Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey - born 8th January 1937 is a Welsh Singer. She found fame in the mid-1950's and has been called one of the most popular female vocalist in Britain during the last half of the 20th century. In the US in particular she is best known for recording the theme songs to the James Bond films, Gold Finger 1964, Diamons Are For Ever 1971, and Moon Raker 1979. Shirley Bassey was the sixth and last child of Eliza Jane Start and Henry Bassey of Tiger Bay, Cardiff, South Wales of paternal Nigerian and maternal English descent. Bassey mother also had four children from a previous relationships two of whom lived in the Bassey house hold. Eliza had been married previously to Alfred Metcalfe and upon her marriage to Bassey, Eliza Jane Metcalfe listed Alfred Metcalfe as her father on the marriage registry, it has always been assumed she never divorced Alfred and that her marriage to Bassey was bigamous.
Eliza and Henry second child died in infancy so Shirley was born into a house hold of three sisters, two half sisters and one brother. As a preteen attending Moorland Road School, Bassey strong voice was noticed by teachers and students alike, though without encouragement "everyone told me to back off till I was singing in the corridor recalled her singing. After leaving Spiott Secondary Modern School at the age of 14, Bassey first found employment
packing at a factory while singing at local public houses and clubs in the evening and weekend.
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