Shirley Bassey

Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey, (ˈbæsi; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer whose career began in the mid-1950s, and is well known both for her deep, expressive contralto voice and for recording the theme songs to the James Bond films Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Moonraker (1979). In January 1959, Bassey became the first Welsh person to gain a No. 1 single. In 2000, Bassey was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to the performing arts. In 1977 she received the Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist in the previous 25 years. Bassey is one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain.