• October 14, 1940
• Sir Cliff Richard was born Harry Rodger Webb at the King George Hospital, Victoria Street, Lucknow in what was then United Provinces of British India. His father was a manager for a catering contractor that serviced the Indian Railways.
• When Cliff Richard started out he was part of the variety circuit. He recalled to Mojo: "The first shows we did there would be fire-eaters and jugglers. It was very weird, but then the promoters could see that the audiences weren't coming to see the fire-eaters. So quickly, within a year, after my first tour, the promoter said, 'I'd like to take you on tour as the headliner.' I'd got one record, at the time, I only had 'Move It.'"
• "Move It" is recognized by many as the first genuine British rock 'n' roll record. John Lennon said "Before Cliff and Move It, there was nothing."
• It was "Move It" writer Ian Samwell who suggested that the former Harry Webb be surnamed Richard as a tribute to Little Richard. 1950s entrepreneur Harry Greatorex came up with the first name "Cliff" as it sounded like cliff face, which suggested "Rock."
• Cliff Richard became an active Christian in 1964 and since then his faith has become an important aspect of his life. He first spoke up about his faith at a Billy Graham campaign two years later.
• He passed his O-level in the Oxford GCE examination for religious instruction on January 17, 1967.
• He has had more than 130 records make the Top 20 of the UK singles chart, more than any other artist.
• Richard is the only singer to have had a #1 single in the UK in five consecutive decades: the 1950s through to the 1990s.
• He has achieved nine US Top 40 singles, including the million-selling "Devil Woman" and "We Don't Talk Anymore."
• Cliff Richard received his knighthood on October 25 1995, the first pop star to be honored.
• Richard led the Wimbledon Centre Court crowd in singing during a rain delay on July 3, 1996 when asked by Wimbledon officials to entertain the crowd. Past tennis stars Virginia Wade, Martina Navratilova, Hana Mandlíková, Pam Shriver, Liz Smylie, Gigi Fernández and Conchita Martínez were in the Royal Box and proceeded to join in as background singers.
  
  "I started with Summer Holiday as a bit of a joke," recalled Sir Cliff to the Daily Telegraph. "And the crowd saw the vulnerability of someone singing without any help. They were magnificent, right from the very first moment."
  
  "The reaction was absolutely stunning. Pam Shriver, who is a friend of mine, was getting a massage downstairs and she saw me singing on the television," he continued. She said to Martina Navratilova: 'This is our world, and he's helping us out. Let's go and help him.' So then a whole gang of women came up, and they were my backing singers."
• When Cliff Richard's Music… The Air That I Breathe bowed at #3 on the UK albums chart dated November 8, 2020, he became the first artist to score a Top 5 album in eight consecutive decades. His first appearance in the chart's top-tier was in April 1959 with Cliff by Cliff Richard and The Drifters, which peaked at #4.
• Cliff Richard has never married and admits that while he thought about it more in his youth, he later became comfortable with his bachelor lifestyle. He feels that marriage would demand total commitment, and his career has always been his primary focus.
• Despite being credited as the first true rock and roll star to emerge from the UK, Cliff Richard didn't initially see himself as a cultural game-changer. It wasn't until a journalist specializing in cultural shifts pointed out that "Move It" - his debut single - sounded more authentically American than anything Britain had produced before that Cliff fully embraced the idea.

Comments

More Songfacts:

Instant KarmaJohn Lennon

"Instant Karma" is one of John Lennon's most hopeful songs, written and recorded in one day at a time when he felt people were pulling together in a positive direction.

New York, New YorkFrank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra was 64 when he had his last hit: "New York, New York." The song pegged him to New York City, leaving Las Vegas to Elvis.

Sweet Child O' MineGuns N' Roses

"Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses is about Erin Everly, who was Axl Rose's girlfriend at the time. She is the daughter of Don Everly of the Everly Brothers.

Go Away Little GirlDonny Osmond

Originally a chart-topper for Steve Lawrence in 1962, "Go Away Little Girl" became the first song of the rock era to hit #1 for two different artists when Donny Osmond's cover version also reached the summit in 1971.

Love Is A BattlefieldPat Benatar

"Love Is A Battlefield" was written as a ballad, but Pat Benatar's guitarist/husband turned it into an uptempo song.

Walking In MemphisMarc Cohn

"Walking In Memphis" isn't so much about Memphis as it is The Hollywood Cafe in Mississippi, where Marc Cohn encountered an older woman named Murial playing piano.

Editor's Picks

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.

Dave MasonSongwriter Interviews

Dave reveals the inspiration for "Feelin' Alright" and explains how the first song he ever wrote became the biggest hit for his band Traffic.

Peter LordSongwriter Interviews

You may not recognize his name, but you will certainly recognize Peter Lord's songs. He wrote the bevy of hits from Paula Abdul's second album, Spellbound.

Rock Stars of HorrorMusic Quiz

Rock Stars - especially those in the metal realm - are often enlisted for horror movies. See if you know can match the rocker to the role.

Bill WithersSongwriter Interviews

Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.