Cliff Richard smiling into the camera while seated next to sisters Jacqui and Donna.
Gallery of Cliff Richard
1952
College Rd, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross EN8 9LY, United Kingdom
A young Cliff Richard (top right). The early 1950s.
Gallery of Cliff Richard
1958
College Rd, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross EN8 9LY, United Kingdom
A young Cliff Richard (top right). The late 1950s.
College/University
Career
Gallery of Cliff Richard
1959
London, United Kingdom
Cliff Richard and Jayne Mansfield, posed, 1959. Richard holds a Fender Stratocaster guitar. Photo by Harry Hammond.
Gallery of Cliff Richard
1959
United Kingdom
British pop singer Cliff Richard and The Shadows. Clockwise from rear left, Joe Lee (chauffeur), Hank Marvin, Tony Meehan, Bruce Welch, Jet Harris, Len Saxon, Tito Burns, Dorothy Webb (Cliff's mother), Cliff Richard, Cliff's sister Donella and George Ganjou (sole agent). Photo by Stan Meagher.
Gallery of Cliff Richard
1959
Hammersmith Rd, Hammersmith, London W14 8UX, United Kingdom
18-year-old English pop singer Cliff Richard is mobbed by fans at the Hulton Boys and Girls Exhibition at Olympia's Disc Theatre, 19th August 1959.
Gallery of Cliff Richard
1959
United Kingdom
British pop singer Cliff Richard performs live on stage with, from left, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch of The Shadows (originally known as The Drifters) at a theatre in England in 1959. Hank Marvin is playing his Antoria LG50 guitar.
Gallery of Cliff Richard
1960
United Kingdom
Popstar Cliff Richard (Harry Webb) peers round his dressing room door which is decorated with a star.
Gallery of Cliff Richard
1961
London, United Kingdom
The cast of 'The Young Ones', directed by Sidney J Furie discusses dance routines during rehearsals in a hall in London, before the start of filming. Centre, left to right are Carole Grey, Melvyn Hayes, and pop star, Cliff Richard.
Gallery of Cliff Richard
1961
United Kingdom
British pop singer Cliff Richard performs live on stage with, from left, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch of The Shadows (originally known as The Drifters) at a theatre in England in 1959. Hank Marvin is playing his Antoria LG50 guitar.
Gallery of Cliff Richard
1971
United Kingdom
English pop singer Cliff Richard, a convert to Christianity, with a cross around his neck reading a copy of The Living Bible. Photo by Frank Tewkesbury.
Gallery of Cliff Richard
1981
London, United Kingdom
The Queen sharing a joke with singer Cliff Richard after watching him perform at the Royal Variety Show in London.
Gallery of Cliff Richard
1983
United Kingdom
British tennis player Sue Barker poses with singer Cliff Richard on November 25, 1983. Photo by Jack Kay.
Gallery of Cliff Richard
1986
London, United Kingdom
Singer Freddie Mercury of Queen with Cliff Richard at an after-party in London for 'Dave Clark's Time - The Musical,' 9th April 1986. Photo by Dave Hogan.
Gallery of Cliff Richard
1990
North Ave, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT, United Kingdom
Cliff Richard performing on stage at National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, 01 November 1990. Photo by Ian Dickson.
Gallery of Cliff Richard
1996
Church Rd, Wimbledon, London SW19 5AG, United Kingdom
Sir Cliff Richard orchestrates the singing as the crowd joins in on another rain-delayed day's play during the Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club in London.
Gallery of Cliff Richard
2012
Westminster, London SW1A 1AA, United Kingdom
Singer Sir Cliff Richard performs onstage during the Diamond Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace on June 4, 2012, in London, England. For only the second time in its history, the United Kingdom celebrates the Diamond Jubilee of a monarch. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates the 60th anniversary of her ascension to the throne. Thousands of well-wishers from around the world have flocked to London to witness the spectacle of the weekend’s celebrations. Photo by Dan Kitwood.
Gallery of Cliff Richard
2019
Westminster, London SW1A 0AA, United Kingdom
Sir Cliff Richard gestures to fans after speaking to the media in Victoria Gardens next to the Houses of Parliament on July 1, 2019, in London, England. Singer Sir Cliff Richard was falsely accused of historical sex offenses and now is lending his support to a change in the law to give anonymity to those who are accused of sexual offenses until they are charged. Photo by Dan Kitwood.
