Stamps honour Dame Shirley Bassey's 70-year career

A set of 12 stamps has been released by Royal Mail to celebrate Dame Shirley Bassey's musical career.

Royal Mail said she was the first female solo singer to have a set dedicated to her.

Eight stamps in the main set show her performances throughout her 70-year career.

A further four stamps in black and white and depict her recording sessions and rehearsal sessions.

The photos depict Dame Shirley's 70-year career

Dame Shirley said: "I am absolutely thrilled and would never have dreamed that one day my face would be on a stamp... that one day a letter might arrive and there I am, with a postmark next to me.

"It's an absolute honour to be the first solo female artist to receive a collection from Royal Mail.

"The stamps are wonderful, and I hope my fans and collectors love them as much as I do."

Dame Shirley is most famous for her James Bond theme songs

David Gold, from Royal Mail, said: "For seven decades Dame Shirley Bassey has captivated fans across the world with her distinctive and powerful voice.

"This stamp issue is a fitting celebration of one of the UK’s most revered and longest serving musical icons."

The main set of stamps shows Dame Shelly's performances

Born in 1937 in Tiger Bay, Cardiff, Dame Shirley toured theatres and revues until she signed a record deal with Philips and scored the number one hit As I Love You in 1959.

By the 1960s, she was an international star with numerous hit albums.

Some of her greatest work was with film composer John Barry, creating the James Bond themes Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker which became her signature songs.

The miniature set of black and white stamps show her recording sessions and rehearsals

In the 1990s and 2000s, she performed the official song for the 1999 Rugby World Cup with Bryn Terfel.

She was awarded a CBE in 1994 and a DBE in 1999.