Cliff Richard, whose song "Move It" (1958) was the first great British rock-and-roll hit, was born on October 14, 1940, in Lucknow, India, under the name Harry Roger Webb.
Richard moved on to rock & roll after playing in skiffle bands in his childhood in northern London, backed by a band that became known as the Shadows. He was dubbed the "British Elvis Presley" and swiftly rose to prominence as an all-around entertainer with pop singles like "Living Doll" (1959) and roles in "clean adolescent" films like The Young Ones (1961) and Summer Holiday (1962). (1962). Richard became a born-again Christian in 1965, after being supplanted as British pop's leading mover by the Beatles.
He went on to record more than 100 singles and became a national celebrity in the United Kingdom. However, he was less well known in the United States. Until the early twenty-first century, he continued to perform and record. In 1995, Richard was knighted.
In this article, we will discuss why Sir Cliff Richard honoured with Portuguese Award of Merit?
Sir Cliff, who was born Harry Rodger Webb in Lucknow, India, was chosen by the Queen for his charitable work rather than his musical abilities.
In his new book, The Dreamer, which was released last month, the singer said, "It's the ultimate honor and that was precisely what it felt like."
Sir Cliff Richard looks very happy while playing a guitar on a patio with a lot of plants Rodger Webb, Richard's father, died in 1961. Dorothy, his mother, died in October 2007 at the age of 87, following a decade of suffering from Alzheimer's disease. In a 2006 interview with the Daily Mail, he spoke about the challenges he and his sisters had in dealing with their mother's illness.
Richard has seldom lived alone, despite the fact that he was never married. Bill Latham, his religious affairs, charity, media, and promotion schedule manager, and Latham's mother shared his main residence for many years. Richard's property manager, John McGlynn, is a former Catholic priest who "lives in" and looks after the homes when Richard is abroad. Richard stated, "John and I have developed a strong connection over time. He's also become a buddy, which is excellent because I still don't enjoy living alone. "
Richard has been a long-time supporter of Tearfund, a Christian organization that works to alleviate poverty in a variety of nations throughout the world. In nations like Uganda, Bangladesh, and Brazil, he has been able to observe their work firsthand. As Richard has remarked, "Playing a part in alleviating poverty is, as I view it, the obligation of us all."
Richard was knighted in Portugal in 2006, receiving the title of Commander of the Order of Prince Henry (ComIH), in honor of his 40 years of personal and business involvement with the nation. Richard was kanked No. 56 in the BBC's 100 Greatest Britons list of 2002, which was voted on by the public. On October 14, 1940, he was born. So in 2022, he will be 82 years old.
Individuals are recognized for their personal bravery, success, or service to Portugal through a system of orders, decorations, and medals. Law 5/2011 governs the honorific orders at the moment.
The Order of Merit (Ordem do Mérito in Portuguese) is a Portuguese honorific order of civil merit created to reward those who have performed meritorious acts or services in the exercise of any function, both public and private, that demonstrate self-determination and sacrifice in the service of the community.
The President of the Portuguese Republic, in his capacity as Grand Master of the Portuguese Honorary Orders, bestows the decorations. The Order of Merit can be given to Portuguese and foreign individuals, both alive and dead; it can also be given to locations or institutions that are public law legal persons or of public benefit. This order has been given to a wide range of people, including diplomats, merchants, military officials, sportsmen, and singers, among others.
According to the Mayor of Albufeira, the gesture of delivering Sir Cliff the key to the city is a manner of "recognizing the strong contribution the artist has made to the growth and marketing of the city." After spending a trip in Albufeira in 1961, Sir Cliff Richard fell in love with the city and bought his first property there the following year.
Sir Cliff expressed his fondness for Albufeira to The Portugal News in 2013, stating, "If I was going to sell everything, which will certainly happen one day, this would be the last place."
The singer was the first pop or rock musician to be knighted by the Queen, and he also realized a lifelong ambition of producing his own wine in Albufeira, Vida Nova.
