I Cannot Give You My Love", with Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, and the lively "What Car". Richard did not hide his disappointment with the album's lacklustre sales, and it was speculated that it might have been his last ever album of original songs.

Two's Company, an album of duets released in 2006, was another top 10 success and included newly-recorded material with Brian May, Dionne Warwick, Anne Murray, Barry Gibb and Daniel O'Donnell, plus some previously recorded duets with artists such as Phil Everly, Elton John and Olivia Newton-John. Two's Company was released to coincide with the UK leg of his latest world tour, "Here and Now", which included a number of lesser known but fan-favourite songs such as "My Kinda Life", "How Did She Get Here", "Hey Mr. Dream Maker", "For Life", "A Matter Of Moments", "When The Girl In Your Arms", "Every Face Tells A Story", "Peace In Our Time" and the Christmas single "21st Century Christmas", which debuted at No. 2 on the UK singles chart.

Richard's mother, Dorothy Webb, suffered from dementia. In a September 2006 interview with the Daily Mail, he spoke about the difficulties he and his sisters had in dealing with their mother's condition.[18] On 18 October 2007 a statement on the star's website read, "We are sad to report that Cliff's mother, Dorothy, passed away early on 17 October; she was 87."

Another compilation album, Love... The Album was released on 12 November 2007. Like Two's Company before it, this album includes both previously released material and newly recorded songs, namely "Waiting For A Girl Like You", "When You Say Nothing At All", "All Out Of Love", "If You're Not the One" and "When I Need You" (the last was released as a single, reaching number 38; the album peaked at number 13). The concept of the project has divided fans who anticipate an album of new material.

2008, Richard's 50th year in music, saw the release of the 8 CD box set And They Said It Wouldn't Last (My 50 Years In Music).[19]

50th Anniversary Tour, Wembley
50th Anniversary Tour, Wembley

In September, a single celebrating his 50 years in pop music, titled "Thank you for a Lifetime"[20] was released. On 14 September 2008 it reached No. 3 on the UK music charts.

On 2 November 2008, British newspaper The Mail on Sunday gave away a free promotional CD entitled 50th Anniversary containing 12 tracks picked by Sir Cliff himself.

On 11 November 2008, Cliff Richard's official website announced that 20 years after their latest concert together, Cliff and The Shadows would reunite to celebrate their 50th anniversary in the music business. A month later they performed at the Royal Variety Performance. In 2009 Cliff and The Shadows will bring their partnership to an end with the "Golden Anniversary concert tour of the UK".[needs update] A new album by Cliff Richard and the Shadows was released in September 2009. Titled Reunited, It was their first studio project in forty years. The 28 tracks recorded comprise 25 re-recordings of their earlier classics, with three "new" tracks, originally from that era (and earlier), the single "Singing the Blues", along with Eddie Cochran's "C'mon Everybody" and the Frankie Ford hit "Sea Cruise". The tracks are to be spread across the single and its bonus tracks, a limited edition version of the album, as well as a standard CD release. The album charted at number 6 in the UK charts in its opening week and peaked at number 4. The reunion tour is to continue into Europe in 2010.

In June 2009 it was reported by Sound Kitchen Studios in Nashville that Cliff was to return there shortly to record a new album of original recordings of jazz songs.[21] He was to record fourteen tracks in a week. He also stated his intention to record with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss.

2010: Bold As Brass - 70th Birthday

Cliff has accepted an invitation to perform Congratulations at the 70th birthday celebrations of Queen Margrethe II in Denmark in April.

In October of 2010 Cliff Richard will celebrate his 70th Birthday. To mark the occasion Cliff will be performing a series of 6 concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, London during his 70th Birthday week. Tickets for the concerts went on sale on 7th March and they sold out within a few hours. To occompany the concerts there is a new album of swing standards to be released on 11th October featuring songs like I've Got You Under My Skin, They Can't Take That Away From Me and I Just Want To Make Love To You. The album was recorded in Nashville and produced by Grammy Award-winning Michael Omartian.

