Shirley Bassey Parents: Meet Eliza Jane Start & Henry Bassey

Shirley Bassey was born the 6th and youngest child of Henry Bassey and Eliza Jane Start on Bute Street in Tiger Bay, Cardiff. She grew up in the nearby community of Splott. Her father was Nigerian and her mother came from New Marske, North Yorkshire.

In 1959, Bassey became the first Welsh person to gain a number-one single on the UK Singles Chart. In the following decades, Bassey amassed 27 Top 40 hits in the UK, including two number ones. She became well-known for recording the soundtrack theme songs of James Bond films, Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, and Moonraker.

Bassey has numerous BBC television specials, she has hosted her variety series, Shirley Bassey. In 2011, BBC aired the television film Shirley, based on Bassey’s life and career. Her song Goldfinger was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.

In a career spanning over 70 years, Bassey has sold over 140 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female artists of all time. She is the first woman in history to claim a Top 40 album in seven consecutive decades in the United Kingdom.