Cliff celebrates 50 years at top of charts

19 September 2008 04:29pm

Sir Cliff Richard celebrated half a century at the top of the charts with a gathering of showbusiness friends.

Cilla Black, who caused a sensation on the catwalk this week when she showed off her shapely legs while wearing very little at a charity fashion show, opted for a rather more demure outfit at the event today (Friday).

Gloria Hunniford was also at the tribute event in London, organised by the Variety Club Children's Charity.

Sir Cliff, 67, and the broadcaster are close friends - the star sang his track Miss You Nights to Hunniford's daughter Caron as she battled with cancer.

Britain's double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes, Lord Lloyd-Webber, Sir Tim Rice and I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! star David Gest attended the bash.

John Sachs, who was chairing today's event at The Dorchester hotel in London, said: "Cliff is a true national treasure with a career that has spanned 50 years.

"Today Cliff is right at the top of the charts. Variety Club is delighted to have the opportunity to pay tribute to this fantastic entertainer and much loved star."

The bash comes after Sir Cliff's latest single, Thank You For A Lifetime, was released to celebrate his 50 years in the music industry. But it stopped short of becoming his 15th No 1 over six decades, instead reaching No 3 in the charts, behind Kings Of Leon's Sex On Fire and Katy Perry's I Kissed A Girl.

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