Shirley Bassey: The Life Story Behind the Goldfinger Voice

Shirley Bassey is the voice that made James Bond sound dangerous, glamorous and unforgettable. When she sang Goldfinger in 1964, she did not just sing a theme song. She created a sound that has defined Bond films ever since, a big, bold, dramatic voice that fills a cinema and makes the audience sit up. She sang Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker too, becoming the only singer to perform three Bond themes. She is a Welsh singer from Tiger Bay in Cardiff, a woman who left school at fifteen, worked in a factory, and became a dame, a legend, and one of the greatest voices in British music.

She was born in 1937, the youngest of seven children, in a poor, crowded part of Cardiff where sailors from around the world lived side by side. Her father was Nigerian, her mother was English, and she grew up in a community that was mixed, musical and tough. She sang in clubs, she was spotted by a talent scout, and she became famous before she was twenty. Her story is about a voice, a place, a family and a woman who never gave up, even when life was hard, even when people doubted her, and even when tragedy struck her family.

What makes Shirley worth writing about is the power of her voice and the length of her career. She has been singing for more than seventy years, and her voice is still strong. She has sung in Las Vegas, she has sung for royalty, she has sung at the Royal Albert Hall, and she has been honoured as a Dame. She has faced racism, she has faced loss, and she has kept singing. Her life shows that a girl from a poor part of Cardiff can become a world star, if she has a voice, a will, and a refusal to give up.

Tiger Bay, Cardiff and a Girl With a Big Voice

Shirley Veronica Bassey was born on 8 January 1937 in Tiger Bay, Cardiff, Wales. Tiger Bay was a dockland area, home to sailors and workers from many countries, including Nigeria, Somalia, Yemen and the Caribbean. Shirley’s father, Henry Bassey, was Nigerian, and her mother, Eliza Jane, was English. Shirley was the youngest of seven children, and the family lived in a small house in a crowded street. Life was hard, money was short, and the family relied on each other. Shirley grew up hearing music from many cultures, and she sang from a very young age.

She left school at fifteen, and she went to work in a factory, packing china. She did not like factory work, and she dreamed of singing. She sang in clubs in Cardiff, in pubs and in working men’s clubs, where audiences loved her powerful voice. She was a young girl with a big voice, and people noticed. She was spotted by a talent scout, and she began to sing professionally. She made her first records in the mid-1950s, and she toured Britain, singing in theatres and in clubs. She was still a teenager, but she was already a professional singer.

Her early life was not easy. She was a young Black woman in Britain in the 1950s, a time when racism was open and common. She faced prejudice, she was turned away from places, and she was judged for her colour as well as for her voice. She did not let it stop her. She sang louder, she dressed better, and she worked harder. She knew that her voice was her gift, and that no one could take it from her. She also knew that she had to be twice as good as other singers to be accepted, and she was. Her voice was so powerful, so clear, so dramatic, that audiences could not ignore it.

She became a mother at a young age, having a daughter, Sharon, in 1954, when she was seventeen. She raised Sharon with the help of her family, and she kept singing. She later had another daughter, Samantha, in 1963. Being a young mother and a singer was hard, and Shirley had to balance work and family. She did it with the help of her mother and her sisters, and with a determination to give her children a better life than she had. Her family was always important to her, and it stayed important throughout her career.

The Banana Boat Song, As I Love You and the First Hits

In the late 1950s, Shirley began to have hits in Britain. Her first big hit was The Banana Boat Song in 1957, a lively song that showed her fun, playful side. She followed it with Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me in 1958, a song that became a hit and is still remembered today. In 1959, she had her first number one hit in Britain with As I Love You, a romantic ballad that showed the power and the tenderness of her voice. She was twenty-two years old, and she was a star. She had gone from a factory in Cardiff to the top of the charts in less than five years.

