Sir Cliff Richard: 60 Years…
Monday / ITV
Sir Cliff Richard is one of the most successful British singers of all time and, as he celebrates 60 years in showbiz, we chat to him and look back on his history with TV Times…
NEW DOCUMENTARY Sir Cliff Richard: 60 Years in Private and in Public Monday / ITV / 9PM
Sir Cliff Richard is riding high once more. After a difficult few years, which have seen him face allegations of sexual assault and win his privacy case against the BBC following its coverage of the police raid on his home, the singer is putting his troubles behind him as he celebrates 60 years in showbiz.
Back in August 1958, the then 17-year-old star reached No.2 in the charts with his debut single, Move It. Since then, the Peter Pan of Pop has had chart hits in six consecutive decades, represented the UK twice at Eurovision and even became a top box-office star in the 1960s with films including The Young Ones and Summer Holiday.
Now, a one-off ITV documentary Sir Cliff Richard: 60 Years in Private and in Public follows the singer over six months as he marks this milestone with a new album, Rise Up, and prepares to go on tour.
As celebrity friends, including Dame Joan Collins, Sir Barry Gibb, Gloria Hunniford, Brian May and Olivia Newton-john, share their memories, the film also sees Sir Cliff look back at key moments of his career, talk about his faith and reflect on his recent challenges.
Here, in an exclusive interview with TV Times,
Sir Cliff, 78, tells us more…
After a tough few years, how does it feel to be able to move on and do what you are best at again?
I will never forget the trauma of those years, but they are now well and truly in my past. My latest tour has been a great start to recovering from a very stressful time of my life. My family, friends and fans have shown me love and support and winning my court case against the BBC makes me feel vindicated. I’m back!
As you look back at the last 60 years, what do you think has been the key to your success and longevity?
I’ve had the most wonderful songs written for me and there’s no doubt that the writers play a major part in my success. Constantly meeting up with fans plays a part in achieving longevity, too, and of course, live shows are the best way to keep in touch with them so I’ve always enjoyed the rapport and the excitement of that.
Which stars have you particularly enjoyed working with over the years and what made them special experiences?
Elton John’s record company, Rocket Records, secured me my first top-10 hit in the US with Devil Woman. He was easy to work with and always supportive. Olivia Newton-john was always great to sing with, too. We sang together often, both on stage and on record. She joined me on a duet on my new album. The song Everybody’s Someone came to life with her voice on it.
What would you say have been your career-defining moments? My first No.1 song, Living Doll, and my knighthood, but also still having sell-out concerts after 60 years. Who would have thought that could happen? Not me!
I will never forget the trauma of those years, but they are now well and truly in my past