Download or read book Miss Shirley Bassey written by John L. Williams and published by Quercus. This book was released on 2013-10-01 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From "Hot from Harlem" to "Goldfinger," the story of how a two-bit jazz singer from Cardiff became an immortal icon: In 1954, Shirley Bassey was seventeen years old. She had just returned from a cheesy revue tour called "Hot from Harlem." Depressed, disillusioned and four months' pregnant, she decided that her dream of being a professional singer was over. A mere ten years later, she was one of the biggest stars in the world. She had sold more records than any other British singer of the day, and was poised to conquer America. Her latest hit, "Goldfinger," was the theme tune to the year's blockbuster film. No longer the two-bit jazz singer from Cardiff, she was by now an international sex siren, as glamorous and unreal as Bond himself. Miss Shirley Bassey explores this remarkable transformation, both of an individual and of the British society and British psyche that made it possible. From the vibrant, multicultural oasis of Tiger Bay in the Cardiff docklands through the club-lands of Soho and Las Vegas to New York's Carnegie Hall, it is a journey from mere mortal to international icon. Along the way she would encounter homosexual husbands, predatory managers, newspaper scandals, and a range of friends and acquaintances from Sammy Davis Jr. to Reggie Kray. John L. Williams draws on original research and interviews to provide a portrait of a young woman on the cusp of stardom, whose rise to fame was in many ways symbolic of a changing world. Brilliantly written non-fiction in the style of David Peace's The Damned Utd or Nick Tosches' Dino, this is the story of a woman who set out to be extraordinary and--against all the odds--succeeded.
Download or read book Shirley Bassey written by Peter K. Hogan and published by Andre Deutsch Limited. This book was released on 2008 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The list of obstacles that Shirley Bassey had to overcome on her way to stardom is daunting: extreme poverty, a mixed-race background, an illegitimate child at the age of 16, and yet within a few years she transformed herself into an icon and a diva. This biography provides insights into her career.
Download or read book I Used to Say My Mother was Shirley Bassey written by Stephen K. Amos and published by Constable & Robinson. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Growing up in a large Nigerian family in South London, Stephen K. Amos learnt early on to find the humour in every situation. Raised by his parents and extended family of 'aunts' and 'uncles', I Used to Say My Mother was Shirley Bassey tells the story of Stephen's chaotic upbringing in the carnival atmosphere of the late seventies and early eighties. Stephen describes his awkward beginnings as the only black kid in his class, where he told everyone his mum was Shirley Bassey to break the ice. Then, as a middle child in a large family, Stephen learnt stage presence by vying for attention and performing at family parties. Now a world-renowned comedian and performer, regularly selling out venues like the Hammersmith Apollo, Stephen looks back at his earlier life and the incidents which shaped him and continue to inspire his performances. Poignant, funny, and with the narrative gift Stephen is famous for, I Used to SayMy Mother was Shirley Bassey is a memoir of a life fitting in, standing out, and (almost) always laughing.
Download or read book Shirley Bassey written by Shirley Bassey and published by Bloomsbury Pub Limited. This book was released on 1998 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This autobiography spans five decades of Bassey's career, from her beginnings in Cardiff where she supplemented her weekly wage working in a sausage-making factory by accepting singing engagements, to her more recent successes and collaborations in the world of music.
Download or read book Diamonds Are Forever Shirley Bassey written by Mary Long and published by Kings Road Publishing. This book was released on 2017-01-05 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On 8 January 2017, Dame Shirley Bassey, one of the greatest performers – and voices – of her generation, will be eighty. This is her unique story, told at first-hand by her greatest fan. Since she signed her first professional contract at the age of sixteen, Shirley Bassey has become one of the most prestigious singers of her time. Her work has inspired and influenced many, and will continue to do so for generations to come. Diamonds Are Forever is the fascinating story of Shirley Bassey told from the perspective of one of her greatest fans. Mary Long first met the star in 1963 while a teenager, and since then has encountered her hundreds of times. In doing so, she has developed a unique insight into the life and career of one of our most iconic singers. The author’s warm personal story recounts her heroine’s journey to becoming one of the all-time greats of the British music industry, performing at such events as the Oscars and the Royal Variety Show. She also holds the record for singing the most title songs for James Bond films, with three: ‘Goldfinger’, ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ and ‘Moonraker’. Published to mark Dame Shirley’s eightieth birthday, Diamonds Are Forever looks back on the life of this incredible artist whose music has touched so many. It is an essential buy not only for her countless thousands of fans worldwide, but also for anyone who admires and enjoys her music.
Download or read book Barbara Windsor Shirley Bassey written by Harry Lime and published by . This book was released on 2020-02-28 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dame Barbara Windsor, DBE, born Barbara Ann Deeks, on 6th August 1937, Shoreditch, London, England, UK, is an actress, best known for her appearances in the Carry On films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC1 soap opera EastEnders. She joined the cast of EastEnders during 1994, winning the British Soap Award for Best Actress in 1999, before leaving the show in 2016.
