Congratulations! You're a Bachelor Boy! (Cliff Richard in general)

Member Name: ImVeryNice

Product:	Cliff Richard in general
Date:	05/09/08 (121 review reads)
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Though never a Cliff fan, he has often been in the background of my life somewhere. When I was about six, my father recorded me on his Truvox reel-to-reel singing "Bachelor Boy" (I'm not though). How I wish I still had that tape, and the machine! Then there are the black and white memories of Cliff backed by The Shadows on TV programmes such as "Juke Box Jury", "Top of the Pops" or "Ready Steady Go!"

Later I got to see Cliff for real in the Christmas panto at the London Palladium in 1960-something. It was Cinderella and Cliff was playing "Buttons". Although heavily over-amplified he was good and the only thing I remember now from what was a very rare and special treat for me, going up to London to see a show.

At school, in the sixth form, he was the heart-throb of the fattest boy in the class, who also turned out to be one of the cleverest, going on to get a PhD from Cambridge University. The rest of us preferred Slade and "Noddy" Holder, who was a dead-ringer for our form master, another Cambridge graduate, who inevitably became known as "Noddy" too. Around this time Cliff had his second crack at Eurovision with his "Power to All Our Friends" coming third this time, after his second place in 1968 with "Congratulations". Next time, Sir Cliff?

Then there were the years of, "Will he? Won't he?" during his involvement with tennis star Sue Barker. Of course, in the end he didn't. Cliff's music was becoming steadily more middle of the road and anodyne and influenced by his strong commitment to Christianity. A brand of Christianity very different to my own, but I credit him for standing up for what he believes in.

Cliff's appeal can still reach all ages: my wife and children love watching his films on DVD, "Summer Holiday" is their favourite, while I crease up hearing those public school vowels coming from a supposed cockney beatnik. My auntie's best friend still knits jumpers for him, despite advancing arthritis, and gets "lovely letters" in return.

So far as I know, Cliff has never let fame and fortune go too much to his head: has he ever trashed his hotel room, burned his guitar on stage, deflowered a dusky maiden or been in rehab? I don't think so. He may now live with the burly former Catholic priest Father John McElynn but that doesn't make him gay, does it?

With his 70th birthday coming up in 2010, I hope Britain can gve him a party to remember.

Summary: No longer rocks, but he is a rock