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English singer Kathy Kirby died yesterday (May 19) aged 72 after a short illness. Kirby was born Kathleen O’Rourke on October 20, 1938 in Ilford, Essex. Her break into showbusiness came in the mid-1950s when an impromptu performance at a local dance hall led to her being signed up by bandleader Bert Ambrose, who became her mentor and manager.

Kathy’s biggest success came in the mid-1960s, with five top 40 hits, the biggest of which were “Secret Love” and “Let Me Go, Lover.” She won Top British Female Singer in the New Musical Express poll in 1963 and second place with the song “I Belong” at the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest. This period also saw her host three series of the “Kathy Kirby Show” on BBC television.

Kathy Kirby – “Secret Love”

Kathy Kirby – “Dance On”

The next few years were less kind to Kathy, with none of the singles released between 1967 and 1973 making the charts. She continued to make occasional live performances and television appearances, but retired from showbusiness in the early 1980s.

Let’s close with Kathy’s Eurovision performance:

Kathy Kirby – “I Belong”