Download or read book America s Mistress written by John L. Williams and published by Quercus. This book was released on 2014-10-07 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Strait-laced, pre-civil rights America wasn't ready for Eartha Kitt. Waiting for others to be ready was never her style. in America's Mistress John L. Williams captures the person behind the myth in this engaging biography but also race relations in Twentieth-century America. From humble roots on a South Carolina cotton plantation, the multilingual, possibly multi-racial chanteuse emerged seemingly from nowhere to seduce the nation and redefine cosmopolitan glamour. Blending intellect, self-awareness and unprecedented sex appeal, she was a Technicolor presence in a black-and-white world. But the key to her allure was always her mystery, and her three not-entirely-consistent autobiographies raise more questions than they answer about who she really was--whether singing, dancing, acting or drawing headlines for her romantic dalliances and political activism. Drawing on extensive original research and interviews with the people who knew her best, Williams delivers a comprehensive, compassionate and thought-provoking record of a life that defied stereotypes, shattered boundaries, yet seemed to fall short of its potential in the end. America's Mistress is ultimately a celebration of a remarkable American life that paved the way for black entertainers from Belafonte to Beyoncé. With objectivity and thoroughness, John L. Williams provides sought-after answers to tantalizing and elusive questions.
Download or read book Shirley written by Muriel Burgess and published by Random House. This book was released on 2013-08-31 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shirley Bassey is one of the all-time greats of the entertainment business. She has sold more records than any other British female singer and still commands massive audiences around the world. Now, after a career spanning decades, her life story can be told: the story of a triumph over enough tragedies to last several lifetimes. The personal hardships that have fuelled the emotionalism of her songs have never before been revealed. Here her poverty-stricken childhood in Wales is detailed: how her mother struggled to bring up seven children on Income Support after their Nigerian father was deported; how she worked in a saucepan factory when her first struggles for stardom were halted by her pregnancy at sixteen. Shirley had a series of tortured loves: she married a homosexual Cockney who died of an overdose; she had a highly publicised affair with actor Peter Finch; and her second marriage, to an Italian, also failed. The shocking death of her second daughter, Samantha, just before her 21st birthday caused Shirley to lose her voice for nearly a year. Behind the showbiz glamour and consummate professionalism lies a fiercely resilient and independent woman.
Download or read book You Re the Voice written by Shirley Bassey and published by Faber Music Limited. This book was released on 2007-06-01 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Features arrangements of classic Shirley Bassey songs for piano, voice and guitar and a short artist biography. This book includes an accompanying CD that contains backing tracks for each song, professionally arranged and recorded to recreate the sounds of the original recording.
Download or read book Anyone Who Had a Heart written by Burt Bacharach and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2013-05-14 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the greatest songwriters of all time finally shares his story. From his tumultuous marriages and the tragic loss of his daughter to his collaborations with Dionne Warwick and the surprising stories behind the songs that generations have come to know and love, Burt Bacharach offers a frank, moving account of an unparalleled life. Over the past six decades, Burt Bacharach's legendary songwriting has touched millions of devoted listeners all over the world. In Anyone Who Had a Heart, Bacharach steps out from behind the music to give an honest, engaging look at his life—from his childhood in Forest Hills, New York, during the 1930s and 1940s to his rise as one of the most accomplished composers in modern popular music, working with Hal David, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Costello, and many others. While he soared professionally, Bacharach's private life was dominated by the never-ending search for love—and the heartbreak that comes when it is lost. His first three marriages ended in divorce. His long-running partnership with the late Hal David suffered a bitter split that lasted seventeen years. Throughout the highs and lows, Bacharach pursued his muse. Powerful and honest, Anyone Who Had a Heart illuminates the sensitivity and intelligence of a musical legend and offers a unique backstage look at the world of show business.
Download or read book Shirley Bassey Barbra Streisand written by Harry Lime and published by . This book was released on 2020-02-22 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey, DBE, born on 8th January 1937, Bute St., Tiger Bay (Butetown), Cardiff, Wales, UK, is a singer whose career began in the mid-1950s, best known for her powerful voice and for recording the theme songs to the James Bond films Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Moonraker (1979). Bassey became the first Welsh person to have a No. 1 single, during January 1959.
Download or read book Little Leaders Bold Women in Black History written by Vashti Harrison and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2017-12-05 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Meet the little leaders. They're brave. They're bold. They changed the world. Featuring 40 trailblazing black women in history, this book educates and inspires as it relates true stories of women who broke boundaries and exceeded all expectations, including: Nurse Mary Seacole Politician Diane Abbott Mathematician Katherine Johnson Singer Shirley Bassey Bestselling author and artist Vashti Harrison pairs captivating text and beautiful illustrations as she tells the stories of both iconic and lesser-known female figures. Among these biographies, readers will find heroes, role models, and everyday women who did extraordinary things.
Download or read book Shirley Bassey written by and published by . This book was released on 1979 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Shirley Bassey written by Shirley BASSEY and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Overpaid Oversexed and Over There written by David Hepworth and published by Random House. This book was released on 2020-09-17 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Beatles landing in New York in February 1964 was the opening shot in a cultural revolution nobody predicted. Suddenly the youth of the richest, most powerful nation on earth was trying to emulate the music, manners and the modes of a rainy island that had recently fallen on hard times. The resulting fusion of American can-do and British fuck-you didn’t just lead to rock and roll’s most resonant music. It ushered in a golden era when a generation of kids born in ration card Britain, who had grown up with their nose pressed against the window of America’s plenty, were invited to wallow in their big neighbour’s largesse. It deals with a time when everything that was being done - from the Beatles playing Shea Stadium to the Rolling Stones at Altamont, from the Who performing their rock opera at the Metropolitan Opera House to David Bowie touching down in the USA for the first time with a couple of gowns in his luggage - was being done for the very first time. Rock and roll would never be quite so exciting again.
Download or read book Shirley Bassey written by Eleri Llewelyn Morris and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Jet written by and published by . This book was released on 1964-10-01 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The weekly source of African American political and entertainment news.
