Shirley Bassey was born in Tiger Bay, and was the seventh (and youngest) child of Henry and Eliza Bassey. Her father was a seaman from Nigeria (who left the family when she was two), and her mother was from Yorkshire in the North of England.
Bassey spent her Primary School years at Moorland Primary in Splott.
She left secondary school in 1952 at the age of 15 when she found employment packing in a local factory. She enjoyed singing while she packed enamel pots, and to supplement her wage she sang in local pubs and clubs. She also signed up to various musicals, but only a year later Bassey had become sick of show business.
She become pregnant at 16 years old with her daughter Sharon, so she went back to waitressing in Cardiff. However, in 1955 talent scout Michael Sullivan saw potential in Bassey, and decided he would make her a star. She toured various theatres and recorded her first single, 'Burn My Candle' in 1956. The next year saw her first hit with The Banana Boat Song, which peaked at number 8 on the UK singles chart.
Bassey signed to EMI Columbia in 1958, and throughout the 1960s & 1970s, Bassey scored with numerous hits including the title theme song for the James Bond films 'Goldfinger', 'Diamonds Are Forever' and 'Moonraker', which were great successes.
She was married twice during the first part of her career. Her first husband was Kenneth Hume (from 1961 to 1965, when they divorced). Her second husband, Sergio Novak, is the father of her daughter, and they were married from 1968 until 1977, when that marriage also ended in divorce.
Throughout most of the 1980s, Bassey focused on charitable works and performing in more intimate venues. However, in 1997, she caused a sensation in the UK with her song 'History Repeating' with the Propellerheads, which went straight to Number 1 in the top 40 hits chart in the UK. Her new found fame coincided with her 60th Birthday.
Bassey was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire on New Years Eve 1999, by HM Queen Elizabeth II. The success of "History Repeating" was the inspiration for the Diamonds Are Forever - The Remix Album, which EMI released it in 2000, with new versions of some of Bassey's most famous songs.
Although she now resides in Monaco after selling her flat in London (with a percentage of proceeds going to charity), Dame Shirley Bassey still returns to Wales for occasional performances.
