Dusty_at

Dusty At 70

Had she been alive today, Dusty Springfield would have been celebrating her seventieth birthday.

Sadly, she is no longer with us, but ten years after her death from cancer, Dusty continues to mesmerise music lovers of all ages - those who were fans in the Swinging Sixties and those who have discovered her music much later on.

New musicians continue to emulate her singular style while others are compared to her - but all agree that Dusty is perfectly unique, irreplaceable, unmatchable, a true icon.

In the days leading to what would have been Dusty’s seventieth birthday, there is no evidence of interest in Dusty declining - on the contrary, there seems to be a renewed interest in this bold yet enigmatic woman.

Along with a flurry of new CDs and DVDs, Dusty is presently the focus of numerous articles online and in the printed media, many including tributes from leading figures in the music industry, such as Lulu and Burt Bacharach.

She has also recently featured in the ‘Queens Of British Pop’ documentary series on the BBC. This placed her very squarely at the forefront of the greatest and most influential circle of British female singers, a circle whose influence extends far beyond London in the Sixties, reaching out to the singers of today and drawing these artists back to their cultural roots.

The interest in Dusty also extends across to the academic world, with Dusty recently featuring in a number of books - primarily looking at her life and the legacy of her music, but with one also focussing on Dusty as the subject of a series of poems. Dusty has also been honoured with a singular accolade at the BME in London, where a day was given in her honour - the first time this has ever been done.

For the fans, the music of Dusty Springfield remains essentially unequalled.

Next weekend, fans from across the world will gather in London for the tenth annual Dusty Day, a celebration of her life and music. Organised by Dusty’s close friend Simon Bell, who cared for Dusty until her death, it is fitting that the last word here should be his -

“Dusty was the greatest singer I have ever heard, and an inspiration musically.”