Property and business interests

According to the Sunday Times Rich List 2009, Richard is worth £40m.

His current homes are:

Previous homes included:

  • A £6m mansion on the exclusive St Georges Hill, Surrey, UK bought in the mid 1980s and sold in 2006
  • A villa in Portugal

Richard has become joint owner of the Arora International Hotel in Manchester, which opened in June 2004. He also owns a Quinta in the Algarve, Portugal, where he is involved in the production of wines at the Adega do Cantor (“Winery of the Singer”), a state-of-the-art winery in Guia, near Albufeira. In 2006, Cliff Richard received Portugal’s equivalent of a knighthood in recognition of his 40 years of personal and business involvement in that country.

Lack of commercial support

Cliff Richard openly complains about the lack of commercial support he receives from radio stations and record labels. He spoke about this on The Alan Titchmarsh Show on ITV in December 2007, pointing out that while new bands needed airplay for promotion and sales, long-established artists like himself also relied upon airplay for the same ends. He did note, however, that so-called eighties radio stations did play his records and that this went some way to help sales and maintain his media presence. In the recent BBC Radio 2 documentary "Cliff – Take Another Look", he pointed out that many documentaries charting the history of British music fail to even mention him.[22]

Cliff Richard's protracted chart success undermines radio stations' claims that he does not enjoy the support of their target audiences[dubious – discuss]. Richard believes he is "the most radical rock star there has ever been".[22] Richard's premise is that his decision not to adopt the "sex, drugs and alcohol" image expected of rock stars, then and now, was the truly avant-garde choice.

Personal life

Richard is a lifelong bachelor.[5] He has said that he once considered marriage to the dancer Jackie Irving and later to the former tennis player Sue Barker. Richard currently lives with a former Roman Catholic priest, John McElynn, whom he met in 2001 while doing charity work in the United States.[5] He has been described as Cliff's property manager and looks after the properties whilst Richard is away. The friendship has fuelled persistent rumours that Richard is homosexual. Describing McElynn as a close friend and companion, Richard has said: "I am sick to death of the media’s speculation about it...what business is it of anyone else’s what any of us are as individuals? I don’t think my fans would care either way."[5]

He has also gone on record to suggest the Church of England affirm a commitment to same-sex marriage.[5][23] In his autobiography he states that "... many of my friends are gay – let's face it, homosexuality has been legal for more than thirty years. For me, the commitment is what counts – and I'll leave the judging to God." [24]

In a letter written October 1961 to "his first serious girlfriend"[25], Australian dancer Delia Wicks - made public at Easter, April 2010, after her death from cancer - Sir Cliff writes: "Being a pop singer I have to give up one priceless thing - the right to any lasting relationship with any special girl."[1] The pair had been dating for 18 months. This documentation counters suggestions of homosexuality (making Sir Cliff Richard at most bisexual). In the letter he goes on to say: "I couldn't give up my career, besides the fact that my mother and sisters, since my father's death, rely on me completely. (...) I have showbiz in my blood now and I would be lost without it."

Richard's father, Roger Webb, died in 1961, and his mother Dorothy died in 2007.

Charitable and humanitarian interests

  • Annually Cliff Richard donates around £500,000 to charitable causes (it was claimed in 1990 that he gave away £10,000 a week); this is around 10% of his annual earnings. In 1991 alone Cliff donated over £80,000 to the Chernobyl disaster, £110,000 to PHAB and the British Deaf Association and £10,000 to the evangelical arts centre.[clarification needed]
  • The Sir Cliff Richard Charitable Trust is Sir Cliff's personal charity which helps over 50 independent charities every three months of the year. Priority is given to charities working in medical research, with children and the elderly, and those involved with the physically and/or mentally disabled.
  • Sir Cliff Richard is Vice President of Tearfund.
  • Sir Cliff Richard is Vice President of The Cliff Richard Tennis Foundation which was founded by him in 1991. The UK-based charity has a team of coaches and is on the road throughout the year, taking tennis into state primary schools. So far over 200,000 children have had the chance to try their hand at playing tennis.
  • Sir Cliff Richard is a Patron of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Centre was officially opened in Liverpool on 12 May 1998 by Sir Cliff, who said: "he was a brave guy who died in front of us all; this building will be a wonderful, wonderful memorial to him."
  • Sir Cliff Richard is also a supporter of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre, and walked the Great Wall of China to raise money for the project during March 2008. In February 2010 Sir Cliff visited the centre in Melbourne.

