It was recently the birthday of the great Welsh legendary singer, Shirley Bassey, who was born to Nigerian father Henry Bassey and English mother Eliza Jane Start in Cardiff on 8 January in 1937!
Bassey rose to prominence in the 1950s and then rose further to superstardom in 1959 when she became the first Welsh person to gain a number-one single on the UK Singles Chart with As I Love You.
Is there anyone more synonymous with James Bond soundtracks than Shirley? She lent her powerful vocals to three Bond hits, including Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker. She remains the only artist to have sang more than one Bond song, so three is quite the unmatchable feat!
Did you know that Shirley Bassey was the first Welsh person to have a UK number one single? She did so in 1958 with the hit song “As I Love You”.
As for the first Welshman, Cymru would have to wait two more years before Ricky Valance’s (1936-2020) “Tell Laura I Love Her”, which was released in 1960 and sold over a million copies.
The Welsh person with the most number one singles? Shakin’ Stevens had three with “The Ole House” (1981), “Green Door” (1981) and “Oh Julie” (1982).
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DIGITAL Welsh Histories Magazine – January 2026
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.