She also began to perform in America, singing in Las Vegas and in New York. She was a glamorous figure, wearing beautiful gowns, with her hair styled and her voice filling the room. She sang in clubs, in theatres, and on television, and American audiences loved her. She was not a pop singer in the usual sense. She was a cabaret singer, a woman who could hold a stage with her voice alone, without a band or a show. She was a star, and she knew it. She worked hard, she dressed well, and she gave her audiences a show they would never forget.

In the early 1960s, she had more hits, including Reach for the Stars in 1961, a song that became a number one hit in Britain, and What Now My Love, a dramatic ballad that showed the full range of her voice. She was one of the most popular singers in Britain, and she was known for her big voice, her glamour, and her stage presence. She sang with an orchestra, she wore long gowns, and she made every song sound like a drama. She was not a quiet singer. She was a singer who filled a room, and who made people feel something.

Her personal life in these years was complicated. She married Kenneth Hume, a theatrical producer, in 1961, and they divorced in 1965. She later married Sergio Novak, an Italian producer, in 1968, and they divorced in 1979. She had relationships, she had children, and she lived a life that was often in the press. She did not hide her life, and she did not pretend to be perfect. She was a woman who loved, who worked, and who lived fully. Her marriages did not last, but her career did, and her voice did. She kept singing, and she kept going.

Goldfinger and the Voice of James Bond

In 1964, Shirley was asked to sing the theme song for the James Bond film Goldfinger, starring Sean Connery. The song was written by John Barry, Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, and it was a dramatic, powerful song about a man who loves gold. Shirley sang it with a voice that was bold, brassy and unforgettable. She held the final note for a long time, a note that became famous, and that showed the power of her lungs. The song became a huge hit, reaching the top ten in America and in Britain, and it became the most famous Bond theme ever made. Goldfinger is still the song that people think of when they think of James Bond, and Shirley’s voice is the reason.

She sang two more Bond themes, Diamonds Are Forever in 1971 and Moonraker in 1979, becoming the only singer to perform three Bond themes. Diamonds Are Forever is a slow, sexy song about a woman who loves diamonds, and Shirley sang it with a cool, confident voice. Moonraker is a romantic, sweeping song, and she sang it with warmth and with style. The three Bond songs made her a legend, and they gave her a place in film history that no other singer has. She is the voice of Bond, and she will always be.

The Bond songs also made her famous around the world. She toured America, Europe, Asia and Australia, singing Goldfinger to audiences who cheered and screamed. She performed in Las Vegas, in New York, in London, and in many other cities. She wore beautiful gowns, she sang with a big orchestra, and she gave her audiences a show. She was a glamorous star, a woman who knew how to hold a stage, and how to make a song sound important. Goldfinger was not just a song. It was a performance, and Shirley was the performer.

She also continued to have hits in the 1970s, including Something in 1970, a song written by George Harrison of the Beatles, and Never, Never, Never in 1973, a dramatic ballad that became a hit in Britain. She sang on television, she appeared in concerts, and she remained one of the most popular singers in Britain. She was not a pop star chasing the charts. She was a cabaret star, a woman who sang for audiences who loved her voice, her glamour and her style. She was a star, and she stayed a star.

Loss, Las Vegas and a Dame in Her Seventies

In 1985, Shirley faced a terrible loss. Her daughter Samantha, who was twenty-one, died after falling from a bridge in Bristol. The death was ruled a suicide, though Shirley has always had doubts about what happened. The loss devastated her. She has spoken about it rarely, and with great sadness, saying that losing a child is the worst thing a parent can face. She kept singing, because singing was her way of coping, but the loss stayed with her. It is a part of her story that is hard to read, and hard to write about, but it is a real part of her life. She survived it, and she kept going, for her other daughter, for her family, and for her fans.

