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Shirley Defrocks For Charity
Shirley Defrocks For Charity
By Hilary Douglas and David Wigg
From Sunday Express, Sep 14 2003 |
Singer
Shirley Bassey is auctioning off her treasured collection of stage gowns because
she wants to put the cash to good use before she dies. The Goldfinger star has
pocked out 50 dresses, covering her half century in showbiz - to go under the
hammer.
Dame Shirley, 66, has stored the outfits for the past few years in a London
warehouse - because she couldn't bear to be parted from them. "But now I want to
see them go while I am still alive," said the Welsh songstress, "I want to see
where they go and where the money goes, I don't want somebody fighting over them
after I'm gone. I've had great success from these gowns and I'd like to see them
go to a worthy cause.
The cash raised form the sale at Christie's auction house in London on September
18 will go to the Dame Shirley Bassey Scholarship at the Royal Welsh College of
Music and Drama in Cardiff, and the Noah's Ark Appeal, which is raising money
for the first Children's hospital in the Welsh capital. The sale is expected to
bring in more that £50,000 - with the prized Goldfinger sheath dresses highly
sought after by collectors of film memorabilia.
Although the gown up for grabs is not the original one worn for the theme song
to the 1964 Bond movie, its replacement was an exact copy made when the original
started to show its age.
Bassey can still remember the reason behind the designs and admits becoming
emotional when she picked them out from storage to get ready for the sale.
Her first outfit is one that will be missing from public view - because it fell
apart on stage. Aged 16, she had borrowed a skirt and belt for a show doing the
memories of Jolson in 1953. "I was doing Stormy Weather and I put up my arms to
do a big note and the belt pinged off and the skirt fell down. So that was my
first glamour outfit that I put together."
Most of Bassey's famous frocks have been the creation of London designer Douglas
Darnell, who took over her stage look after the first disastrous DIY attempt.
"I don't think of the expense at all, but a lot of thought was put into every
dress and how to make it very dramatic on stage - even the parts of the audience
that were quite far away." she said. "I'm just interested in the final product
and that for me is when I take it on stage."
"When they go to auction that's when I will
really feel it."
The Welsh diva admitted she would like drag artists who copy her on stage to buy
some of the dresses. She sees it as the ultimate compliment.
At 66, Dame Shirley is in enviable shape - and still able to do the high kicks
which made her stage act so famous.
Training for hours every week in the gym with weights is the secret, along with
a 48-hour fast at least once a month when she cleanses her body with water and
fruit tea drinks.
But the other secret ingredient according to friends, is the new man in her life
who has made her feel years younger - London producer Greg Smith, who at 62 is
four years her junior. He was once married to Michael Barrymore's former wife
and manager, Cheryl, and later briefly to actress Lynda Bellingham.
The couple have just enjoyed a holiday in France and Bassey has said that she
thinks she has finally found Mr Right. "I'd practically given up on meeting
someone," she confided, "He's an adorable man."
Thanks to Mikey Mike for sending me this article.
© Express Newspapers 2003
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