Vicki Heather Wickham (born 1939) is an English talent manager, entertainment producer, and songwriter.

Career

Wickham was an assistant producer of the 1960s

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

television show ''

Ready Steady Go! ''Ready Steady Go!'' (or ''RSG!'') was a British rock/pop music television programme broadcast every Friday evening from 9 August 1963 until 23 December 1966. It was conceived by Elkan Allan, head of Rediffusion TV. Allan wanted a light ente ...

'', and was fashion consultant for the short-lived ''The Mod's Monthly'' magazine, first issued in March 1964 by Albert Hand Publications, and edited by Mark Burns. However, she is probably best known as the manager of

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), better known by her stage name Dusty Springfield, was a British singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano voice, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop mus ...

and

Labelle Labelle was an American funk rock band that originated out of the Blue Belles, a girl group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. The original group was formed after the disbanding of two rival girl groups in the area around ...

. Wickham co-wrote (with

Simon Napier-Bell Simon Robert Napier-Bell (born 22 April 1939) is an English record producer, music manager, author and journalist. At different times, he has managed artists as diverse as the Yardbirds, John's Children, Marc Bolan, Japan, London, Sinéad O'Co ...

) the English lyrics to Springfield's only British No. 1 hit, " You Don't Have to Say You Love Me", adapted from the Italian song "Io che non vivo senza te". With Penny Valentine, she co-wrote ''Dancing with Demons: The Authorised Biography of Dusty Springfield''. Wickham is gay, but has said that her sexuality was never a problem, stating that she "wasn't out in the 60s. I didn't know what I was, really. Everyone knew I was gay, but we were so unpolitically conscious". In 2012 she told BBC radio listeners: "I found somebody in 1970 and have been with her ever since. I wouldn't swap it for the world." Her long-term partner is the musician

Nona Hendryx Nona Bernis Hendryx (born October 9, 1944) is an American vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician, and author. Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady Ma ...

Awards

Wickham was given a Music Industry "Woman of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award" in 1999, and was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(OBE) in the 2013 Queen's

Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the reigning monarch's official birthday in each realm by granting various individuals appointment into national or dynastic orders or the award of decorations and medals. The honours are ...

List, for services to music.

References

Bibliography

*Valentine, Penny; Wickham, Vicki (April 2000). ''Dancing with Demons: The Authorised Biography of Dusty Springfield''. London: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd. p. 320.

External links

*
Discography
at Discogs

''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', 30 November 1999 {{DEFAULTSORT:Wickham, Vicki 1939 births Living people English women songwriters Officers of the Order of the British Empire Place of birth missing (living people) English lesbian musicians English lesbian writers English LGBTQ songwriters Lesbian songwriters