When Dusty stole the show in city This was a fitting tribute to a wonderful performance by Dusty Springfield
AFTER a sensational, show-stealing performance at the Odeon in Glasgow on March 25, 1964, Dusty Springfield might have reasonably expected the next day’s front pages to be full of glowing reviews.
Instead, the Evening Times seemed a little miffed that the glamorous star had had a lie-in and breakfast in bed.
“After a long lie in bed pop star Dusty Springfield emerged from the Central Hotel, Glasgow at 1pm today,” grumbled the reporter.
“She left by a secret exit and disappointed a crowd of fans who had been waiting at the front entrance, some of them since six o’clock this morning.”
At least, said the report,
‘a hotel page boy had managed to get an autograph’.
Dusty was in town for a show at the Renfield Street venue with The Searchers and the American singer, Bobby Vee. (According to our reporter, those two acts had left earlier, fighting their way through the screaming crowds of fans.)
She had, at least, been awake earlier in the morning as she had spoken to reporters by telephone from her room.
“It has been great appearing in Glasgow,” she said. “I wish every audience on the tour was as wonderful as they have been in this city.”
Quizzed about why she was not up and about, Dusty – who must have been losing patience by this point – said: “I don’t want to get overtired like I did before. I am taking things easier.” This is likely to be a reference to a spell of overwork which had caused her to collapse earlier in the year. Inside, reviewer Gerry Kilgallon was more enthused.
“Four thousand teenagers crowded the Odeon Cinema, Glasgow, last night for the beat package show headed by The Searchers – and saw a slip of a girl steal the limelight,” he said.
“When compere David Kinnaird – called in at the last minute to MC the show – asked for a shout of ‘we want the Searchers!’, the first house crowd changed their shout to ‘we want Dusty!’
“This was a fitting tribute to a wonderful performance by Dusty Springfield, who had just contributed 15 minutes of brilliant entertainment featuring her hit songs and a few others – plus a shake that had the audience screaming. Worth top billing any time.”
Born Mary O’Brien in Hampstead, north London, in 1939, Dusty began singing with her brother Dion in their parents’ garage. After they left school, they started performing at local folk clubs and later, at Butlin’s holiday camps.
She launched her solo career with I Only Want to Be With You, which went straight to number four in the UK and number 12 in the US.
Other smash hits followed Wishin’ and Hopin’, I Just Don’t Know What Do With Myself, Losing You – and for the next few years, Dusty was rarely out of the charts. She toured the world, was voted Best Female Vocalist in the New Musical Express annual awards for five successive years, and she was given her own BBC television show.
Her last big hit was Son of a Preacher Man in 1968, and two years later, Dusty relocated to America where her health began to deteriorate. In 1987 she received a career boost when she recorded the hit song What Have I Done to Deserve This? with the Pet Shop Boys. She later went on to record Nothing Has Been Proved, the Pet Shop Boys’ theme tune to the 1989 movie Scandal.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer, and sadly died in 1999.