Barbara Dickson
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Barbara Ruth Dickson (born 27 September 1947) is a Scottish singer and actress whose hits include " I Know Him So Well" (a chart-topping duet with
Elaine Paige Dame Elaine Jill Paige (born Elaine Jill Bickerstaff, 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Chipping Barnet, Barnet, Hertfordshire, Paige attended the Aida Foster Theatre School, m ...
), " Answer Me" and " January February". Dickson has placed fifteen albums on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
from 1977 to date, and had a number of hit singles, including four which reached the top 20 on the UK Singles Chart. ''
The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact (newspaper), compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until ...
'' newspaper has described her as Scotland's best-selling female singer in terms of the numbers of hit chart singles and albums she has achieved in the UK since 1976. She is also a two-time Olivier Award-winning actress, with roles including Viv Nicholson in the musical '' Spend Spend Spend'', and was the original Mrs. Johnstone in Willy Russell's long-running musical '' Blood Brothers''. On television she starred as Anita Braithwaite in '' Band of Gold''.


Early life

Dickson was born in Dunfermline and went to Woodmill High School. She spent her early childhood in
Rosyth Rosyth () is a town and Garden City in Fife, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth. Scotland's first Garden city movement, Garden City, Rosyth is part of the Greater Dunfermline Area and is located 3 miles south of Dunfermline city cen ...
before her family moved to Dunfermline in the 1950s. Her father was a cook on a tugboat at
Rosyth Dockyard Rosyth Dockyard is a large Royal Navy Dockyard, naval dockyard on the Firth of Forth at Rosyth, Fife, Scotland, owned by Babcock Marine, which formerly undertook refitting of Royal Navy surface vessels and submarines. Before its privatisation i ...
and her mother was from
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
. She went to Pitcorthie Primary School when she moved to Dunfermline.


Career


Early years

Dickson's singing career started in folk clubs around her native
Fife Fife ( , ; ; ) is a council areas of Scotland, council area and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland. A peninsula, it is bordered by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Firth of Forth to the s ...
in 1964. Her first commercial recording was in 1968. Her early work included albums with Archie Fisher, the first of which, ''The Fate O' Charlie'', a collection of songs from the Jacobite rebellions, was released in 1969. Her first solo album was '' Do Right Woman'' in 1970.


1970s–1980s

She became a well-known face on the British folk circuit of the late 1960s and early 1970s, but changed her career course after meeting Willy Russell. He was at that time a young student running a folk club in
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
. He showed Dickson the first draft of what later became the award-winning musical '' John, Paul, George, Ringo ... and Bert'' and asked her to perform the music. The combination of his writing, the cast (including Antony Sher, Bernard Hill and Trevor Eve, who were unknown at the time) and Dickson's idiosyncratic interpretation of
Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
songs made the show highly successful. The show's co-producer, Robert Stigwood, signed Dickson to his record label, RSO Records, for whom she recorded the album '' Answer Me'', arranged and produced by
Junior Campbell Junior Campbell (born William Campbell Jr., 31 May 1947) is a Scottish composer, songwriter and musician. He was a founding member, lead guitarist, pianist, and singer with the Scottish band Marmalade (band), Marmalade and co-wrote and produced s ...
, the title track becoming a top 10 hit in 1976. '' John, Paul, George, Ringo … and Bert'' also led to her guest residency on ''
The Two Ronnies ''The Two Ronnies'' is a British television comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. It was created by Bill Cotton and aired on BBC1 from 10 April 1971 to 25 December 1987. The usual format included sketches, solo se ...
'', which brought Dickson's singing to the attention of more than ten million
BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It p ...
viewers every week.
Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...
and Tim Rice also spotted Dickson in '' John, Paul, George, Ringo … and Bert'', and invited her to record " Another Suitcase in Another Hall" from their new musical '' Evita'', which became her second hit in 1977. She contributed two tracks to '' Scouse the Mouse'' a children's album (1977) with
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
and others. During the late 1970s, Dickson also contributed backing vocals to two best-selling albums by the Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty: '' City to City'' (1978) and '' Night Owl'' (1979). Other solo hits, including "Caravan Song" and " January February", followed for Dickson in 1980. An abridged version of the song "Best of Friends", sung by Dickson, was used as the closing theme for '' Andy Robson'', an ITV children's television series broadcast during 1982 and 1983. It was never released commercially until 2021 when the full version featured on the Special Edition release of Dickson's album ''Heartbeats''. In 1982, Willy Russell invited Dickson to star in his new musical '' Blood Brothers'' in the pivotal role of the mother, Mrs Johnstone. Although at first reluctant to accept, having never acted before, she accepted, and garnered critical acclaim, as well as the
Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre A ...
in 1983. She has reprised the role many times, including in 2004 at the
Liverpool Empire Theatre The Liverpool Empire Theatre is a theatre on the corner of Lime Street in Liverpool, England. The playhouse, which opened in 1925, is the second one to be built on the site. It has the largest two-tier auditorium in the United Kingdom and can ...
. In 1984, Tim Rice approached Dickson to take part in the recording of the
concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
for the musical ''
Chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...
'' in the role of Svetlana. Dickson's songs on the album include " I Know Him So Well", a duet sung with
Elaine Paige Dame Elaine Jill Paige (born Elaine Jill Bickerstaff, 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Chipping Barnet, Barnet, Hertfordshire, Paige attended the Aida Foster Theatre School, m ...
. The song was a worldwide hit, and remained at number one on the UK Singles Chart for four weeks. According to ''
Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...
'', it remains the best-selling female duet. Starting in 1983, Dickson and her backing band began appearing in musical interludes for the BBC Scotland comedy show '' Scotch and Wry''. In 1984, Dickson starred in her own television special for BBC2, in which she travelled around Scotland.


