Kathy Kirby

Biography

Kathy Kirby was an English singer. Kirby’s vocal talent became apparent early in life, and she took singing lessons with a view to becoming an opera singer. She became a professional singer after meeting bandleader Bert Ambrose in 1956. She remained with Ambrose’s band for three years and he remained her manager, mentor and lover until his death on stage in Leeds in 1971.  She released her first album “16 Hits From Stars & Garters” in 1963. Kirby became one of the biggest stars of the early to mid-1960s, appearing in the Royal Command Variety Performance and two television series for BBC TV.  She represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1965, and came second with the song “I Belong” which also became a hit. After the chart success of “I Belong”, Kirby recorded more than a dozen singles,but they all failed to chart. She continued to make television appearances. During the 1970s, Kirby’s singing career was eclipsed by a turbulent personal life, but she made occasional television appearances and performed a few live concerts on the “nostalgia circuit”. In December 1983 she gave one last concert in Blackpool, then retired from show business

Kathy Kirby died on 19 May 2011, aged 72.