Achievements
Membership
Tearfund
Richard is an active member of Tearfund a non-profit organization and also supports same-sex marriage.
Awards
Order of the British Empire
1980
Westminster, London SW1A 1AA, United Kingdom
Cliff Richard with his mother Mrs. Dorothy Bodkin at Buckingham Palace with his Order of British Empire.
Knight Bachelor
1995
Westminster, London SW1A 1AA, United Kingdom
Cliff Richard after he was knighted.
Gold Badge of Merit
2003
Strand, London WC2R 0EZ, United Kingdom
Sir Cliff Richard and Petula Clark receive the Gold Badge of Merit during the 29th Annual Gold Badge Awards, presented by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, at The Savoy Hotel in Central London. Photo by Andy Butterton.
British pop singer Cliff Richard and The Shadows. Clockwise from rear left, Joe Lee (chauffeur), Hank Marvin, Tony Meehan, Bruce Welch, Jet Harris, Len Saxon, Tito Burns, Dorothy Webb (Cliff's mother), Cliff Richard, Cliff's sister Donella and George Ganjou (sole agent). Photo by Stan Meagher.
British pop singer Cliff Richard performs live on stage with, from left, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch of The Shadows (originally known as The Drifters) at a theatre in England in 1959. Hank Marvin is playing his Antoria LG50 guitar.
The cast of 'The Young Ones', directed by Sidney J Furie discusses dance routines during rehearsals in a hall in London, before the start of filming. Centre, left to right are Carole Grey, Melvyn Hayes, and pop star, Cliff Richard.
British pop singer Cliff Richard performs live on stage with, from left, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch of The Shadows (originally known as The Drifters) at a theatre in England in 1959. Hank Marvin is playing his Antoria LG50 guitar.
English pop singer Cliff Richard, a convert to Christianity, with a cross around his neck reading a copy of The Living Bible. Photo by Frank Tewkesbury.
Singer Freddie Mercury of Queen with Cliff Richard at an after-party in London for 'Dave Clark's Time - The Musical,' 9th April 1986. Photo by Dave Hogan.
Church Rd, Wimbledon, London SW19 5AG, United Kingdom
Sir Cliff Richard orchestrates the singing as the crowd joins in on another rain-delayed day's play during the Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club in London.
Sir Cliff Richard and Petula Clark receive the Gold Badge of Merit during the 29th Annual Gold Badge Awards, presented by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, at The Savoy Hotel in Central London. Photo by Andy Butterton.
Singer Sir Cliff Richard performs onstage during the Diamond Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace on June 4, 2012, in London, England. For only the second time in its history, the United Kingdom celebrates the Diamond Jubilee of a monarch. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates the 60th anniversary of her ascension to the throne. Thousands of well-wishers from around the world have flocked to London to witness the spectacle of the weekend’s celebrations. Photo by Dan Kitwood.
Sir Cliff Richard gestures to fans after speaking to the media in Victoria Gardens next to the Houses of Parliament on July 1, 2019, in London, England. Singer Sir Cliff Richard was falsely accused of historical sex offenses and now is lending his support to a change in the law to give anonymity to those who are accused of sexual offenses until they are charged. Photo by Dan Kitwood.
(Sir Cliff Richard, Officer of the Order of the British Em...)
Sir Cliff Richard, Officer of the Order of the British Empire is one of the biggest-selling artists of all time, selling over 250 million records around the world since he burst onto the music scene in 1958. But how has he kept his appeal all these years? In a world fuelled by drink, sex, and drugs, he is perennially attractive without any of those things that keep other singers' profiles high. Now, working with the highly acclaimed biographer and journalist, Penny Junor, Cliff talks freely and frankly about what it is like to be Cliff. Inspirational, hugely talented, a much-loved household name, his story is extraordinary. Packed with hitherto unseen pictures and untold stories, and a host of unique visual memories, it is a book to read and treasure for the next fifty years.
(Early evening on Saturday 13th September 1958, Cliff Rich...)
