July 13, 2008 Dame Shirley Bassey at 71

	Dame Shirley Bassey (see photo: Waxwork of Shirley on display at Madam Tussaud's) was rushed to hospital in Monaco at 5 AM of May 23, 2008 to have an 'emergency operation to relieve stomach complication' after complaining of abdominal pains, she was as of May 28 recovering and was expected to recover in time for her performance at Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday concert in Hyde Park in London on June 27, 2008. But Shirley was forced to pull out of the concert due to her illness.
Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey DBE (born 8 January 1937, Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh singer. She performed the theme songs to the James Bond films Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Moonraker (1979). She is the only singer to have recorded more than one James Bond theme song. Bassey is an international artist who has accumulated 20 silver discs for sales in Britain, Europe and the Middle East; fifty-plus gold discs for international record sales; and a platinum greatest-hits collection. The Living Tree, written, produced and originally recorded by the group Never the Bride, was released as a single on 23 April 2007, marking Bassey's 50th anniversary in the singles chart - and the record for the longest span of top 40 hits in UK chart history. Bassey made an appearance at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival. Wearing a pink Julien MacDonald dress, she performed a 45 minute set to riotous applause. A new album Get the Party Started was subsequently released on 25 June 2007 and entered the UK charts at number six. The same year, Bassey performed Big Spender with Elton John at his annual White Tie and Tiara Ball to raise money for The Elton John AIDS Foundation. In August 2007, Bassey signed a new recording contract with Universal Music's Decca Records and has been reported to be collaborating with Pink. Also in 2007, Bassey performed in Fashion Rocks in aid of The Prince's Trust at the Royal Albert Hall. A biography Diamond Diva was published in 2008. Awards & Achievements 1959 - Number One single: As I Love You, UK Chart 1961 - Number One single: Climb ev'ry Mountain / Reach for the Stars, UK Chart 1965 - Number One OST: Goldfinger, US Chart 1965 - Gold single: Goldfinger, US Chart 1973 - Best female singer - TV Times, UK 1974 - Best female entertainer - American Guild of Variety Artists 1976 - Best female singer - Music Week, UK 1977 - Platinum album: 25th Anniversary Album 1977 - Best British female solo singer in the last 50 years of recorded sound - (BRIT Awards winner) 1985 - Star of Sopot Festival (International Song Festival), Poland 1985 - Gold video: Live in Cardiff 1991 - Walk of Fame Star Boulevard - plaque unveiled in Rotterdam 1993 - CBE - Commander of the British Empire 1995 - Showbusiness personality of the year - Variety Club of Great Britain 1996 - Europe's Lifetime Achievement Award - Ceremony held in Germany 1997 - Number One single: History Repeating, UK Dance Chart 1997 - Grammy nomination - The Birthday Concert (recorded live at Althorp Park) 1997 - Diamond Award - Belgium 1999 - Number One album: Land of my Fathers, UK Compliation Chart / NZ Chart 1999 - Légion d'honneur - France 1999 - DBE - Dame of the British Empire 1999 - Madam Tussaud's - waxwork unveiled in London (second model in Las Vegas) 2003 - Outstanding contribution to music - National Music Awards, UK 2003 - Woman of the Year - Western Mail Welsh Woman of the Year Awards 2004 - Greatest Black Briton, Shirley voted into the top ten - BBC 2004 - Artist for Peace Award - UNESCO 2005 - Avenue of Stars - plaque unveiled in London 2008 - Goldfinger - United Artists single (1964) inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame
Goldfinger - Shirley Bassey at National Music Awards 2003

SOURCE: Dame Shirley Bassey

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