Cliff Richard - 1958—1963: Success and stardom

Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb in Lucknow, India, on October 14, 1940) is one of the United Kingdom's most popular singers. With his backing group The Shadows, he dominated the British popular music scene in the late 1950s and early 1960s, before the advent of The Beatles. A conversion to Christianity and subsequent softening of his music led to his having more of a pop than rock image. Although never able to achieve a significant impact in the United States, Richard has remained a popula ...

Including:

• Cliff Richard - Early life
• Cliff Richard - 1958—1963: Success and stardom
• Cliff Richard - 1964—1975: Changing circumstances
• Cliff Richard - 1976—1994: Comeback
• Cliff Richard - 1995—: Sir Cliff
• Cliff Richard - Chart accomplishments
• Cliff Richard - Christmas songs
• Cliff Richard - Discography

Read more here: » Cliff Richard: Encyclopedia - Cliff Richard

The Anglo Indian Harry Webb came from a skiffle group to be lead singer of the rock n roll Drifters in 1958 (not to be confused with the American group of the same name). Before their first "big time" out of town performance at the Regal Ballroom in Ripley they took the name Cliff Richard and the Drifters. The members of this band were Harry, who had become Cliff, Ian "Sammy" Samwell, Terry Smart and Norman Mitham. None o ...

See also:

Cliff Richard, Cliff Richard - 1958—1963: Success and stardom, Cliff Richard - 1964—1975: Changing circumstances, Cliff Richard - 1976—1994: Comeback, Cliff Richard - 1995—: Sir Cliff, Cliff Richard - Sexuality, Cliff Richard - Chart accomplishments, Cliff Richard - Christmas songs, Cliff Richard - Discography

Read more here: » Cliff Richard: Encyclopedia II - Cliff Richard - 1958—1963: Success and stardom

Cliff Richard, a guitarist and lead singer, was one of the founding members of The Drifters (not to be confused with the American group of the same name). At the suggestion of a manager, who thought it would be good to have someone's name out front, they became Cliff Richard and the Drifters and later Cliff Richard and the Shadows. Cliff gained a contract with EMI in the summer of 1958, where he remained until signing with Decca in 2004. Cliff went into Abbey Road Studios to record his first record on July 24, 1958, but the producer, ...

See also:

Cliff Richard, Cliff Richard - Early life, Cliff Richard - 1958—1963: Success and stardom, Cliff Richard - 1964—1975: Changing circumstances, Cliff Richard - 1976—1994: Comeback, Cliff Richard - 1995—: Sir Cliff, Cliff Richard - Chart accomplishments, Cliff Richard - Christmas songs, Cliff Richard - Discography

Read more here: » Cliff Richard: Encyclopedia II - Cliff Richard - 1958—1963: Success and stardom

However, Cliff and others (like his former Shadow, Bruce Welch) decided that they would bring Cliff Richard out as a "rock" artist again. This collaboration produced the 1976 landmark Cliff album I'm Nearly Famous, which brought about the classic rock guitar-driven track "Devil Woman" and the haunting "Miss You Nights". It was not just Cliff and the fans who were excited that the man who had begun and led British rock from the start was back in strength, but also a host of big music names. People like Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Elt ...

See also:

Cliff Richard, Cliff Richard - 1958—1963: Success and stardom, Cliff Richard - 1964—1975: Changing circumstances, Cliff Richard - 1976—1994: Comeback, Cliff Richard - 1995—: Sir Cliff, Cliff Richard - Sexuality, Cliff Richard - Chart accomplishments, Cliff Richard - Christmas songs, Cliff Richard - Discography

Read more here: » Cliff Richard: Encyclopedia II - Cliff Richard - 1976—1994: Comeback

Cliff Richard reached the pinnacle of his career when he was knighted on 25 October 1995. He was the first rock star to be so honoured, ahead of Sir Paul McCartney (1997) and Sir Elton John (1998). Sir Cliff is number 56 in the 2002 100 Greatest Britons list, sponsored by the BBC and voted for by the public. Adored especially by middle-aged women, many of whom camp out for his concert tickets, he has become a fixture of the British entertainment world and of British public life, an icon and all the more ...

See also:

Cliff Richard, Cliff Richard - 1958—1963: Success and stardom, Cliff Richard - 1964—1975: Changing circumstances, Cliff Richard - 1976—1994: Comeback, Cliff Richard - 1995—: Sir Cliff, Cliff Richard - Sexuality, Cliff Richard - Chart accomplishments, Cliff Richard - Christmas songs, Cliff Richard - Discography

Read more here: » Cliff Richard: Encyclopedia II - Cliff Richard - 1995—: Sir Cliff

Cliff Richard has aimed for the Christmas number one single on several occasions, sometimes successfully and other times not. His first Christmas number one (on some charts) was in 1960, but it was not a Yuletide-themed song: 1960: "I Love You" (#1) In later years, he often released songs with a Christmas or other religious theme: 1982: "Little Town" (#12) 1988: "Mistletoe & Wine" (#1) 1989: "Whenever God Shines His Light" (duet with Van Morrison, #20) 1990: "Saviours' Day" (#1) 1999: "Millennium Prayer" (#1, but dropped off the top before Chr ...