In the years that followed, Shirley continued to perform. She sang in Las Vegas, she sang in London, and she toured the world. She released new albums, she sang at the Royal Albert Hall, and she performed for royalty. She was honoured as a Dame in 2000, becoming Dame Shirley Bassey, for her services to music. It was a great honour, and she accepted it with pride. She said that it was a dream come true for a girl from Tiger Bay, and that she was grateful to her family, her fans and Wales. She had gone from a factory in Cardiff to a damehood, and it was a remarkable journey.

She also became a beloved figure in British life, known for her glamour, her voice and her humour. She appeared on television, she sang at the BBC Proms, and she performed at the Diamond Jubilee concert for Queen Elizabeth II in 2012, singing Goldfinger to a huge crowd in London. The performance was a highlight of the concert, and it showed that Shirley, at seventy-five, could still sing with power and with style. She was a legend, and she was still here, still singing, still making people cheer.

In recent years, she has performed less often, but she still sings. She released the album I Owe It All to You in 2020, and she has appeared in documentaries about her life. She lives in Monaco, and she keeps in touch with her family. Her daughter Sharon is a part of her life, and her grandchildren are a joy to her. She has faced illness, she has faced loss, and she has kept her dignity. From a girl in Tiger Bay who left school at fifteen, to a dame in her eighties still singing, she has lived a life that is full, dramatic and inspiring. Her story is not finished, and her voice is still being heard by new listeners every day.

Something, Never Never Never and the Cabaret Queen

In 1970, Shirley recorded Something, a song written by George Harrison of the Beatles. The song is a beautiful, tender ballad about love, and Shirley sang it with a warmth and a power that made it her own. It became a hit, and it showed that she could sing a gentle song as well as a dramatic one. She also had a hit in 1973 with Never, Never, Never, a dramatic ballad that became a top ten hit in Britain. The song is about a woman who says she will never fall in love again, and Shirley sang it with a passion that made audiences cheer. These songs showed the range of her voice, from soft and tender to loud and dramatic, and they kept her at the top of British music in the 1970s.

She was a cabaret queen, a singer who performed in clubs, in theatres, and in concert halls, with a big orchestra and a beautiful gown. She sang in Las Vegas, in New York, in London, and in many other cities, and she gave her audiences a show they would never forget. She wore long gowns, she sang with a big band, and she made every song sound like a drama. She was not a pop singer chasing the charts. She was a performer, a woman who could hold a stage with her voice alone. Her concerts were events, and people dressed up to see her. She was a star, and she knew how to be one.

She also appeared on television, singing on shows in Britain and America, and she became a familiar face to audiences who did not go to concerts. She sang Goldfinger on television, she sang Diamonds Are Forever, and she made people smile with her humour and her warmth. She was a funny woman, with a quick wit and a Liverpool accent that she never lost, even though she was from Cardiff. She made jokes, she laughed, and she made her audiences laugh. That humour made her loved, and it made her concerts feel like parties. She was not a distant star. She was a warm, funny woman who loved to sing.

Her personal life in the 1970s was busy. She raised her daughters, she toured, she recorded, and she lived in many places. She was a working mother, a singer, and a star, all at the same time. She did it with energy, with humour, and with a lot of hard work. She was a woman who could do many things, and who did them well. Her family was always important to her, and she kept her private life mostly private, away from the press. She was a star, but she was also a mother, and she took both roles seriously.

The Diamond Jubilee, Later Albums and a Legend at Ninety

In 2012, Shirley performed at the Diamond Jubilee concert for Queen Elizabeth II, singing Goldfinger to a huge crowd in London, outside Buckingham Palace. She was seventy-five years old, and she sang with power, with style, and with joy. The performance was a highlight of the concert, and it showed that Shirley, at seventy-five, could still sing with the same power she had in 1964. The crowd cheered, the Queen smiled, and Shirley took a bow. It was a moment of national pride, a Welsh singer from Tiger Bay singing for the Queen, and it was a fitting honour for a woman who had given so much to British music.