1990s

During the 1990s, Dickson appeared in various television dramas, including ''
Taggart ''Taggart'' is a Scottish detective fiction television programme created by Glenn Chandler, who wrote many of the episodes, and made by STV Studios for the ITV network. It originally ran as the miniseries ''Killer'' from 6 until 20 Septe ...
'', '' Band of Gold'' and '' The Missing Postman''. The writer and director Chris Bond created a stage show for Dickson in 1996 called ''The Seven Ages of Woman'', which won her the ''
Liverpool Echo The ''Liverpool Echo'' is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales – a subsidiary company of Reach plc and is based in St. Paul's Square, Liverpool, England. It is published Monday through Sunday, and is Liverpool's da ...
'' Actress of the Year Award. It premiered at the
Liverpool Playhouse The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actre ...
and toured extensively in 1997 and 1998. She was the subject of '' This Is Your Life'' in 1998, when she was surprised by
Michael Aspel Michael Terence Aspel (born 12 January 1933) is an English retired television presenter and newsreader. He hosted programmes such as '' Crackerjack!'', '' Ask Aspel'', ''Aspel & Company'', '' Give Us a Clue'', '' This Is Your Life'', '' Strange ...
at the Groucho Club in London. In 1999, Dickson starred in '' Spend Spend Spend'', a new musical by Steve Brown and Justin Greene. The show, based on the rollercoaster life story of pools winner, Viv Nicholson, played in the West End to capacity audiences. For her portrayal of Nicholson, Dickson was awarded Best Actress in a Musical at the 2000
Laurence Olivier Awards The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Aw ...
. Dickson went on to star in the UK tour of the show. Further theatre work followed in ''Friends Like This'', the Heather Brothers musical '' A Slice of Saturday Night'' and '' Fame''. During 2006, Dickson appeared as the Timekeeper in Alan Ayckbourn and Denis King's fantasy musical play '' Whenever'' for
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
. She returned to television in the BBC daytime drama series '' Doctors'' with her episode, "Mama Sings The Blues", being broadcast in March 2008. In 2003, Dickson worked with Russell again, providing backing vocals for his album ''Hoovering the Moon''. In 2004, ''The Platinum Collection'', featuring some of her most successful recordings, reached number 35 in the UK Albums Chart. Her 2004 album, '' Full Circle'', was produced and arranged by Troy Donockley, and saw Dickson returning to her folk roots. In 2006, she issued a collection of the songs of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, ''Nothing's Gonna Change My World''.


