She has influenced many other singers, including Aretha Franklin. Her song ' Goldfinger' was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2003, she was ranked among the ' 100 Great Black Britons'. She was appointed a Dame in 1999 for services to the performing arts. īassey received the first award for Best British Female Solo Artist at the 1st Brit Awards in 1977. Since making her first appearance at the Royal Albert Hall in 1971, she has performed at the venue 45 times.

In 2011, BBC aired the television film Shirley, based on Bassey's life and career. īassey has also had numerous BBC television specials, and she hosted her own variety series, Shirley Bassey. In 2020, Bassey became the first female artist to chart an album in the Top 40 of the UK Albums Chart in seven consecutive decades with her album I Owe It All To You. She became well-known for recording the soundtrack theme songs of the James Bond films Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Moonraker (1979). In the following decades, Bassey amassed 27 Top 40 hits in the UK, including two number-ones. In 1959, she became the first Welsh person to gain a number-one single on the UK Singles Chart. īorn in Cardiff, Bassey began performing as a teenager in 1953. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalists in Britain. Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey DBE ( / ˈ b æ s i/ born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer.

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