Dusty
was born, Mary Isabel Catherine O'Brien on April 16th. 1939 in
Hampstead, London. Her career started as part of the sweetie
trio, The Lana Sisters (Seven Little Girls Sitting In The Back
Seat) in the fifties. Later she teamed with her brother, Tom (Dion
O'Brien), and Tim Field to become the top pop/folk group,
Springfields.
In 1963 Dusty went solo with, "I Only Want To Be With You". It
was the first song to be played on Britain's Top Of The Pops
and became an instant hit, also giving her the honour of being
the first British female pop artist to chart in America. A
stream of hits followed.
Dusty moved to Los Angeles in 1972 shortly after admitting to
The London Evening Standard in an interview that she was
bi-sexual.
In the early eighties she moved to Toronto.
Later the Netherlands.
Finally, she came home.
Dusty made several failed come-backs before dueting "What Have
I Done To Deserve This?" with the Pet Shop Boys in 1987. She
was back in the best-sellers again, producing several more
hits.
In 1994 she underwent chemotherapy for breast cancer and was
declared free of it in 1995, but the following year it
returned.
Dusty
Springfield passed away peacefully at her home in
Henley-on-Thames from the cancer on March 2nd. 1999 - on the
day that she was to accept an O.B.E. from the Queen. (She did
in fact get her O.B.E. four weeks earlier, by special
arrangement. It was collected for her from the Palace and
presented to her in hospital.) On news of her death, the Queen
expressed her sadness.