She also released new albums in later years, including the album I Owe It All to You in 2020, at the age of eighty-three. The album featured new songs and old favourites, and it showed that her voice was still strong. She sang with warmth, with feeling, and with a style that was unmistakably Shirley. She was not trying to be young. She was singing as an older woman, with the experience of a long life behind her, and her fans loved her for it. The album was well received, and it showed that she was still a singer with something to say.

She has also been honoured in many ways. She was made a Dame in 2000, she has received honorary degrees, and she has been celebrated in documentaries and in books. She is a legend in Wales, in Britain, and around the world. She lives in Monaco, and she keeps in touch with her family. Her daughter Sharon is a part of her life, and her grandchildren are a joy to her. She has faced illness, she has faced loss, and she has kept her dignity. From a girl in Tiger Bay who left school at fifteen, to a dame in her eighties still singing, she has lived a life that is full, dramatic and inspiring. Her story is not finished, and her voice is still being heard by new listeners every day.

The Bond films have kept Shirley’s voice in front of new audiences in a way that few singers ever experience. Every time a Bond film is shown on television, every time a new Bond actor is announced, every time a compilation of Bond themes is released, Goldfinger is played, and Shirley’s voice fills the room again. Young listeners who have never seen a Shirley Bassey concert hear that final note, and they want to know who sang it. They learn about Tiger Bay, about Cardiff, about a girl who left school at fifteen, and they discover a career that spans seventy years. That is a rare kind of fame, a fame that renews itself with every new Bond film, and it means that Shirley’s voice will be heard by generations who were not born when she first sang it. She is not only a singer from the 1960s. She is the voice of James Bond, and that voice will live for as long as Bond films are watched.

Cardiff has also honoured Shirley in ways that show how deeply she is loved in Wales. Her name is known in the streets of Tiger Bay, in the theatres of Cardiff, and in schools where young singers learn about her voice. She is held up as an example of a girl from a poor, mixed community who became a dame through talent and hard work. That example matters, because it tells young people in Cardiff that they too can succeed, no matter where they start. Shirley’s story belongs to Wales, to Tiger Bay, and to every young singer who hears Goldfinger and dreams of singing it one day.

My Take:

When I think about Shirley Bassey, I think first about the power of her voice. It is a big voice, a bold voice, a voice that fills a room and makes the walls shake. When she sings Goldfinger, I can feel the drama, the danger, the glamour of James Bond. She does not sing quietly. She sings loudly, clearly, and with total confidence. I admire that confidence, because it takes courage to sing that loudly, to hold a note for that long, and to make people listen. Many singers are afraid to be loud. Shirley is not afraid. She is proud of her voice, and she uses it fully. That is a lesson for anyone who has a gift. Use it fully, and do not be afraid to be heard.

I also think about her childhood in Tiger Bay, and about the poverty and the prejudice she faced. She was the youngest of seven children, she left school at fifteen, she worked in a factory, and she was a young Black woman in Britain in the 1950s. That is a hard start in life, and many people would have given up. Shirley did not give up. She sang in clubs, she worked hard, and she became a star. I find that inspiring, because it shows that a hard start does not have to be the end. A girl from a poor part of Cardiff became a dame, a legend, and one of the greatest voices in British music. That is a hopeful story, and it is a true one.

What saddens me most in her story is the death of her daughter Samantha in 1985. Samantha was twenty-one, and she died after falling from a bridge. Shirley has always had doubts about what happened, and she has spoken about the loss with great sadness. Losing a child is the worst thing a parent can face, and I feel sad that Shirley had to face it. She kept singing, because singing was her way of coping, but the loss stayed with her. I respect her for surviving it, and for keeping going for her other daughter and for her fans. Grief does not go away. It stays, and it changes a person. Shirley’s story shows that grief, and it shows survival.

