Born 86 Years Ago Today in India, the British Answer to Elvis Presley Who Dominated the Charts Before the Beatles
Cliff Richard, born Harry Rodger Webb in Lucknow in 1940, became one of Britain’s leading early rock ’n’ roll stars. His 1958 hit “Move It” helped establish a homegrown British rock scene, and his success came before the Beatles’ arrival transformed the pop landscape.
After moving to the London suburbs, Webb joined skiffle groups and adopted the name Cliff Richard when he became lead singer of the Drifters. “Move It” reached number two in the UK; “Living Doll” followed as his first number one, and he went on to score 14 chart-topping hits across five decades. He also acted in films and had a BBC show, later returning to the charts with songs including “Devil Woman” and “Dreamin”; he was knighted in 1995 and had sold more than 250 million records worldwide.
- “Move It” made Cliff Richard a British rock ’n’ roll star.
- He scored 14 UK number-one hits across five decades.
- His worldwide record sales exceeded 250 million.
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Cliff Richard was born Harry Webb in Lucknow, then part of British India, in 1940. After moving to the London suburbs, he sang in skiffle groups, a popular style that mixed folk and jazz influences, before taking the name Cliff Richard and becoming lead singer of the Drifters.
His 1958 song “Move It” became an early hit for British rock ’n’ roll, helping show that the new American-influenced style could succeed with British performers. Richard went on to have a long career in music and entertainment, with chart-topping songs, films and television work.
His success came before the Beatles rose to prominence and changed British pop music. Richard’s early popularity is part of the story of how a British pop scene developed before that shift.