Did you know that legendary singer, songwriter and actress, Petula Clark, is of strong Welsh heritage?
For those unaware, Petula is half-Welsh through her mother, Dorris, who was the daughter of a coalminer. Petula herself, though born in Epsom, Surrey, grew up in Avercanaid near Merthyr Tydfil – she would sing in Welsh at her local chapel!
Clark would become famous from a very young age, being one of the first big child stars alongside touring partner, Julie Andrews. Clark made her radio debut at just 9 years of age when she sang on BBC radio to calm its anxious audience during the height of the Blitz. It is estimated she would perform around 500 times on the programme. During the Second World War, she would perform for each of Winston Churchill, King George VI and Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, gaining the nickname the “Singing Sweetheart”.
She would become noticed and end up performing in the 1944 comedy movie, Medal for the General, before going on to star and perform in dozens more movies in the coming decades.
Though having initially had fame as a child actress in the United Kingdom and slightly later fame in Europe, she would reach megastardom in the United States with her hit “Downtown”, which reached number 1 in the American charts in January of 1965. She would have 15 consecutive top 40 hits in States, cementing her place there as yet another British overseas star at a time when the likes of The Beatles, Tom Jones, Cilla Black, Shirley Bassey, Marianne Faithful and The Rolling Stones were already leading the British Invasion.
In total, Petula has sold well over 100 million records in a stellar and legendary performing career. Even despite being in her 90s, she is still an active performer and has most recently been on a tour promoting her book.
She has lived in Switzerland since the 1960s and was married to French film producer Claude Wolff between 1961 and his death in 2024.
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Niklas is the founder, owner, manager, editor, writer, video creator, voice over artist, and so forth, of Welsh Histories. He is passionate about the preservation of Welsh culture; the rejuvenation of the Welsh language and the promotion of Welsh history. Niklas currently resides in Pune, Maharashtra, with his beloved wife.