In 1996, rain interrupted the matches at “Wimbledon“, and the audience on the center court was treated to an unexpected concert. Cliff Richard took the microphone and sang “Summer Holiday“ and “Bachelor Boy“. The scene remains one of the most memorable in the history of the tournament, and today the British singer turns 86.
He was born on October 14, 1940 in Lucknow, India, with the name Harry Roger Webb. In 1948, his family moved to England. Ten years later, he was already a professional musician, and his first big hit, Move It, reached number two in the UK charts.
From Move It to 14 number one hits
Cliff Richard's first number one single was Living Doll. The song was released in 1959 and became the beginning of a series of successes, including The Young Ones, Summer Holiday, Congratulations, We Don't Talk Anymore, Mistletoe and Wine and Saviour's Day.
According to the UK's Official Charts, the singer has 14 number one singles, 68 top 10 songs and 124 top 40 songs. His albums have been at the top seven times. His most unusual record is related to the length of his career: Cliff Richard is the only singer with a number one song in the UK in five consecutive decades.
The second life of Living Doll is also curious. In 1986, he recorded a comedy version with the cast of the television show The Young Ones. The song again reached the top spot and made Cliff Richard the first artist to have two number one hits with different versions of the same song.
Rock and roll, cinema and knighthood
In 1980, Harry Webb officially changed his name to Cliff Richard. In 1995, he was knighted, becoming the first British pop star with the title “sir“.
The singer is also associated with cinema. He appeared in the films “Expresso Bongo“, “The Young Ones“ and “Summer Holiday“, whose songs further expanded his popularity. His partnership with the band The Shadows is among the most important connections in the early history of British rock and roll.
His longevity is not just part of the archives. In 2026, the song Devil Woman from 1976 was included in the soundtrack of Grand Theft Auto VI. And for November 27, the album Only Number Ones is planned, in which Richard performs 12 songs that reached number one in the British chart. “I suggested to Warner Music that I record an album of songs that reached number one. "Thank God, they agreed," says the singer.
Thus, Cliff Richard continues to be present both in the memories of the generation that grew up with “Summer Vacation“ and in new musical and digital projects. His records begin with Move It, but his story is not over yet.
Sources: the-independent.com, musicradar.com