Last updated 09:30, Saturday, 11 October 2008

Cliff Richard in 1958

Since he burst onto the music scene in 1958 with Move It, he has sold a staggering 250 million records and has become a musical icon.

He continues to delight his fans with new music and spectacular live performances. Indeed, it is impossible to think of any British entertainer who has spanned the years and the generations and had more hits all over the world than this unique and much loved man.

To celebrate his 50 years in the business, EMI have released an anniversary single Thank You For A Lifetime. It may have only made number three in the British charts but it went straight to the top of the Scottish charts – which just shows what good taste us Scots have.

Here are a few facts you may not know about Cliff.

1. His first single was meant to be Schoolboy Crush but was swapped to Move It at the last minute

2. Congratulations missed winning the Eurovision Song Contest for him after the Spanish vote was rigged by General Franco.

3. For his 60th birthday he invited 87 friends on a Mediterranean cruise.

4. Cliff was once refused entry to Singapore because his hair was too long.

5. His first job was tomato picking.

6. He bought his first car in 1959 – a Sunbeam Alpine with red leather seats.

7. For his 16th birthday Cliff’s father gave him his first guitar costing £27.

8. In the 1960s Cliff was called moody because he didn’t smile as he was conscious of his irregular teeth.

9. He was the first British pop star to release photos of himself bare-chested in bed.

10.Cliff was voted top male singer by NME in 1965, beating Elvis.