How old is Dame Shirley Bassey, which James Bond theme songs did she perform and what is her net worth?
DAME Shirley Bassey is one of Britain’s all-time great divas and is best known for recording multiple theme songs for James Bond movies.
But what is her net worth, which James Bond songs did she sing and how many times has she been married?
What is Dame Shirley Bassey's background? And how old is she?
Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey, DBE, 81, was born January 8, 1937 in Tiger Bay in the Cardiff Docklands and is a Welsh singer whose career began in the mid-1950s.
In January 1959, Shirley became the first Welsh person to gain a No.1 single.
In 2000 the singer was made a Dame for services to the performing arts.
Speaking about how she felt about receiving the honour, she told MI6-HQ: "I was fast asleep. My manager had arranged to wake me up very early the next morning because we had a meeting.
“He had the keys to my apartment and came and twiddled my toes to wake me gently, and I said 'will you please go away, I'm so tired, I want to go back to sleep'.
“I thought he'd gone, because it was very quiet, and I was just going back to sleep again, and a voice said 'So you don't want to be a dame then?'
“I shot bolt upright in bed and said 'I'm a dame?!' And that's how I took the news."
Bassey was also given the Order of the Companions in the 2024 New Year’s honours.
Dame Shirley said: "Receiving the Order of the Companions of Honour is just one of the most wonderful feelings.
"Music has been a constant companion in my life. As a little girl growing up in Tiger Bay, I would dream of travelling the world and never imagined that one day, my voice would take me to where I am now.
"Every step of my career has been about taking that chance, believing in myself and making that leap.
"I live to sing and love to perform. Entertaining audiences for over 70 years has been a privilege. My heart is full of emotion and I am truly humbled."
Which James Bond theme songs did Dame Shirley do?
Shirley is best known for recording the theme songs to THREE James Bond films
They are:
- Goldfinger (1964)
- Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
- Moonraker (1979)
Who are Shirley's ex-husbands?
Shirley's first marriage was to Kenneth Hume in 1961.
The couple separated in 1964 and divorced in 1965 in the wake of the singer's affair with actor Peter Finch.
She then married Sergio Novak, the assistant manager of the Excelsior Hotel in Venice, Italy.
They were married from 1968 but divorced in 1979.
Shirley has three children - Sharon, Samantha and Mark.
Samantha died in 1985, aged just 21.
She was found dead in the River Avon in Bristol - Shirley has always maintained that the death of her daughter was not suicide.
What is Shirley's net worth?
Dame Shirley has amassed a reasonable fortune during her time in the spotlight.
She is worth an estimated £7.5 million.
This is through her career as a singer and also many live performances.