Petula Clark tells Gyles about the moment she discovered she had made only £500 from her career as a child star.
Just one of the many fascinating stories told by Petula in her brilliant interview on Rosebud this week.
Petula's memoir "Is That You, Petula?" is out now and is highly recommended.
#childstar #petulaclark #gylesbrandreth #rosebudpodcast
Petula Clark sings to Gyles the first ever song she sang on stage, when she was a little girl - "Mighty Like a Rose". This was the moment she was discovered, in the middle of WWII, and her career has lasted ever since. She's going to be 93 next week.
To hear from one of our most enduring stars, listen to Rosebud today.
#petulaclark #worldwartwo #rosebudpodcast
The magnificent Petula Clark single-handedly embodies all of 20th century show business. She has sung, acted and performed with the greatest: Fred Astaire, Peter O’Toole, Harry Belafonte, Sammy Davis Jr, Orson Welles, Charlie Chaplin and SO many more. Ella Fitzgerald loved her voice, Jacques Brel wrote her a song, John Lennon got her out of a jam. You can read all about it in her riveting new memoir, “Is That You, Petula?”. We had a delightful conversation about it last night at London’s #grouchoclub. Petula is a true star: generous, curious, a pure talent.
@petulaclarkhq #60smusic #70smusic #petulaclark #downtown
The fabulous @petulaclarkhq in conversation last night with the entertaining and superior interviewer @katiepuckrik to launch her new autobiography. Who can believe Petula is 92 and looks and sounds so, amazing, full of tantalising stories from Fred Astaire to Elvis via John Lennon 👏 On to the @colonyroomgreen to see a great collection of paintings by @lisamariaortiz and if you like @philipcolbert you’ll love it here 🥂
After eight decades performing, maybe now singer-composer-actor Petula Clark will get her due. Instead of just being known for singing Downtown and saving Karen Carpenter from a threesome with Elvis Presley, she’ll be recognised as a performer who had a truly international career.
Notably, a Brit hitmaker in France, singing in French, who was awarded Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres - and a major star in the US boasting nine Top 20 singles and three Grammys.
Clark made several TV specials in the US, one of which remains notorious. In April 1968, she invited Harry Belafonte to guest on NBC’s Petula. For their duet they taped an anti-war song, On The Path To Glory, which Clark had co-composed. And an extraordinary thing happened. As both sang, Clark approached Belafonte and placed her hand on his forearm.
She thought no more of this but after filming wrapped she became aware there was an issue. The show’s sponsor, Plymouth, insisted that another take - where the two hadn’t touched – had to be used in the finished show. Belafonte immediately recognised racism at play while Clark didn’t want a sponsor telling her what to do.
Clark, her husband and their lawyer ensured that the other takes were wiped by NBC – and that the gentle hand-on-arm was included in the final edit. And thus, it is claimed, it became the first time a white woman had touched a black man on US television.
Clark, now 92 and still sharp, has just published her autobiography, Is that You, Petula? (a John Lennon quote when she unexpectedly turned up at his and Yoko’s Montreal Bed-In). Her stories will be legion.
Advert, clip and screengrab: NBC.
#petulaclark #petula #tvshows
She shot to fame aged nine, released some of the 60s’ most iconic songs and survived a six-decade-long open marriage – flirting with Dean Martin, turning down Elvis and boozing with Peter O’Toole along the way. Petula Clark tells YOU why, at 92, she’s taking stock.
In the 70s, Petula and Karen Carpenter went to see Elivis’ show in Vegas and, afterwards, visited his dressing room. In her book, she writes: ‘It was just the three of us and Elvis was coming on to us pretty heavily… By now, I was pretty worldly-wise but Karen was still a bit naïve. I felt very protective towards her.’
Petula then thanked Elvis and made an excuse to leave. ‘We have to get our beauty sleep,’ she said. ‘Hey, we don’t need beauty sleep,’ said Elvis. ‘We’re beautiful – all three of us!’
She insisted they needed to go and ‘Elvis looked disconsolate,’ Petula writes. ‘As Karen and I walked down the corridor, I looked behind us, to see him watching us go. He gave me a smile that said one thing, and one thing only: “OK, I’ll get you next time!” But he never did.’
Tap the link in bio to read the interview.
Well, here it is!
This book has been a long time coming, and very soon it will be time for you to read - and - I hope enjoy! Love, Petula 🌸
📸 David Hadzis
