Shirley Bassey was one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century. Bassey performed the theme songs to three James Bond films; Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Moonraker (1979). She is the only singer to have recorded more than one Bond theme song.
Shirley Bassey was born on January 8th, 1937 in Wales. Her father was a Nigerian sailor, and her mother was from Yorkshire, England. Bassey the Belter started out on the road singing in shows and cabaret. Her style garnered her a recording contract with Philips by the late 1950's. She reached the top of the British charts in 1959 with 'As I Love You' and again with 'Reach for the Stars/Climb Every Mountain'. This lead to Bassey being picked to sing the theme song to the third James Bond movie. Her brassy yet sexy voice delivered the James Bond legend perfectly and it became a big hit in America. She would go on to have minimal success in theU.S. but her popularity never waned in Europe. Kanye West's single, 'Diamonds from Sierra Leone', heavily sampled Shirley Bassey's 'Diamonds Are Forever'. Kanye's version earned him a 2006 Grammy Award.
Shirley Bassey performs 'Diamonds Are Forever' and 'Goldfinger'
On 31st December 1999, Bassey was declared a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. Dame Bassey has also been awarded France's top honour, the Legion d'Honneur, to signify her everlasting popularity and importance in French culture.