Works and achievements

Discography

Main article: Cliff Richard discography

Chart accomplishments

  • Cliff Richard has scored 14 No. 1 singles in the UK (or 18 if the following are included: The Shadows' "Apache", on which he played, uncredited, the Chinese Drum; Band Aid II's "Do They Know It's Christmas?", on which he appeared; "21st Century Christmas" and "Thank You For A Lifetime", which reached No. 1 on CD sales (i.e. not including downloads)).
  • As a performer, Cliff Richard has scored the most top 10 hits on the UK singles charts (70), the most top 20 hits (97) and the most top 40 hits (125). (Double A-sides count as two hits; Richard has charted two double A-sides in the top ten, and five double A-sides in the top forty.)
  • Based solely on data used to compile the Official UK Singles Charts, Richard has sold more singles in the UK than any other act, with sales exceeding twenty million copies. He has, however, scored only one million-selling single: "The Young Ones". This does not reflect his total sales as the data used to compile the charts in the early part of his career was only partial. Sales from his 1950s singles would be significantly understated in this figure.
  • Cliff Richard has had top two hits in each of the six decades from the 1950s onwards.
  • Cliff Richard is the only act in the UK to score a No. 1 single in each of (officially—but see the first paragraph of "Chart accomplishments" above[clarification needed]) the first five decades since the inception of the UK Singles chart in 1952. His chart peak in the 2000s is No. 2. The following list shows the number of chart toppers Richard has achieved in each decade.

Cliff Richard has spent the second longest time on the British charts of any act. The acts with the most aggregate time spent on the British record charts are:

  1. Elvis Presley (2,574 days)
  2. Cliff Richard (1,983)
  3. Queen (1,755)
  4. The Beatles (1,749)
  5. Madonna (1,660)
  6. Elton John (1,626)

Christmas songs

Cliff Richard has aimed for the Christmas number one single on several occasions, sometimes successfully. His first Christmas number one (on some charts) was in 1960, but that single, "I Love You," was not a yuletide-themed song.

In later years, Richard often released songs with a Christmas or other religious theme:

  • 1969: "With the Eyes of a Child" (#20)
  • 1982: "Little Town" (#11)
  • 1988: "Mistletoe and Wine" (#1)
  • 1989: "Whenever God Shines His Light" (#20) (duet with Van Morrison)
  • 1990: "Saviour's Day" (#1)
  • 1991: "We Should Be Together" (#10)
  • 1999: "The Millennium Prayer" (#1)
  • 2003: "Santa's List" (#5)
  • 2006: "21st Century Christmas" (#2)

He also featured on the 1989 Christmas number one by Band Aid II, thus appearing at the top of the charts for three consecutive Christmases.