I respect the way she has faced racism. She was a young Black woman in Britain in the 1950s, and she faced prejudice in her work and in her life. She did not let it stop her. She sang louder, she dressed better, and she worked harder. She knew that her voice was her gift, and that no one could take it from her. I admire that strength, and I think it is a good example for anyone who faces prejudice. You cannot always change the people who judge you, but you can be so good that they cannot ignore you. Shirley was so good that the world could not ignore her, and that is a powerful lesson.

I also admire her glamour, because it is a part of who she is. She wears beautiful gowns, she styles her hair, she walks onto a stage like a queen. Some people might think that glamour is shallow, but I think it is a form of respect. She respects her audience, and she wants to give them a show. She does not come on stage in jeans and a T-shirt. She comes on stage as a star, and she makes the audience feel as if they are at a special event. That is a gift, and it is part of why her concerts are so loved. She makes people feel special, and that matters.

If I have a criticism, it is that Shirley’s career has sometimes been reduced to Goldfinger, as if that one song is all she ever did. Goldfinger is a great song, and it deserves its fame, but Shirley did much more. She sang Diamonds Are Forever, Moonraker, As I Love You, Something, Never, Never, Never, and many other songs. She sang in Las Vegas, she sang for royalty, she became a dame. Reducing her to one song is unfair, and it misses the range of her work. I think her fans know that, and I think her records show it. She is more than Goldfinger, and she deserves to be remembered for all of her music, not just one song.

I also think about her work as a mother, and about how hard it must have been to be a young mother and a singer. She had Sharon at seventeen, she raised her with the help of her family, and she kept singing. That takes strength, and it takes love. She did not give up her career, and she did not give up her children. She did both, and she did them well. I respect her for that, and I think it is a good example for any young parent who wants to work and to raise a family. It is hard, but it is possible, and Shirley proves it.

For a young reader, I think the lesson of Shirley’s life is about a voice and a will. Her voice took her from Tiger Bay to the world, but her will kept her there. She worked hard, she dressed well, she sang loudly, and she never gave up. She faced racism, she faced loss, she faced the pressures of fame, and she kept going. That will is a lesson for anyone who wants to succeed. Talent is not enough. You need will, you need hard work, and you need a refusal to give up. Shirley had all three, and she is still here, still singing, still a dame.

I also think about her Welsh identity, and about how proud she is of Cardiff and of Wales. She was born in Tiger Bay, she talks about Wales with love, and she has represented Wales around the world. That pride is a good thing. You do not need to forget where you came from to succeed. You can carry your home with you, and it will make you stronger. Shirley carried Tiger Bay with her to Las Vegas, to London, to the Bond films, and it made her who she is. I find that moving, and I think it is a good example.

There is also something about her longevity that I admire. She has been singing for more than seventy years, and her voice is still strong. That takes care, discipline, and love of music. Many singers lose their voices as they get older, or they stop performing. Shirley has kept singing, and she has kept her voice. I want to remember that. Whatever skill I have, I need to look after it, and to use it regularly. Shirley looked after her voice, and it has repaid her with a career that has lasted for decades.

In the end, I think Shirley Bassey teaches us that a voice can change a life, and that a life can change the world. She used her voice to sing about gold, about diamonds, about love, and she made millions of people feel something. She used her voice to overcome poverty, prejudice and loss, and she became a dame. When I hear Goldfinger now, I do not just hear a Bond theme. I hear a girl from Tiger Bay who left school at fifteen, who worked in a factory, who became a mother at seventeen, and who became a legend. That is a full life, and it is a life worth learning from.

One more thought stays with me, and it is about the final note in Goldfinger. Shirley holds that note for a long time, and it seems to go on for ever. It is a moment of pure power, a moment when a singer shows what she can do. I love that note, because it is a sign of confidence, of breath, of control. It tells me that Shirley is not afraid to be heard, and that she is not afraid to take up space. I want to remember that. I do not need to be quiet to be liked. I can sing loudly, I can take up space, and I can be proud of my voice. Shirley shows that, and I am grateful for it.

