A glimpse into the life of Shirley Bassey, from single teenage mother to world-famous superstar, as her incredible career is celebrated with a performance at the Royal Albert Hall

Lady Shirley Bassey has been named in the New Year Honors list alongside, among others Emilia Clarke And Paul Hollywood.

The vocal powerhouse's legacy will shine for another century after he was named Companion Of Honor – a title given to iconic figures such as Dame Maggie Smith and Sir Paul McCartney.

The award recognizes achievements 'that will be remembered 100 years from now' and only 65 living members can qualify.

The singer has come a long way from her humble beginnings in Tiger Bay, Cardiff and singing in London bars and clubs.

MailOnline take a look at the incredible career of Shirley Bassey.

MailOnline view the incredible career of the 'Girl From Tiger Bay' (photo 1962)

Where is Shirley Bassey from?

Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey was born in Bute Street, Cardiff, in 1937 to Nigerian father, Henry Bassey, and Teeside mother, Eliza Jane Start.

She was the youngest of her six siblings – three sisters, a brother and two half-sisters – and grew up in the nearby community of Splott.

Shirley had a powerful voice from a very young age and often sang in the corridors of Moorland Road School, despite receiving very little applause from peers and teachers.

Her sister Gracie told me The mirror that the star 'sang as soon as she could talk', with the crooner himself admitting that her natural talent was completely random.

She said: 'No one in my family sings, no one on my mother's side. We know nothing about my father's side.

“There was probably an ancestor centuries ago who called for rain with this powerful voice.”

The Cardiff-born singer left the city when she was just 14 years old to sing in local pubs and clubs in the star city of London.

In 1953, Shirley landed her first professional contract, touring with a variety show based on the life of famed singer Al Jolson called Memories of Jolson.

Later that year, in December, the singer signed on the dotted line with Columbia Productions for two shows and received a salary of £10.

The following year she toured with another show called Hot From Harlem, the act included other mixed-race Cardiffians playing the roles of African Americans.

Who are Shirley Bassey's children?

Shirley has two daughters, Sharon and Samantha. Her youngest daughter, Samantha, was found dead in the River Avon, Bristol, in 1985 aged 21 (photo from left to right: Sharon, Shirley and Samantha)

While on tour with the Hot from Harlem show, Shirley became pregnant at the age of 16 and later gave birth to her first child Sharon in September 1954.

After Sharon's birth, Shirley was forced to turn her back on her burgeoning career and return to Wales, where she worked as a waitress.

During this time, single mothers were socially excommunicated and sometimes forced to give up their children for adoption The mirror.

However, the Welsh starlet tried to address the issue and tried to hide the baby's existence from her peers and bosses.

The Diamonds Are Forever singer admitted she wasn't married to Sharon's father, adding: “I don't talk about it for this reason: Sharon gets touchy when I say it and I understand that.”

Shirley did not reveal the identity of her child's father until 1998, where she rrevealed that Sharon's father was Jewish and that he was married with two children while they were in their love affair.

The Goldfinger singer also confessed that she never told Sharon's father she existed because it would “hurt too many people.”

Sharon was raised by Shirley's older sister, Ellam in Scotland until she was nine.

Shirley gave birth to her second daughter, Samantha, in 1963, but her paternity has not been made public.

Samantha was sadly found dead in the River Avon, Bristol in 1985, aged 21.

In 2010, Avon and Somerset Police carried out further investigations into the young woman's death, but later found there was 'no evidence that a criminal offense had occurred'.

Shirley lost her voice for a while after her daughter's death.

The star also adopted her second cousin Mark.

How did Shirley Bassey become famous?

Shirley was able to pursue her dreams of superstardom thanks to her sister Ella, who raised her eldest daughter, Sharon, in Scotland until the age of nine (photo: Shirley in 1956)

Her command of the notoriously difficult crowds at the Glasgow Empire won her a contract. From there her career went from strength to strength (pictured in 1970)

Thanks to her sister Ella's care for her eldest daughter Sharon, Shirley was able to realize her singing dreams, including an all-important performance in Scotland.

During her first national tour, she was asked by the promoter if she would consider performing at the Glasgow Empire.

Because the theater had a reputation for being one of the most difficult in the country, he negotiated with Shirley that if she could “win over” the audience he would offer her a contract.

Despite their meddlesome nature, Shirley managed to control the crowd and tell them that if they weren't willing to listen, she would just go home.

By the time she finished the song, the applause from the famous tough crows was 'deafening'.

The promoter later heard about Shirley's triumphant performance through word of mouth and presented her with a contract.

Who was Shirley Bassey married to?

Shirley married film director Kenneth Hume (photo) in 1961. The two later divorced in 1965

She married again at the Little Church Of The Wes, Las Vegas to Sergio Novak in 1968 (pictured in 1974)

The vocal powerhouse has notoriously had bad luck in love and was once traumatically held at gunpoint by an obsessive ex-partner.

She later married twice, once to Kenneth Hume in 1961 and again to Sergio Novak in 1968.

Kenneth Hume and Shirley married in a registry office in Paddington on 8 June 1961 and divorced four years later in 1965.

But Shirley did not give up her search for true love and married Sergio Novak about three years later, in August 1968.

The couple made it official at the Little Church Of The West in Las Vegas, but their marriage would later collapse.

The Cardiffian claimed their union fell apart due to Sergio becoming her manager, but he claimed Shirley had an affair with her road manager, Kenny Carter.

What other awards has Shirley Bassey received?

Shirley has come a long way since her childhood in Splott, Cardiff, with numerous hits to her name including Love Song, Never, Never, Never and This Is My Life (pictured 2023)

She is the only artist in history to record multiple James Bond theme songs, including Diamonds Are Forever, Goldfinger and Moonraker (photo 2015)

The Welsh star has received numerous accolades, including a Damehood and induction into the Grammy Hall Of Fame (Photo: Shirley Bassey performing at Glastonbury in 2007)

Throughout her career, Shirley has recorded numerous hits, including Love Song, Never, Never, Never and This Is My Life.

She performed more than 45 times at the Royal Albert Hall during a career that included playing the 80th birthday celebrations of both Prince Philip and Mikhail Gorbachev.

Widely regarded as one of Britain's most popular and powerful vocalists, her career spans 70 years and she is the first woman to chart an album in the UK top 40 in seven consecutive decades.

The crooner also recorded not just one but three James Bond theme songs, Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker.

The songs contributed greatly to the success of their respective films, making Shirley the only artist to record several James Bond theme tunes.

She has received many honors and awards for her incredible career, including a Damehood and induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

She also received the Freedom Of The City Of Cardiff and was named in the New Years Honors in 1994 and 2024 for her services to music.