A look back at Shirley Bassey's 71-year career

Ryan Leston

BBC News

10 July 2024

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16-year-old Shirley Bassey signed her first professional contract in 1953, starring in the touring musical, Memories of Jolson
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Shirley Bassey debuted her first single, Burn My Candle, in 1956
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Bassey's first hit came in 1957 with her rendition of The Banana Boat Song reaching number eight in the UK charts
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A young Shirley Bassey made her Las Vegas debut at El Rancho Vegas in 1957
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Bassey's first TV special, Shirley Comes Home, aired on 3 September, 1957
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She became the first Welsh person to get a number one single in the UK Singles Chart with As I Love You in 1959
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Shirley Bassey won her first NME Award as Favourite British Singer in 1959, winning another a year later
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Shirley Bassey famously sang the theme tune to Sean Connery's classic Bond film Goldfinger in 1964
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She also sang the theme tune for another of Connery’s Bond films, Diamonds Are Forever in 1971
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Bassey won Best British Female Solo Artist at the first ever Brit Awards in 1977
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Shirley Bassey sang her final Bond theme for Roger Moore's Moonraker, which debuted in 1979
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After receiving a CBE in 1994, Shirley Bassey was made a Dame when she awarded the DBE in 1999
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Bassey performed for the Duke of Edinburgh's 80th birthday in 2001 as well as Queen Elizabeth II's 50th Jubilee in 2002
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Her all-time classic Goldfinger was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008
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Shirley Bassey released her latest album, I Owe It All To You, in 2020, becoming the first female artist to chart a Top 40 album in seven consecutive decades
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Shirley Bassey received her latest honour, awarded Companion of Honour by King Charles III at Windsor Castle in 2024

Dame Shirley Bassey is known across the globe for her belting vocal and sequined dresses, with a career spanning seven decades.

Born in Tiger Bay, she signed her first professional contract in 1953, taking to the stage as a teenager and wowing audiences with her signature strong vocals from an early age.

"Everyone told me to shut up," she told John L. Williams for her 2011 biography.

She didn't stop singing - becoming the first Welsh artist to get a number one single with As I Love You in 1959.

It wasn't long until she crossed paths with 007, singing the theme for the 1964 Bond film, Goldfinger.

Bassey went on to sing the theme tunes for Diamonds Are Forever in 1971, as well as Moonraker in 1979, and has become forever linked to the James Bond film franchise.

However, her career is more than just Bond movies.

Bassey made her debut Royal Albert Hall performance in 1971, and even won Favourite British Artist at the first ever Brit Awards in 1977.

Most recently, she released her latest album, I Owe It All to You, in 2020, becoming the first female artist to chart in the top 40 across seven decades.

Now, Dame Shirley Bassey has received another honour, being made a Companion of Honour by King Charles III in a ceremony at Windsor Castle.

"Every step of my career has been about taking that chance, believing in myself and making that leap," she said.

A look back at Shirley Bassey's 71-year career

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