21st century

Dickson's twenty-fourth studio album, ''Time and Tide'', was released in January 2008, featuring a mix of contemporary and folk songs, including "Palm Sunday", which marked Dickson's return to songwriting after a break of almost twenty years. A live DVD, ''Into the Light'', was released to coincide with the release of ''Time and Tide'', and included, as well as some of her best-loved hits, several tracks from her new album. A double live CD, ''Barbara Dickson in Concert'', was released in April 2009, and was followed later in the year by her autobiography, ''A Shirt Box Full of Songs''. Between February and March 2011, Dickson undertook a tour of the UK and Ireland to promote her new studio album, ''Words Unspoken''. Arranged and produced by Troy Donockley, the album included tracks such as " Bridge Over Troubled Water", "Jamie Raeburn" and "The Trees They Do Grow High". A tribute album to her friend Gerry Rafferty – ''To Each And Everyone – The Songs of Gerry Rafferty'' – was released in September 2013, and her album, ''Winter'', a collection of seasonal favourites, was released in time for Christmas 2014. 2018's ''Through Line'' was followed by ''Time Is Going Faster'', Dickson's 25th studio album, which spent three months in the Official Folk Album Chart and received widespread acclaim, particularly for her own compositions. The single, "Where Shadows Meet The Light", marked her first single release since 1995's "Love Hurts". A completely revised and updated paperback edition of Dickson's autobiography, ''A Shirt Box Full of Songs'', was released to tie-in with the new album, together with an audiobook and Kindle edition. Her first online show, ''Barbara Dickson: Ballads And Blether'', streamed on 20 March 2021 with a limited-edition DVD and CD of the evening available through her official website. The same year, she presented a series of podcasts, ''Answer Me Ten... With Barbara Dickson'', in which she interviewed several well-known female singers, including
Petula Clark Sally "Petula" Clark (born 15 November 1932) is a British singer, actress, and songwriter. She started her professional career as a child actor, child performer and has had the longest career of any British entertainer, spanning more than 85 y ...
, Toyah, Kiki Dee,
Kim Wilde Kim Wilde (born Kim Smith, 18 November 1960) is an English pop singer. She first gained success in 1981 with her debut single "Kids in America", which peaked at no. 2 in the UK. In 1983, she received the Brit Award for Best British Female solo ...
and Eddi Reader. Between March and April 2022, Dickson and her band toured the UK in support of the album ''Time Is Going Faster''. In March 2022, Dickson starred in
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
's ''The Road and the Miles to Dundee'', written by
Val McDermid Valarie McDermid (born 4 June 1955) is a Scottish crime writer, best known for a series of novels featuring clinical psychologist Dr. Tony Hill and his collaborators in the police department. Her work is considered to be part of a sub-genre k ...
and directed by Turan Ali.


Personal life

In 1984, Dickson married former actor Oliver Cookson, who went on to work as an Assistant Director in television for the BBC, and has three sons. As of 2015, she and her family had lived in
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
for a number of years. She was awarded an OBE in the Queen's
New Year Honours The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, with New Year's Day, 1 January, being marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours. A number of other Commonwealth realms also mark this ...
in 2002 for her services to Music and Drama. Interviewed for ''Fern Britton Meets'' in 2017, Dickson discussed her conversion to Catholicism while living in Richmond during her 30s, and the crisis that she had suffered while appearing in Willy Russell's ''Blood Brothers'' 2004 Liverpool stage production. It resulted in Dickson taking a four-week break from her starring role; once she had sufficiently recuperated, Dickson moved to London's West End, when the ''Blood Brothers'' Liverpool run transferred there. She said that her personal crisis led to many years of
stage fright Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia that may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, real or imagined, whether actually or potentially (for example, when perf ...
and she withdrew from public performing until therapy helped to work through her anxieties.


Discography


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dickson, Barbara 1947 births Living people Scottish musical theatre actresses Officers of the Order of the British Empire Laurence Olivier Award winners Actors from Dunfermline People educated at Woodmill High School Scottish people of English descent RSO Records artists Epic Records artists Transatlantic Records artists Scottish Roman Catholics Converts to Roman Catholicism 20th-century Scottish women singers 21st-century Scottish women singers Actresses from Fife