Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard is a British singer and actor born in 1940 in Lakhna'ū, United Kingdom. His full name is Sir Harry Rodger Webb. He works across pop, pop rock, rock, rock and roll, baroque pop and christmas music.

Career

He begins his recording career as a rock and roll singer in the style of Elvis Presley and Little Richard. With his backing group the Shadows, he becomes a leading figure in British popular music in the late 1950s and early 1960s. His 1958 single "Move It" is often described as Britain’s first authentic rock and roll song.

Richard sells over 21.5 million singles in the United Kingdom and has more than 130 singles, albums and EPs in the UK Top 20, which is a record for any artist. He has 67 UK top ten singles, 14 UK number-one singles, and he is the only artist with a number-one single in each of five consecutive decades. He also shares the record for charting in the UK singles charts in each of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

Film and television

Alongside music, he pursues a film career and appears in Expresso Bongo (1959), The Young Ones (1961), Summer Holiday (1963) and Wonderful Life (1964). He also hosts his own BBC television show.

Later work and style

Later in his career, his Christian faith influences a softer musical style and occasional work in contemporary Christian music. He remains active over a career spanning more than 65 years.

Success and recognition

By the late 1990s, he has sold over 250 million records worldwide. He receives two Ivor Novello Awards, three Brit Awards and multiple gold and platinum discs. He also has four UK Christmas number-one singles, including the solo hits "Mistletoe and Wine" and "Saviour's Day".

International chart performance

His chart success in the United States is limited, but he has eight Top 40 singles there, including "Devil Woman" and "We Don't Talk Anymore". He also finds success in Canada in the early 1960s and again in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with some releases certified gold and platinum. He remains a notable figure in music, film and television in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Northern Europe and parts of Asia.

Albums

His studio albums include Cliff, Cliff Sings, Me and My Shadows, Listen to Cliff!, 21 Today, The Young Ones, 32 Minutes and 17 Seconds with Cliff Richard, Summer Holiday, When in Spain, Wonderful Life, Cliff Richard, When in Rome, Love is Forever, Kinda Latin, Finders Keepers, Cinderella, Don't Stop Me Now!, Good News, Two a Penny, Established 1958, Sincerely, About That Man, Tracks 'n Grooves, His Land, Take Me High, Help It Along, 31 February Street, I'm Nearly Famous, Every Face Tells a Story, Small Corners, Green Light, Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile, I'm No Hero, Wired for Sound, Now You See Me, Now You Don't, Dressed for the Occasion, Silver, The Rock Connection, Always Guaranteed, Stronger, The Album, Songs from Heathcliff, Real as I Wanna Be, Wanted, Cliff at Christmas, The World Tour, Something's Goin' On, Two's Company, Love... The Album, Bold as Brass, Soulicious, Let Me Tell You Baby...It's Called Rock 'N' Roll!, The Fabulous Rock 'n' Roll Songbook, Just... Fabulous Rock 'n' Roll, Rise Up, Music... The Air That I Breathe, Christmas with Cliff and Cliff with Strings - My Kinda Life.