Sir Cliff Richard “Retiring is not in my vocabulary!”
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ|March 2022
At 81, Sir Cliff Richard has a lifetime of musical hits, film roles and more to reflect on. And he has no plans to stop making them any time soon.
TIFFANY DUNK
Sir Cliff Richard “Retiring is not in my vocabulary!”

When he was 12 years old, Sir Cliff Richard – then known as Harry Webb – sent a letter to a pen-pal he’d made in Australia. “My ambition is to be a famous singer,” he wrote. Decades later that same pen-pal gave him a copy during his first tour Down Under. “I don’t remember at that early age wanting to sing,” he tells The Weekly, “but there it was in black and white. So perhaps I did have that feeling! It wasn’t until I was about 15, I think, when I first heard Elvis that the desire grew into something that really overtook me. And I’m very happy that it did!”

As he releases a DVD version of his recent The Great 80 Tour which was filmed at the Royal Albert Hall, Sir Cliff reflects on his music, his fans, his faith and his dear friend, Olivia.

Can you give us a snapshot of your life before music?

I got to England just in time for my eighth birthday [from India, where he’d been raised]. I can remember I first went to school in a place called Carshalton, in Surrey. My grandmother said she would put us up for a while, and she did. Of course for that while, possibly a year or so, I got bullied a bit, but I learned how to fight – it’s interesting how you learn to survive.

When did you first realise that you had made the leap to fame?

I realised that we’d made a pretty good start when, at the age of 17, I found myself in Studio Two at Abbey Road recording a song. It’s at that moment that I felt “wow”. It wasn’t that we’d made it, but we had every chance of making it. I think the precise moment I knew was when that song – Move It – got to #2 in the British charts.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2022 من Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2022 من Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S WEEKLY NZ مشاهدة الكل
Spotlight on Vitamin D
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

Spotlight on Vitamin D

Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, but safe sun exposure is still essential.

time-read
2 mins  |
May 2024
Coming up roses
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

Coming up roses

Driven by a renewed interest in the flower’s power, a rose renaissance is dawning.

time-read
3 mins  |
May 2024
'I was given a 5% chance of survival'
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

'I was given a 5% chance of survival'

When Caroline Laner Breure was hit by a car in an horrific accident on a Spanish holiday with her boyfriend, her body and her dreams were shattered. Somehow she found the will to go on living.

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2024
Time to celebrate our mothers
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

Time to celebrate our mothers

Author Kathy Lette gives a heartfelt thank you to her magnificent mum, Val - a baker of fairy cakes with the patience of a saint.

time-read
4 mins  |
May 2024
"I am lucky to be here" ”
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

"I am lucky to be here" ”

Since the day she walked onto the MasterChef Australia set back in 2009, Julie Goodwin has openly shared her life. But in writing a memoir, she had to examine the demons she'd battled privately... until now.

time-read
9 mins  |
May 2024
JAMIE OLIVER at your service
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

JAMIE OLIVER at your service

Returning to the set of MasterChef Australia to help steer a path through grief and spread happiness, the celebrity chef is also at a turning point - he opens up about failure, love, second chances and his endless reservoir of joie de vivre.

time-read
10 mins  |
May 2024
From one mum to another
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

From one mum to another

Princess Catherine's public announcement struck a chord with mum-of-two Jane Gillard. She shares her story of parenting through cancer- and offers hope for the princess and mums navigating their own health journey while raising primary-aged kids.

time-read
4 mins  |
May 2024
The courage of Princess Catherine "You are„, not alone"
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

The courage of Princess Catherine "You are„, not alone"

It was a rare personal address that she shouldn’t have had to make. But with conspiracy theories swirling and the slimmed-down “Firm” under fire, Princess Catherine silenced critics with searing courage and dignity.

time-read
9 mins  |
May 2024
THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE

When Tracy Hall fell for Max Tavita, she fell for a mirage. Max was a false identity created by a con man, and Tracy was the latest in a long line of women whose life savings hed stolen.

time-read
9 mins  |
May 2024
Amother's GIFT
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

Amother's GIFT

In December last year, Australia’s first uterus transplant recipient, Kirsty Bryant, gave birth to Henry, a happy, healthy baby boy. The uterus that had made this little miracle possible had been donated by her mother, Michelle. Five months later, their first Mother’s Day since Henry’s birth feels especially precious.

time-read
10 mins  |
May 2024