Cliff Richard

Sir Cliff Richards was born in India in 1940. He caught the Rock and Roll bug as a young man when he saw Buddy Holly on his little known Indian Tour of 1954 and immediately realized that his destiny was to become a Rock and Roll act. After a brief and unsuccessful attempt to launch a singing career, he relocated to England, having realized that the Indian market wasn't ready for Elvis Presley impersonations. He brought with him his backing band, The Darkies, although they quickly changed their name to The Shadows after several hundred protesters arrived from the Carribean aboard The Windrush. In solidarity with his band, Sir Cliff also changed his name from Cliff Richards to the snappier Cliff Richard.

The move and the name change were immediately successful and Sir Cliff was soon churning out hits such as Move It and Living Dog and living the traditional Rock and Roll lifestyle full of women, booze and drugs.

Sir Cliff courted controversy in the 1960s when he became a prominent Gay Rights campaigner at a time when it remained taboo, famously using the Eurovision Song Contest as a platform to promote the cause. His song contained the lyrics;

Congratulations, and jubilations,

When I tell everyone that you're in love with me.

Recriminations, and complications,

When they all realize that you're the same sex as me!

The song was clearly the best in the competition but ran up against the homophobic Mediterranean vote and was beaten into second place by the macho Spanish entry La La La Ding A Ling A Ling.

Sir Cliff wasn't to be put off and he entered the contest on a further 5 occasions without success, although he could eventually claim a victory for his values when the Eurovision was won by the transexual act Dana.

Sir Cliff put his campaigning days behind him during the 1980s, contenting himself instead with the occasional anti-Thatcher and pro-CND comments while appearing on chatshows.