Biography
Born on 20 April 1944 in Pontypridd, South Wales, the singer rose to national attention in 1979 when her recording of ‘He Was Beautiful (Cavatina) (The Theme From The Deer Hunter)’ reached the UK Top 20. Raised by foster parents, she claimed her first talent-contest victory at seven. At eighteen she received a scholarship to the Cardiff School of Music and Drama, after which she spent three years employed in a glove factory. Early performances in Welsh social clubs soon expanded into engagements across Britain, the United States and Europe. During the early 1970s she hosted her own BBC Wales television series and appeared frequently on national radio and television. A 1979 Radio 2 broadcast of her rendition, accompanied by the BBC Midland Light Orchestra, prompted an immediate studio recording; the resulting single generated numerous television bookings and headline dates at major venues, among them the London Palladium. In 1981 she made her Royal Festival Hall debut supporting American singer Vic Damone and was named Vocalist Of The Year. The following year she joined Bob Hope for his star-studded Golf Classic Cabaret.
Throughout the 1980s she divided much of her time between Britain and the USA. While attending a Rosemary Clooney performance at New York’s Rainbow & Stars in 1990, she was ‘persuaded’ to deliver the ballad ‘The Folks Who Live On The Hill’. Thereafter she concentrated exclusively on the standard repertoire, appearing in cabaret at the Cinegrill in Los Angeles, the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel in New York, and London’s Pizza On The Park. In March 2004 she journeyed from her New York residence to London to receive an OBE for services to music and charitable causes.
Throughout the 1980s she divided much of her time between Britain and the USA. While attending a Rosemary Clooney performance at New York’s Rainbow & Stars in 1990, she was ‘persuaded’ to deliver the ballad ‘The Folks Who Live On The Hill’. Thereafter she concentrated exclusively on the standard repertoire, appearing in cabaret at the Cinegrill in Los Angeles, the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel in New York, and London’s Pizza On The Park. In March 2004 she journeyed from her New York residence to London to receive an OBE for services to music and charitable causes.
Albums
