Shirley Bassey, singer, outside family home, Cardiff

Apr. 17 Shirley Bassey Likes Homely, Local Fun And Games During her rare weekends at home, Shirley Bassey likes to get out into the street and join in the games that take place there. She holds one end of a skipping rope for her sister. The Girl From Cardiff's Tiger Bay For Las Vegas And Hollywood Shirley Bassey On The Skyway To Success In The States Britain's recently risen black 18-year-old blues singer from the slum dock area of Cardiff (Wales) is soon to star in Las Vegas. She leaves for America in mid-January and after starring in Las Vegas will go on for film tests in Hollywood. Shirley not long ago was a factory worker and one of seven children of a poor family of a West Indian seaman in the district known as Tiger Bay'. The she earned 12 dollars a week. But she got a job in a touring revue as a singer, and was soon noticed and signed up for a lush night spot in London. After her first night she was signed up by TV, and contracts followed for stage shows. She's England's Lena Horne, but insists that she is Shirley Bassey, and no imitator. These pictures show Shirley in her home background in Wales, already a far cry from her fabulous life, but not too far for her to remember and use every opportunity to get back there and to help her family

Restrictions Only for United Kingdom

18-year-old Bassey Cardiff Cardiffs Contracts Dollars Earned Fabulous Followed Homely Horne Imitator Insists Join Lena Likes Lush Mid-january Nite-spot Noticed Opportunity Remember Revue Risen Seaman Skipping Skyway Slum Tests Touring Weekends

Features In These Collections

> Contributors > KEY