Alan Winner: The Boy Who Loved Bassey

January 20, 2015

“The Boy Who Loved Bassey,” the crisp, hour-long show Alan Winner performed (and co-wrote with Ben Cameron, who directed) at the Metropolitan Room (and earlier this year at the Laurie Beechman Theatre), was so much more than a tribute to a great singer who used to be. Alive and well at almost 78 (on January 8, 2015) and having just released a new album in November, Shirley Bassey is in broader voice than ever before, celebrating 60 years—especially aptly for her, a diamond anniversary—as a professional singer, and still performing on stage. Early in those six decades, Bassey introduced three James Bond movie songs, more than anyone else: “Diamonds are Forever” (John Barry, Don Black), “Moonraker” (Barry, Hal David), and “Goldfinger” (Barry, Anthony Newley, Leslie Bricusse). From then on, as Winner noted, she was largely “the queen of the covers,” reinterpreting songs made famous by others—and often outselling them; the Beatles’ “Something” (George Harrison) was a prime example. Along the way, she has sold some 350 million recordings worldwide. With a big assist from musical director Andy Roninson, Winner, well, covered a satisfying swath of the Bassey oeuvre.

 

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About the Author

Sherry Eaker has been the producer of the annual Bistro Awards since the awards’ inception in 1985. She is the former editor of "Back Stage" and, during her 30-year run, produced panel discussions and workshop events on an ongoing basis, including the programming for Back Stage’s annual Actorfest. She compiled and edited four editions of the "Back Stage Handbook for Performing Artists," and compiled and edited "The Cabaret Artists Handbook." She is a member of the National Theatre Conference and the American Theatre Critics Association (and produced eight of ATCA’s New York weekend conferences). She is an advisor to the boards of both the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and the Women in the Arts & Media Coalition.