Awards

Brit Awards
  • 1977 – Best British male solo artist during the past 25 years
  • 1982 – Best British male solo artist
  • 1989 – Outstanding contribution to music
TV Times
  • 1980 – Most Exciting Male Singer on TV
  • 1987 – Best Male Singer
  • 1989 – Favorite Singer
The Sun Reader Polls
  • 1970 – Male Pop Personality
  • 1971 – Top Male Pop Personality
  • 1972 – Top Male Pop Personality
NME Reader Polls
  • 1958 – Best New Disc or TV Singer
  • 1959 – UK Male Singer[clarification needed]
  • 1959 – Best Single: "Living Doll"
  • 1960 – Best UK Single: "Living Doll"
  • 1961 – UK Male Singer
  • 1962 – UK Male Singer
  • 1963 – UK Male Singer
  • 1963 – Best World Male Singer
  • 1964 – UK Male Singer
  • 1964 – UK Vocal Personality
  • 1965 – UK Male Singer
  • 1966 – UK Male Singer
  • 1966 – UK Vocal Personality
  • 1967 – UK Vocal Personality
  • 1968 – UK Vocal Personality
  • 1969 – British Vocal Personality
  • 1970 – UK Male Singer
  • 1970 – UK Vocal Personality
  • 1970 – World's Best Recording Artist of the 60s
  • 1971 – UK Male Singer
  • 1971 – British Vocal Personality
  • 1972 – UK Male Singer
  • 1972 – British Vocal Personality
Ivor Novello
  • 1968 – Most Performed Work: "Congratulations" by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter
  • 1970 – Outstanding Services to Music
Melody Maker
  • 1959 – Best Male Singer
  • 1960 – Top British Male Singer
  • 1962 – The Emen Award – Top male singer
  • 1962 – Top British Male Singer
  • 1962 – Top single of the year: "The Young Ones"
  • 1963 – Best Male Singer
  • 1964 – Best Male Singer
  • 1965 – Best UK Male Singer
  • 1967 – Top Male Singer
Disc & Music Echo
  • 1967 – Best-Dressed Male
  • 1968 – Best-Dressed Male
  • 1969 – Best-Dressed Male
  • 1970 – Top British Male Singer
  • 1970 – Best-Dressed Male
  • 1970 – Mr. Valentine
  • 1971 – Mr. Valentine
Bravo Magazine (Germany)
  • 1964 – Best Male Singer – Gold
  • 1964 – Year End Singles Charts – 1. "Sag 'no' Zu Ihm" ("Don't talk to him")
  • 1965 – Best Male Singer – Gold
  • 1980 – Top International Male Singer
Record Mirror
  • 1961 – Record Mirror Survey – Most successful chart records 1958–1961 – No 1: Cliff Richard, "Living Doll" (Cliff had three of the top five records and a further two in the Top 50)
  • 1964 – Record Mirror Poll – Best-Dressed Singer in the World
1960s
  • 1961 – Royal Variety Club – Show Business Personality
  • 1961 – Weekend Magazine – Star of Stars
  • 1962 – Motion Picture Herald Box-Office Survey Of 1962 – Most Popular Male Film Actor
  • 1963 – Motion Picture Herald Box-Office Survey Of 1963 – Most Popular Male Film Actor
  • 1963 – 16 (US Magazine) – Most Promising Singer
  • 1964 – Billboard (US Magazine) – Best Recording Artist UK
  • 1969 – Valentine Magazine – Mr Valentine
1970s
  • 1970 – National Viewers' and Listeners' Association – Outstanding Contribution to Religious Broadcasting and Light Entertainment
  • 1971 – Record Mirror – UK Male Singer
  • 1974 – Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Committee – Silver Clef – Outstanding Services to the Music Industry
  • 1977 – The Songwriter's Guild Of Great Britain – Golden Badge Award
  • 1979 – Music Week – Special Award for 21 years as successful recording artistes – Cliff Richard and The Shadows
  • 1979 – EMI Records – Gold Clock and Gold Key award – EMI celebrates 21-year partnership with Cliff
1980s
  • 1980 – Cliff receives O.B.E. from The Queen
  • 1980 – BBC TV Multi-Coloured Swap Shop – Best UK Male Vocalist
  • 1980 – National Pop And Rock Awards – Best Family Entertainer
  • 1980 – Nationwide, in conjunction with Radio 1 and the Daily Mirror – Best Family Entertainer
  • 1981 – Sunday Telegraph Readers Poll – Top Pop Star
  • 1981 – Daily Mirror Readers Award – Outstanding Music Personality Of The Year
  • 1989 – The Lifetime Achievement Diamond Award (Antwerp)
1990s
2000s

Tours and concerts

Main article: List of Cliff Richard tours and concerts
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