Among another slew of famous names whose birthday it is, including the late, great Meat Loaf, Nicky Haslam, Alvin Stardust, Cosimo de' Medici, (Lord) Bernard Miles, Avril Lavigne, Diane Abbott, Shaun Cassidy, Denis Lawson, Gordon Honeycombe, Lil Wayne (40), Irvine Welsh, Don Cornelius, Vincent Youmans, Barbara Murray, Dame Josephine Barstow, and - erm - professional "looney-tune" Gwyneth Paltrow (50), the magnificent Miss Barbara Dickson blows out 75 candles on her cake today!
Let's celebrate with a mere soupçon of the lady's great body of work...
...and, finally - the (camp) classic!
Many happy returns, Barbara Ruth Dickson OBE (born 27th September 1947)
What a pure and powerful voice. And, of course, Elaine Paige.
ReplyDeleteMiss Dickson's voice has always been more mellow than Miss Paige's, hence her tendency to veer into the "folk" genre - but when power is required, she has it in spades! Jx
DeleteGreat voice. Many compared her to Bette Midler. And, away from vocals, "Red Watch" by one of your other illuminati, Gordon Honeycombe, is worth reading. I lived around the corner at the time.
ReplyDeleteNot sure about the comparison with Miss Midler, but I'm sure if they ever did duet, Miss Dickson would give it a good go!
DeleteGordon Honeycombe was a "national treasure" because of his prominence as a newsreader, but I knew nothing of his writing. I just researched Red Watch, and it doesn't sound like something I would ever read, being all about an arson fire that killed seven people... I prefer to be cheered up by what I read, rather than depressed, tbh. Jx
I think his telling of that fire led to some improvements. But then there was the Grenfell disaster. But Mr.H. was a most interesting man. Great raconteur.
DeleteAnother Suitcase in another hall. Something im familiar with.
ReplyDeleteSo what happens now?
DeleteTake your picture off another wall
Where am I going to?
You'll get by, you always have before
Indeed. Jx
I met Barbara about 15 years ago on the Shell forecourt in Willerby, I was on pump 1 and she was on the other side on pump 2 filling her silver jag I stood behind her in the queue in awe, she didn't have a points card and she asked the girl behind the counter for a receipt.
ReplyDeleteDid she buy hairspray while she was there? Jx
DeleteBarbara Dickson? I was thinking before scrolling down. Barbara Dickson? Didn't the Scissor Sisters do a song about her?* And then I found my Gay Card (a bit dusty and in need of replacing) and everything clicked into place.
ReplyDelete*They didn't. It was Barbara Jackson.
I have absolutely no recall of that song! A filler track on Tah-Da that I obviously overlooked.
DeleteGlad your memory kicked in rather sooner, where Miss Dickson is concerned... Jx
I had to google both of them! What careers they've both had. Thanks, sweetpea! xoxo
ReplyDeleteGosh. I thought everyone knew that song from Chess! Jx
DeleteBarbara Dickson is a good actress as well - I was very surprised when she turned up in Band of Gold.
ReplyDeleteSx
I never watched the show, but I remember being surprised to see her name in the cast, too.
DeleteJx
I Know Him So Well... LOVE that damn song. What a great score from a terribly flawed musical. Sigh. Timing. Kizzes.
ReplyDeleteI never saw Chess, so can't really comment on its flaws - but I Know Him So Well is a contender for "Gay National Anthem"! Love it. Jx
DeleteAdorable and adored especially my me.
ReplyDeleteShe's a class act. Jx
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