Born 1932 in Ewell, Surrey, British singer and actress Petula Clark began her professional career as a child entertainer on BBC Radio during the Second World War. In 1954, she charted with “The Little Shoemaker”, the first of her big UK hits, and within two years she began recording in French. Her international successes have included “Prends mon coeur”, “Sailor” (a UK number one), “Romeo”, and “Chariot”. Hits in German, Italian and Spanish followed.
In late 1964, Clark’s success extended to the United States with a four-year run of career-defining, often upbeat singles, many written or co-written by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent. These songs include her signature song “Downtown”, “I Know a Place”, “My Love”, “A Sign of the Times”, “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love”, “Who Am I”, “Colour My World”, “This Is My Song” (by Charles Chaplin), “Don’t Sleep in the Subway”, “The Other Man’s Grass Is Always Greener”, and “Kiss Me Goodbye”. In the United States, Clark was sometimes called “the First Lady of the British Invasion”.
Clark has had one of the longest serving careers of a British singer, spanning more then 7 decades. She has sold more than 68 million records. She has also enjoyed success in the musical film Finian’s Rainbow and in the stage musicals The Sound of Music, Blood Brothers, Sunset Boulevard and Mary Poppins.
Take a look at these vintage photos to see portraits of a young and beautiful Petula Clark.
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