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    • Cliff Richard

    Wikipedia

    IMDb

    British singer

    Sir Cliff Richard, born Harry Rodger Webb, is a legendary British singer and actor who has sold over 21.5 million singles in the UK alone. With a career spanning over 65 years, he has amassed numerous awards and hit singles, cementing his status as one of the top-selling artists in UK history.

    Table of Contents

    Occupation

    actor

    amateur radio operator

    autobiographer

    entrepreneur

    film actor

    guitarist

    singer

    songwriter

    television actor

    About the Cliff Richard

    Sir Cliff Richard is a British singer and actor. He has total sales of over 21.5 million singles in the United Kingdom and, as of 2012, was the third-top-selling artist in UK Singles Chart history, behind the Beatles and Elvis Presley.

    Richard was originally marketed as a rebellious rock and roll singer in the style of Presley and Little Richard. With his backing group, the Shadows, he dominated the British popular music scene in the pre-Beatles period of the late 1950s to early 1960s. His 1958 hit single “Move It” is often described as Britain’s first authentic rock and roll song. In the early 1960s, he had a successful screen career with films including The Young Ones, Summer Holiday and Wonderful Life and his own television show at the BBC. Increased focus on his Christian faith and subsequent softening of his music led to a more middle-of-the-road image, and he sometimes ventured into contemporary Christian music.

    In a career spanning over 65 years, Richard has amassed several gold and platinum discs and awards, including two Ivor Novello Awards and three Brit Awards. More than 130 of his singles, albums, and EPs have reached the UK Top 20, more than any other artist. Richard has had 67 UK top ten singles, the second highest total for an artist (behind Presley). He holds the record, with Presley, as the only act to make the UK singles charts in all of its first six decades (1950s-2000s). He has achieved 14 UK No. 1 singles, and is the only singer to have had a No. 1 single in the UK in each of five consecutive decades. He also had four UK Christmas No. 1 singles, two of which were as a solo artist; “Mistletoe and Wine” and “Saviour’s Day”.

    By the late-1990s, Richard had sold more than 250 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has never achieved the same popularity in the United States despite eight US Top 40 singles, including the million-selling “Devil Woman” and “We Don’t Talk Anymore”. In Canada, he had a successful period in the early 1960s, the late 1970s and early 1980s, with some releases certified gold and platinum. He has remained a popular music, film, and television personality at home in the UK as well as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Northern Europe and Asia, and retains a following in other countries. When not touring, he divides his time between Barbados and Portugal. In 2019, he relocated to New York.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Sir Cliff Richard’s real name is Harry Rodger Webb. He was born on 14 October 1940.

    Cliff Richard has sold over 21.5 million singles in the United Kingdom, making him the third-top-selling artist in UK Singles Chart history.

    Cliff Richard’s 1958 hit single ,Move It, is often described as Britain’s first authentic rock and roll song.

    Cliff Richard has had 67 UK top ten singles, the second highest total for an artist, behind only Elvis Presley.

    Cliff Richard holds the record, with Elvis Presley, as the only act to make the UK singles charts in all of its first six decades, from the 1950s to the 2000s.

    Cliff Richard has achieved 14 UK number one singles, and is the only singer to have had a number one single in the UK in each of five consecutive decades.

    By the late-1990s, Cliff Richard had sold more than 250 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

    37 Quotes by Cliff Richard

    1. 1.

      Of course, when I started my career, like anyone else who was 16 at the time, we were besotted by the rock-n-roll scene from America, and all I was interested in was having a career of my own.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    2. 2.

      I’m very grateful because my fans are very loyal.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    3. 3.

      About two months ago I finished a gospel tour.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    4. 4.

      I involve myself in an organisation called Tear Fund.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    5. 5.

      Celebrities meet a lot of people and we just can’t maintain them all in our fuddled brains.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    6. 6.

      But Portugal has a peaceful feel about it. I sit on the terrace overlooking the vineyard there and I feel cut off from the world. You need that sort of thing.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    7. 7.

      When I became a Christian my confidence grew.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    8. 8.

      If you have got the public in the palm of your hand, you can be sure that is where they want to be.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    9. 9.

      And, of course, Barbados is the other place where I like to be.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    10. 10.

      There is no better news, than the fact that Jesus can actually turn a life upside down and save it.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    11. 11.

      There’s loads of things you can do to make things easy for your throat, you can drink a bit of lemon and hot water couple of spoons of honey, you can gargle with port, I’ve done it a couple of times myself – but don’t swallow it!

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    12. 12.

      But Jesus changes your attitude towards yourself and towards other people.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    13. 13.

      If you can play guitar and sing, you can probably get a gig down the road playing at a restaurant, but don’t throw your life away chasing something that is so elusive it will only lead you to regret and may turn you bitter.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    14. 14.

      Our industry is full of all sorts of eccentricities and one of them is owning property.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    15. 15.

      It’s important to put all I have into my career.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    16. 16.

      I don’t mean that if you’re a Christian, walking close to God, you will immediately gain celebrity. you may fail as an artist, because you may not have what the public want at that time, and you have to be prepared for that.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    17. 17.

      I realised that God has placed Christians everywhere, to support each other, to support the needy in those areas, and that is the thing that I find is a great plus.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    18. 18.

      I’ve got two places I like to be. Portugal is one.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    19. 19.

      But if you have a solid walk with the Lord, then you won’t fear that failure.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    20. 20.

      If I’m going to represent God I have to do it the best I can.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    21. 21.

      I can say I have become far more open about what I believe.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    22. 22.

      But, of course, one relies on the everyday people who just simply like your music, for whom you may not be a hobby but they enjoy being in your presence at a concert.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    23. 23.

      When you use music to worship you are not attempting to entertain.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    24. 24.

      The thrill of hearing your own voice recorded is still there, I still love it, going into the studio and thinking how can I sing this song and between the producers and the musicians you find a way of doing it.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    25. 25.

      Someone recommended that I read the Bible, and it was then I discovered that I knew nothing about it.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    26. 26.

      We need to be adopted by God through Jesus – that was what happened to me, and that’s what changed my life so that now, I can see that my career can be part of a calling.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    27. 27.

      When you’re out there with thousands of people it’s probably better to have a bigger show to look at, and it turned out really well and they videoed it for me.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    28. 28.

      So I will go as far as I can into rock and roll carrying my Christian banner.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    29. 29.

      It is important to have a circle of Christians friends, which I do have.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    30. 30.

      I have a group of people, about 40, in a local church in Surrey in England, who pray for me regularly.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    31. 31.

      When I use music on stage, the prime directive is to entertain the public, so it is different.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    32. 32.

      The more I read my Bible the more I veered away from the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    33. 33.

      It’s the business I’m in, I can’t say that signing things is the favourite part of my career but you know that it has to be done and that there is no pain involved.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    34. 34.

      I have tried to have a regular daily intake from my Bible, regardless of how late it is.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    35. 35.

      We need to pray and read the Bible every day, and regardless of whatever else happens to you, that tends to keep you close to Him, because you are constantly in touch through His Word.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    36. 36.

      Financial support is one thing, but I always think what becomes really sacrificial is your time.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer

    37. 37.

      The only advice I would give Christians entering the world of arts: give yourself a period of time, maybe three or four years. If you haven’t made it in your chosen art form, dump it.

      Cliff Richard

      British singer