Sir Cliff Richard had withdrawn from the ceremony at which he was set to receive the keys of the city of Albufeira, near his holiday home in Portugal. The billionaire pop musician, who has been accused of sex assault in the past, was set to receive the region's highest civic honor. During a day of festivities commemorating the awarding of a historic charter, a dozen others received merit medals.
Sir Cliff informed officials that he would not be present and instead stayed at his property in the hills above the Algarve resort, where he has spent his summers for over 50 years. Cliff was to get the gold key of the city since he is a prominent member of Albufeira, according to Mayor Carlos Silva e Sousa. "He has chosen not to attend today, but we have saved his invitation and plan to present him with his medal at a later date."
The prize was given by the city's entire council, which voted unanimously in secret. According to the mayor, Sir Cliff had intended to attend the event but had to decline due to scheduling conflicts. Mr. Silva e Sousa also stated that he was aware of the police inquiry into Sir Cliff's alleged sexual abuse of a young child during an evangelical gathering in Sheffield in 1985. He explained, "I'm not sure why he isn't here." It has no bearing on my judgment of him. We are quite pleased with him. "He's a large guy."
Yes, Sir Cliff Richard honoured with Portuguese Award Of Merit.
During an inquiry into a sexual assault accusation, police visited Sir Cliff's residence in 2014. He was never detained or arrested. The celebrity said that the raid's media coverage had left his image "in tatters." "Absolutely false," he said.
Rape Crisis, on the other hand, claims that false charges are rare and that there are "no reasons" to amend the legislation. Sir Cliff left the United Kingdom in 2019 to migrate to the United States. Cliff's close friend, Gloria Hunniford, said his ordeal had left him "disillusioned" with the United Kingdom. "Cliff won't come back and live here," Gloria, 79, told the media.
The Crown Prosecution Service received a dossier of evidence from South Yorkshire Police in May 2016. The CPS announced the following month that there was "insufficient evidence" to prosecute Richard for an offense after assessing "material pertaining to accusations of non-recent sexual crimes dating between 1958 and 1983 made by four males," and that no further action would be taken against him. "Of course, I'm overjoyed that the horrible claims and the ensuing inquiry have finally come to an end," Richard remarked. He said, however, that despite not being charged, he had been "hung out like live bait" by the media. On June 16, 2016, South Yorkshire Police "sincerely" apologized to the singer, who had his investigation shut down on June 16, 2016.
Sir Cliff purchased his first property in this resort in 1961, and it has since become a favorite destination for British tourists. He purchased a larger home and planted a vineyard on a piece of land near a larger estate where he made his own wine with the help of a buddy many years ago. After the Wimbledon tennis tournament, he used to go to Portugal for a few weeks each year. He stayed there until September. Since authorities seized his UK house in Berkshire in 2014, he has rarely been seen on the 30-acre estate.
After visiting Albufeira for the first time in 1961, Sir Cliff Richard made it his second home for almost 40 years. He was frequently be heard admiring Albufeira for having some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, nice people, and splendid gastronomy, according to an Albufeira council statement.
Sir Cliff owns the Adega do Cantor or Winery of the Singer-vineyard in southern Portugal's sun-drenched Algarve area. From £11.50 to £14.50 a bottle, Vida and Onda Nova wines are made at the vineyard. The wines have won awards.
Cliff Richard has had a long and illustrious career. He wanted to sell his property in Portugal. In 2018, he told the Sunday Times that he was selling his home in the Algarve, Quinta do Moinho, for €6.95 million, which is about $6.95 million.
Cliff Richard's 1958 smash "Move It" is largely recognized as the first genuine British rock and roll single, and is credited with "laying the foundations" for the Beatles and Merseybeat music. According to John Lennon, before Cliff and the Shadows, there was virtually nothing worth listening to in British music. Unlike his contemporaries, Marty Wilde, Billy Fury, and Adam Faith, he has had a thriving performance and recording career in the UK for almost six decades.