Early evening on Saturday 13th September 1958, Cliff Richard and The Drifters appeared on ITV's pop show Oh Boy!, electrifying living rooms across the nation with their now-legendary performance of 'Move It'. Overnight, the 17-year-old Elvis fan with big dreams became a real-life teen idol, and Britain had their first rock 'n' roll star. A new chapter had started in the history of music. Over sixty years later, with a hit in every decade since and over 250 million record sales, Cliff Richard performs live to sell-out audiences with continued success as a recording artist, while era-defining pop stars have come and gone. Now in his autobiography, Cliff takes us back to 1950s post-War London, where he exploded out of the skiffle scene with his unique new sound. From there he is catapulted into the center of the British film industry and goes on to conquer Saturday-night TV. We go behind the scenes on West End musicals, and around the world with him on tour. Cliff Richard is one of the biggest-selling artists of all time, and he has achieved that while always following his own path, on his own terms. Here he tells his story in his own words, through the toughest times he has faced, to the biggest dreams that came true.
Sir Cliff Richard is one of the most famous British pop singers and has sold a whopping 250 million records in his career. His "Move It" (1958) was the first great British rock-and-roll song.
Background
Ethnicity:
Cliff Richard is of English, Welsh, and Spanish descent.
Cliff Richard was born Harry Rodger Webb on October 14, 1940, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India to Rodger Oscar Webb, who worked for a catering service provider for the Indian Railways, and Dorothy Marie Dazely, a dormitory matron at La Martiniere Girls' School, Lucknow. After the Independence of India, the family moved to Tilbury, Essex, England, in 1948. They settled in Carshalton, Surrey, till his father found a job in "Thorn Electrical Industries" in 1949 and took his family to Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire.
Education
Cliff Richard attended the Saint Thomas' Church School, Howrah for his elementary education, after his family moved to Calcutta in 1945. He attended the Kings Road Junior Mixed Infants School in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire. Later, he went to the Cheshunt Secondary Modern School from where he graduated in 1957.
In 1957 Cliff Richard began working as a temporary clerk for Atlas Lamps and when he was 16 his father gave him a guitar. In 1957, he formed his own band Quintones vocal group, prior to joining the Dick Teague Skiffle Group. Soon he became the lead vocalist for the rock and roll group Drifters and adopted the stage name Cliff Richard in 1958 upon his visit to Regal Ballroom in Ripley, Derbyshire. His single Schoolboy Crush-Move It was an instant hit, peaking at No. 2 on United Kingdom charts. Between late 1958 and early 1959, he came up with High Class Baby and Livin' Lovin' Doll.
In 1959, Cliff Richard made his film debut with Serious Charge. The name of the band was later changed to The Shadows. Richard starred in the 1961 movie The Young Ones which was a huge success, the title song of the movie garnered immense popularity and sold more than a million copies.
In 1965, Richard released his single On My Word which was again a massive hit and peaked at the United Kingdom charts. It was followed by another hit number The Day I Met Marie in 1967, which also appeared in United Kingdom music charts. The same year, he acted in the film Two a Penny, playing the role of Jamie Hopkins, who becomes entangled in drug-dealing.
The band The Shadows fell apart in 1968, but Richard kept giving hit singles. He also made his last film appearance in the 1973 movie Take Me High. The Shadows regrouped this year as well. Till now, he was not very received in the United States, and his fame was limited to Britain only. However, in 1976, his album I'm Nearly Famous became an international hit and reinstated his career which had slowed down due to the arrival of the Beatles. Another of his chartbuster was We Don't Talk Anymore in 1979 which sold 5,000,000 copies worldwide.
In 1980, Richard recorded a duet, Suddenly, with Olivia Newton-John, which peaked at number 20 in the United Kingdom. He recorded the duet All I Ask of You with Sarah Brightman in 1986 for the famous musical The Phantom of the Opera. He remained one of the top most singers throughout the 1980s, with most of his songs peaking at number 1.
In 1996, Richard entertained the crowd at Centre Court on a rainy day during the Wimbledon Championship. He released his studio album Wanted in 2001 and soon came up with another successful album, Cliff at Christmas. On 14 June 2004, he performed with The Shadows at London Palladium, a famous theatre. Love... The Album, a compilation of his old and new songs, was released on the 12th of November 2007.
