Cliff Richard

Sir Cliff Richard OBE (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is a British singer, musician and actor. He is the only male solo artist to have had number one singles in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. His most recent album, Music... The Air That I Breathe was released in 2020.

Sir Cliff Richard OBE
Richard performing at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, 2017
Background information
Birth name	Harry Rodger Webb
Born	(1940-10-14) 14 October 1940 (age 85) Lucknow, British India
Origin	London, England
Genres	Pop pop rock rock and roll CCM
Occupation(s)	Musician actor philanthropist
Instruments	Vocals guitar percussion
Years active	1958–present
Labels	EMI's Columbia EMI Epic Decca Rocket Papillon
Website	www.cliffrichard.org

Early life

Richard was born in Lucknow, India. In 1940, he and his British parents moved from India to England, first moving to Carshalton, Surrey, then to Waltham Cross, followed by Cheshunt, both in Hertfordshire.

Career

Richard began his music career in 1958 and is still performing. His name Richard comes from Little Richard.^[1] His backing group are The Shadows. He performed the United Kingdom entry at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1968 and in 1973.

In 1980 Richard was given an OBE. In 1995, he became a Knight. This means that he has a 'Sir' in front of his name. A person is given a Knighthood by the British Monarch. In 1995 that was The Queen.

Between 1960 and 1963 Richard presented The Cliff Richard Show.

In 2008 a book that he wrote about his life so far, My Life My Way was published. It was also released as an audiobook.

Personal life

Richard is a devout Christian.^[2]

In August 2013, Richard's Berkshire home was searched by police over a claim of sexual assault on a boy aged under 16 in 1985.^[3] He was not arrested or charged.^[4]