See also:

Cliff Richard, Cliff Richard - 1958—1963: Success and stardom, Cliff Richard - 1964—1975: Changing circumstances, Cliff Richard - 1976—1994: Comeback, Cliff Richard - 1995—: Sir Cliff, Cliff Richard - Sexuality, Cliff Richard - Chart accomplishments, Cliff Richard - Christmas songs, Cliff Richard - Discography

Read more here: » Cliff Richard: Encyclopedia II - Cliff Richard - Christmas songs

As with the other existing rock acts in Britain, Richard's career took an impact with the advent of The Beatles and the Mersey sound in 1963 and 1964. However, his popularity was great enough that he was able to weather the storm, and continued to chart successfully throughout the 1960s, albeit not at the level before. Nor did it open doors to the US market; he was not part of the British Invasion, and the American public had little awareness of him. Another important aspect of Cliff's life was his conversion to Christianity in 1964. ...

See also:

Cliff Richard, Cliff Richard - 1958—1963: Success and stardom, Cliff Richard - 1964—1975: Changing circumstances, Cliff Richard - 1976—1994: Comeback, Cliff Richard - 1995—: Sir Cliff, Cliff Richard - Sexuality, Cliff Richard - Chart accomplishments, Cliff Richard - Christmas songs, Cliff Richard - Discography

Read more here: » Cliff Richard: Encyclopedia II - Cliff Richard - 1964—1975: Changing circumstances

However, Cliff and others (like his former Shadow, Bruce Welch) decided that they would bring Cliff Richard out as a "rock" artist again. This collaboration produced the 1976 landmark Cliff album I'm Nearly Famous, which brought about the classic rock guitar-driven track "Devil Woman" and the haunting "Miss You Nights". It was not just Cliff and the fans who were excited that the man who had begun and led British rock from the start was back in strength, but also a host of big music names. People like Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Elt ...

See also:

Cliff Richard, Cliff Richard - Early life, Cliff Richard - 1958—1963: Success and stardom, Cliff Richard - 1964—1975: Changing circumstances, Cliff Richard - 1976—1994: Comeback, Cliff Richard - 1995—: Sir Cliff, Cliff Richard - Chart accomplishments, Cliff Richard - Christmas songs, Cliff Richard - Discography

Read more here: » Cliff Richard: Encyclopedia II - Cliff Richard - 1976—1994: Comeback

Cliff Richard has aimed for the Christmas number one single on several occasions, sometimes successfully and other times not. His first Christmas number one (on some charts) was in 1960, but it was not a Yuletide-themed song: 1960: "I Love You" (#1) In later years, he often released songs with a Christmas or other religious theme: 1982: "Little Town" (#12) 1988: "Mistletoe & Wine" (#1) 1989: "Whenever God Shines His Light" (duet with Van Morrison, #20) 1990: "Saviours' Day" (#1) 1999: "Millennium Prayer" (#1, but dropped off the top before Chr ...

See also:

Cliff Richard, Cliff Richard - Early life, Cliff Richard - 1958—1963: Success and stardom, Cliff Richard - 1964—1975: Changing circumstances, Cliff Richard - 1976—1994: Comeback, Cliff Richard - 1995—: Sir Cliff, Cliff Richard - Chart accomplishments, Cliff Richard - Christmas songs, Cliff Richard - Discography

Read more here: » Cliff Richard: Encyclopedia II - Cliff Richard - Christmas songs

As with the other existing rock acts in Britain, Richard's career took an impact with the advent of The Beatles and the Mersey sound in 1963 and 1964. However, his popularity was great enough that he was able to weather the storm, and continued to chart successfully throughout the 1960s, albeit not at the level before. Nor did it open doors to the US market; he was not part of the British Invasion, and the American public had little awareness of him. Another important aspect of Cliff's life was his conversion to Christianity in 1964. ...

See also:

Cliff Richard, Cliff Richard - Early life, Cliff Richard - 1958—1963: Success and stardom, Cliff Richard - 1964—1975: Changing circumstances, Cliff Richard - 1976—1994: Comeback, Cliff Richard - 1995—: Sir Cliff, Cliff Richard - Chart accomplishments, Cliff Richard - Christmas songs, Cliff Richard - Discography

Read more here: » Cliff Richard: Encyclopedia II - Cliff Richard - 1964—1975: Changing circumstances

Cliff Richard reached the pinnacle of his career when he was knighted on 25 October 1995. He was the first rock star to be so honoured, ahead of Sir Paul McCartney (1997) and Sir Elton John (1998). Sir Cliff is number 56 in the 2002 100 Greatest Britons list, sponsored by the BBC and voted for by the public. Adored especially by middle-aged women, many of whom camp out for his concert tickets, he has become a fixture of the British entertainment world and of British public life, an icon all the moreso ...

See also:

Cliff Richard, Cliff Richard - Early life, Cliff Richard - 1958—1963: Success and stardom, Cliff Richard - 1964—1975: Changing circumstances, Cliff Richard - 1976—1994: Comeback, Cliff Richard - 1995—: Sir Cliff, Cliff Richard - Chart accomplishments, Cliff Richard - Christmas songs, Cliff Richard - Discography

Read more here: » Cliff Richard: Encyclopedia II - Cliff Richard - 1995—: Sir Cliff