In his 50th year in the music industry in 2008, Richard released And They Said It Wouldn't Last (My 50 Years in Music), an eight-CD box set. The same year, he joined The Shadows to perform at the Royal Variety Performance.
In September 2009, Richard and The Shadows released their studio album Reunited, which was their first album together in forty years. He teamed with some of America's most popular Rhythm & Blues and soul singers to record the album Soulicious in 2011, which was released in October that year.
Richard was one of the performers in the Diamond Jubilee concert held near Buckingham Palace on June 4, 2012. He returned in 2016 with Just...Fabulous Rock 'n' Roll, an album of covers of songs from pioneers of the rock & roll genre.
In 2018, Richard returned with his first collection of original material in well over a decade with the release of Rise Up. With the title referencing his two-year lawsuit against the BBC for privacy intrusion - which he won - the album featured a collection of uplifting and positive contemporary pop tracks written by the likes of Terry Britten and Graham Lyle. The album also featured the return of duet partner Olivia Newton-John. Rise Up debuted at four on the United Kingdom charts and earned a Silver certification. In 2020, Richard turned 80, and to celebrate released the album, Music... The Air That I Breathe. The release featured a number of collaborations - with the likes of Bonnie Tyler and Albert Hammond - as well a selection of covers and original material.
Cliff Richard is one of the most famous pop singers and has sold a whopping 250 million records in his career. His single Living Doll was a hugely popular song that topped the UK Singles Chart two times selling 2,000,000 copies worldwide. The Young Ones, a soundtrack album by the singer peaked at number 1 in the United Kingdom Albums Chart, selling more than a million copies in the United Kingdom. Wired for Sound released in 1981 was also a significant hit, occupying almost 25 weeks at the United Kingdom album charts and selling more than a million copies worldwide.
For his contributions to music, Richard was appointed Knight Bachelor on June 17, 1995. He featured at 56th spot in the 2002 list of 100 Greatest Britons, based on public votes, conducted by BBC. In 2006, he was conferred Portuguese knighthood and was made Commander of the Order of Prince Henry.
Being baptized Anglican Richard didn't practice religion until 1964 when he radically declared to be Christian and started a religious way of life. He has not married and claims to have observed a celibate lifestyle since then.
Politics
Cliff Richard, who had toured South Africa without noticing that apartheid was a problem commented this as: "The colored servants don't really mind it. They get their food and board - why should they mind?" he says.
On his refusal to boycott apartheid South Africa, which earned him a place on the United Nations' blacklist Richard said: "I go wherever Christians invite me to speak about Jesus. It's a platform I've been given by God."
Views
Richard is an active member of Tearfund, a non-profit organization, and also supports same-sex marriage.
Membership
Cliff Richard is a member of Tearfund.
Tearfund
,
United Kingdom
Personality
Cliff Richard is one of the very few artists whose career and life are not dotted with traditional sort of controversies, be it alcoholism, drug abuse, or relationships. He maintains an extremely clean image and is quite proud of it. In an interview, he once said, "I've always maintained I'm the most radical rock 'n' roll singer Britain has ever seen. I was the only one who didn't spit or swear or sleep around. I didn't do drugs. I didn't get drunk. I didn't indulge in soulless sex." He has always been candid about his relationships and has vowed to remain a life-long bachelor.
Cliff Richard was awarded about $280,000 in damages by the High Court in 2018 after bringing legal action against the BBC, which he had accused of a “serious invasion” of his privacy with its reporting of a police raid on his home in 2014. The raid followed a sexual allegation against Richard, relating to a teenage boy in the 1980s. Richard has always strongly denied the accusation, and no charges were ever brought against him. British journalists and news executives expressed concern about the precedent established by the ruling, saying it would have profound repercussions for their freedom to report criminal cases because it could make it illegal to identify suspects before they are formally charged by the police.
Interests
swimming
Artists
Juan Carlos Ferrigno
Sport & Clubs
tennis
Music & Bands
Little Richard, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Bee Gees
Connections
Cliff Richard has remained a bachelor after one of his past relationships didn't culminate into marriage. On being asked about this, he said "I've had a few false alarms. I've been in love, but marriage is a big commitment and being an artist consumes a great deal of time."
