Kathy Kirby

Infobox musical artist
Name = Kathy Kirby


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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Kathleen O'Rourke
Alias =
Born = birth date and age|1938|10|20
Ilford, Essex, England
Died =
Origin = Ilford, Essex
Instrument = Vocals
Genre = Pop
Occupation = Singer
Years_active = 1963–1983
Label = Decca Records
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URL =
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Kathy Kirby (born Kathleen O'Rourke, 20 October 1938, [http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/highlights/In-search-of-Kathy-Kirby.3957362.jp In search of Kathy Kirby, the star who fell to Earth - Yorkshire Post ] ] Ilford, Essex [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0456176/bio Kathy Kirby - Biography ] ] ) was a popular English singer of the 1960s.

Career

Convent-educated, [ [http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?LinkID=mp10179 Kathy Kirby (1940-), Singer ] ] Kirby's soprano voice became apparent early in life, and she was thought to be good enough for opera. She became a professional singer after meeting the bandleader, Ambrose at the Ilford Palais. She remained with Ambrose's band for three years and he remained her manager and mentor until his death in 1971.

She adopted the look of a 'blonde bombshell', and was compared to Marilyn Monroe. Her looks, lip-gloss and her powerful, pitch-perfect voice became her trademarks. She had a string of Top 20 hits between 1963 and 1965, the best known of which is her cover version of "Secret Love". That year (1963), she won Top British Female Singer in the "New Musical Express" poll.

Kirby became one of the biggest stars of the mid-1960s, appearing in the Royal Command Variety Performance and three television series for BBC TV. She represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1965, and came second with the song "I Belong". Author and historian John Kennedy O'Connor describes Kirby's "I Belong" as being far more representative of current musical tastes than other songs from the contest, [O'Connor, John Kennedy. The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History. Carlton Books, UK. 2007. ISBN 978-1-84442-994-3] but she was beaten by France Gall from Luxembourg, singing an even more contemporary song written by Serge Gainsbourg. She also sang the theme tune of the BBC television series "Adam Adamant Lives!".

Kirby's star faded in the late 1960s. She recorded twelve singles and an album between 1967 and 1973, but they did not reach her previous levels of success. She continued to make television appearances, and her 1974 appearance on "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club" TV variety show is available to watch on YouTube. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgaaNkgq_Ms YouTube - Kathy Kirby - Wheeltappers and Shunters Club ] ]

During the 1970s Kirby endured bankruptcy and some mental health problems, but she made occasional television appearances and performed a few live gigs on the 'nostalgia circuit'. In December 1983, although still in her early forties she retired from show business altogether.

Recent activities

Now approaching 70, Kirby has been retired for 25 years and lives away from the public eye in the Kensington area of London. She shuns publicity and is in poor health, [ [http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/leisure/theatre/theatrefeatures/display.var.2240039.0.tragic_tale_of_kathy.php Tragic Tale Of Kathy (from Bradford Telegraph and Argus) ] ] with one source reporting that she is living with schizophrenia.

Interest in Kathy Kirby and her work has continued, particularly among gay men for whom she is something of an icon. [ [http://www.astabgay.com/Gay_Icons/kathy.htm Kathy Kirby ] ]

A 2005 biography was adapted into a stage show about her life, called "Secret Love". [ [http://www.secretlove.info/ Secret Love ] ] The show opened in Leeds in May 2008.

Hits

cite book
first= David
last= Roberts
year= 2006
title= British Hit Singles & Albums
edition= 19th
publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
location= London
pages= p. 304
id= ISBN 1-904994-10-5]

ee also

* List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1960s
* List of artists who reached number one on the Australian singles chart
* List of performers on Top of the Pops
* List of artists under the Decca Records label
* Royal Variety Performance
* United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1965
* United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest
* Eurovision Song Contest 1965

References

External links

*

Persondata
NAME= Kirby, Kathy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Kathleen O'Rourke
SHORT DESCRIPTION=English singer
DATE OF BIRTH=1938-10-20
PLACE OF BIRTH=Ilford, Essex
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=