Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb in Lucknow, India, on October 14, 1940) is one of the United Kingdom's most popular singers.
With his backing group The Shadows, he dominated the British popular music scene in the late 1950s and early 1960s, before the advent of The Beatles. A conversion to Christianity and subsequent softening of his music led to his having more of a pop than rock image. Although never able to achieve a significant impact in the United States, Richard has remained a popular music, film, and television personality in the UK.
During the last six decades Richard has charted many hit singles and holds the record (along with Elvis Presley) as the only act to make the UK singles charts in all its active decades (1950s-2000s). According to his website, he has sold 250 million records over the course of his career.
Born in India, Richard and his family moved to Britain after Indian independence in 1947. It is widely believed he is of Anglo-Indian (`Eurasian') descent, although he has never publically acknowledged or refuted this.
