New cd: ‘THANK YOU FOR THE YEARS‘ May 26th

UK TOUR June 5th-14th

This year sees the fabulous Dame Shirley Bassey celebrate her 50th anniversary in showbusiness. The biggest selling female singer in the UK of all time, Dame Shirley has a new album released through Sony UK on May 26th; ‘THANK YOU FOR THE YEARS‘ features six brand new songs, including the title track, and a further sixteen classic Bassey tracks including her first ever Top 10 hit from 1957, The Banana Boat Song as well as her famous James Bond themes, 1971‘s Diamonds Are Forever and 1964‘s Goldfinger and her first UK No. 1 hits, 1959‘s As I Love You and 1961‘s Reach For The Stars.

DAME SHIRLEY BASSEY - Biography:

The youngest of seven children, Bassey sang duets with her brother from a very early age at family parties; on leaving school she found a job at a local factory and earned extra money singing at men‘s clubs after hours. She signed her first live appearance contract at the age of 16 and by 18 was travelling around the country singing at clubs throughout the UK. Her powerful vocals, unique delivery and an early passion for beautiful dresses gave Bassey‘s shows unprecedented appeal. From the very beginning, she would give every song her heart and soul - she connected with a quickly adoring public and Philips Records were swift to sign her to their burgeoning roster.

Shirley Bassey had her first hit in 1957 with The Banana Boat Song and followed it with chart toppers and best sellers in swift succession. In 1962 a pairing with arranger Nelson Riddle increased her prestige in America; her glamorous live show gained her headlining spots in New York and Las Vegas and when Goldfinger hit No. 8 in the American charts, it instantly became her signature song.

Bassey‘s hits in the UK continued into the 1970s led by Top 10 entries such as For All We Know, Never Never Never, and the late George Harrison‘s Something. In 1977 she was awarded the Britannia Award for Best Female Solo Singer in the Last 50 Years and fronted her own, highly rated, BBC TV show. In 1979, her third James Barry James Bond theme, the sublime Moonraker, gave her the distinction of being the only artist to record three Bond themes.

During the mid1980s Bassey took some time away from live shows, recording television specials in the UK, US and Europe and a number of albums including a 1987 album with synth-pop group Yello. In the 1990s she toured the world several times, had a huge hit with the Propellorheads - History Repeating - and proved that comebacks weren‘t needed because she‘d never really been away.

Dame Shirley Bassey has recorded over 60 albums, had 29 Top 40 hits, 12 Top 10 hits, 6 Top 5 hits and two No. 1s. She was recently awarded France‘s top honour, the Legion d‘Honneur, to signify her enduring popularity and importance in the culture of France. She is in constant demand by audiences all over the world; she has lived in Switzerland, Spain, the US and Monaco and maintains a home in London. She is first and foremost a live entertainer, the consummate performer whose electrifying presence onstage is guaranteed to leave no one in any doubt of her legendary status.

DAME SHIRLEY BASSEY - the facts:

· Born in Tiger Bay, Cardiff, Wales 1937

· Shirley shares her birthday - January 8th - with David Bowie and Elvis Presley

· First live contract signed at aged 16 in 1953

· First hit The Banana Boat Song in 1957

· No. 1 in 1959 with As I Love You

· No. 1 in 1961 with Reach For The Stars

· Goldfinger (1964) launches Bassey‘s career in the US

· 1970s hits Something, For All We Know, Never Never Never

· 1971 Bond theme Diamonds Are Forever

· 1977 Britannia Award for Best Female Solo Singer in the Last 50 Years

· 1979 recorded her third Bond theme Moonraker

· 1980s moved to Switzerland and took time away from live appearances to record television specials and more albums

· 1996 over 100,000 people attended her tour which included nine sold out performances at London‘s Royal Festival Hall

- she smashed her own record the following year

· 1997 and 2000 sell-out tours of US, Canada, Australia

· 1998 live concert at the foot of the pyramids in Egypt

· 1999 returned to Cardiff to help celebrate the opening of the new Welsh Parliament

· 2002 made a Dame

· 2002 performed in the grounds of Buckingham Palace at the Queen‘s Jubilee celebrations

· 2003 honoured by French government with Legion d‘Honneur

· 2003 celebrates 50 years in showbusiness with new album and tour