He’s called Sir Cliff because the durable living legend was knighted by Queen Elizabeth of England at Buckingham Palace in 1995 ahead of Paul McCartney (1997) and Elton John (1998).
It wasn’t the first honor that Sir Cliff has received from the Queen. In 1980, he was presented with an OBE (Order of the British Empire) medal for his achievements as a recording artist and performer.
Sir Cliff turned 66 last Oct. 14 but hardly looks his age. He once said his dream was to become Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up. Music critics attribute Sir Cliff’s longevity as a pop star to his image as an "eternal teenager" and his adaptability to changing music paradigms.
Sir Cliff is widely acclaimed for his sound fundamentals — a beautiful voice fit for driving rock or ballads, catchy tunes, understandable (and therefore, easy to sin) lyrics, charismatic stage presence and a verve that is infectious.
Without a doubt, Sir Cliff is in a class of his own. No other artist has sold over 250 million records and broken into the Top 10 of the English music charts in each of the last six decades. He has taken 14 singles to No. 1, recorded over 80 albums and spent close to 2,000 weeks overall on the English charts through the years, second only to Elvis Presley.
What makes Sir Cliff’s coming gig a must-see concert is that it’s a rare chance to watch such an icon perform live and in the flesh. It’s his third visit to Manila but his first in over 20 years. And Sir Cliff has promised a night to remember and a show like no other with a set list of classic greatest hits ("Summer Holiday," "Young Ones," "Ocean Deep," "We Don’t Talk Anymore," "Just A Little In Love," "Constantly," "The Next Time," "The Minute You’re Gone," "Bachelor Boy") all-time favorites and new songs from his latest album "Two’s Company."
"Maybe, the reason why my show is in demand is because I’m prepared to do things that aren’t normal," said Sir Cliff, quoted by Pia Barchet. "As a pop/rock singer, you don’t just have to sing rock ‘n’ roll. Rock ‘n’ roll is not a tempo, it’s a culture — a musical culture."
Not too many fans know that Sir Cliff is as passionate about sports as he is about music.
As a boy, he played a lot of badminton. And at the Cheshunt County high school, Sir Cliff developed a keen interest in various other sports, playing right-back in soccer for the varsity and rugby. In track, he was a sprinter and even managed to break the over-13s javelin record. Sir Cliff also played for the Hertfordshire under-14s soccer team.
But the sport that swept Sir Cliff off his feet was tennis.
In 1982, Sir Cliff and British tennis star Sue Barker were an item. Their romance eventually fizzled out and Sir Cliff has never married.
"It was impossible to spend five minutes with Sue without becoming fascinated by tennis," said Sir Cliff in his book "A Celebration." "I’d always been interested in playing tennis although not on a regular basis but after meeting Sue, I became more seriously involved — some of my holiday companions might say, obsessed with the game. Sue insisted that, taking up the sport in my 40s, I had no hope of becoming proficient but that’s just the challenge I enjoy. The best compliment I’ve had is from the tennis commentator Warren Jacques who once said that had I started playing as a child, I might have been good enough to sneak into a minor county team. The main point is that I enjoy tennis and it keeps me in shape."
Sir Cliff’s attachment to tennis has led to his involvement in Tennis Trails which sponsors professional coaching in schools to develop court skills among children.
"After meeting Sue, he changed from being a casual performer to a deadly serious contender with all the grit and determination he once displayed on the rugger field," wrote Steve Turner in his biography book. "He started playing regularly at the David Lloyd Tennis Center and receiving lessons. Soon, he was becoming a fixture on the social circuit of the British tennis scene, turning up at Wimbledon, organizing pro-celebrity tournaments and injecting much-needed money into schemes to improve Britain’s standing in the world."
Sir Cliff has played doubles against the likes of Chris Evert, Steffi Graff and Ilie Nastase.
"He became infatuated with the game," said Barker who retired from the tennis circuit in 1984 and married a police detective. "He still doesn’t look like a natural player. There is always a distinction between someone who has played as a kid and someone who has taken it up much later in life. You can see it in the flowing motion of the shots. The result is still the same but you can feel that it’s manufactured rather than natural."
Tennis commentator Gerald Williams said, "He’s very fit and competitive, he plays a good game, he really understands tennis … when he talks about it on radio and TV, he makes more sense than a lot of people who earn a living from talking about it."
In 1996, Sir Cliff was in the stands at Wimbledon when matches were rained out and fans waited for the sun to shine. To keep the fans from getting bored, Sir Cliff took a wireless microphone, stood up from his seat and led in the impromptu singing of several of his hits, including "Congratulations," with Virginia Wade, Martina Navratilova and others in the chorus.
Sir Cliff is arriving via Philippine Airlines from Singapore on Feb. 12 and leaving, also via Philippine Airlines, for Tokyo on Feb. 15. He is traveling with 24 musicians, light and sound engineers, show coordinators and crew.