I also think about what will happen when Shirley finally stops. The records will remain, the songs will remain, and young singers will keep learning from her voice. That is a legacy that few people achieve. Shirley has already achieved it, and she is still adding to it. I am glad that she is still here, still singing, still glamorous, and I hope she keeps going for as long as she wants to. The stage is her home, and I think she knows it.

I also think about Something, the song by George Harrison that Shirley sang in 1970, because it shows a different side of her. It is a gentle, tender song, not a loud Bond theme, and Shirley sang it with warmth. That shows her range. She could sing a loud, dramatic song, and she could sing a soft, loving song, and both sounded like Shirley. I admire that range, and I think it is a lesson for anyone who sings. You do not need to sing loudly all the time. You can sing softly, and people will listen. Shirley could do both, and she did both well. That versatility is part of why her career lasted so long.

I also think about her Diamond Jubilee performance in 2012, because it was a moment of national pride. She was seventy-five, she sang Goldfinger outside Buckingham Palace, and the crowd cheered. The Queen smiled, and Shirley took a bow. It was a fitting honour for a woman from Tiger Bay, a girl who left school at fifteen, who worked in a factory, and who became a dame. I find that moving, because it shows how far she came, and how much she was loved. A girl from a poor part of Cardiff sang for the Queen, and the whole country cheered. That is a beautiful story, and it is a true one.

There is also something about her humour that I love. She is a funny woman, with a quick wit, and she makes people laugh on stage and in interviews. She jokes about her age, about her gowns, about her voice, and she does it with a smile. That humour makes her loved, and it makes her concerts feel like parties. She is not a distant star. She is a warm, funny woman who loves to sing. I think that humour is a gift, and it is part of why she has lasted so long. A singer who can make people laugh will always have an audience, and Shirley can make people laugh.

I also think about her album I Owe It All to You, released in 2020 at eighty-three, because it shows that she is still singing, still working, still making new music. Many singers stop in their seventies, and they retire. Shirley did not stop. She made a new album, she sang new songs, and she showed that her voice was still strong. That takes courage, and it takes love of music. I admire her for it, and I think it is a good lesson. Do not stop when you get older. Keep singing, keep working, keep making new things. Shirley does, and I am glad for her.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where was Shirley Bassey born, and what was Tiger Bay like?

Shirley Bassey was born on 8 January 1937 in Tiger Bay, Cardiff, a dockland area home to sailors and workers from many countries. She was the youngest of seven children, her father was Nigerian and her mother was English, and she grew up in a poor, musical and mixed community.

What was Shirley Bassey’s first number one hit in Britain?

Shirley’s first number one hit in Britain was As I Love You in 1959, a romantic ballad that showed the power and tenderness of her voice. She had earlier hits with The Banana Boat Song in 1957 and Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me in 1958.

How many James Bond theme songs did Shirley Bassey sing?

Shirley sang three James Bond theme songs, Goldfinger in 1964, Diamonds Are Forever in 1971 and Moonraker in 1979, making her the only singer to perform three Bond themes. Goldfinger is still the most famous Bond theme ever made.

What happened to Shirley Bassey’s daughter Samantha?

Shirley’s daughter Samantha died in 1985 at the age of twenty-one, after falling from a bridge in Bristol, and the death was ruled a suicide. Shirley has always had doubts about what happened, and she has spoken about the loss with great sadness.

When did Shirley Bassey become a Dame?

Shirley became a Dame in 2000, becoming Dame Shirley Bassey, for her services to music. She said it was a dream come true for a girl from Tiger Bay, and she has since performed for royalty and at the Diamond Jubilee concert in 2012.

Where does Shirley Bassey live now, and does she still sing?

Shirley lives in Monaco, and she still sings, releasing the album I Owe It All to You in 2020 and appearing in documentaries about her life. She performs less often now, but her voice remains strong and her Bond songs are still loved.