Hey, all of you British natives, nationals, and residents! Richard Harries has written to remind me, to remind you, to please sign the PETition to have Petula Clark promoted from MBE to full-fledged Dame! I will be very petulant if there aren’t at least 1000 signatories on the form before the March 12 deadline. I may have a Brit name, but I’m a Yank, so I can’t sign, but as Rich points out, “US citizens (and other non Brits ) can sign if they have a UK address. Sheila Ferguson of the Three Degrees signed on that basis!” So there you have it.
Go to THIS LINK NOW and add your name to those who have already signed. In thanks for your participation in this worthy cause, here is a very special and personal song by Pet.
[flv:/Video/NOV07/PetLive.flv 400 300]
There is that little snag, of course, that the virtual signatures be from UK citizens, residents, denizens, etc. With my name I could pass for British but, well, that would be cheating.
I will harass (pronounced ha-RASS in these parts) the author Brian Sibley, who has yet to make good on his promise to promote the PETition on his Web site.
Wouldn’t it be loverly if Dame Julie Andrews placed a call to PM Brown on Pet’s behalf?
I am amazed at how many have viewed Petula on YouTube – why aren’t they signing the petition! I must admit to being disappointed with the response to the petition and hope we get a ‘flood’ in the next two weeks.
A lot of the YouTube videos of Pet now include a link to the PETition, and that should help the cause. I read your article in the latest Petula & Company. Thank you, Irene, for getting the ball rolling.
Pet’s contribution as a child to UK morale during WWII is by itself sufficient reason for her to merit the title of Dame. Needless to say, her accomplishments since then are considerable indeed!
I started this petition last year and having just read the many accolades about Petula on various websites there surely isn’t much more to say apart from PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION – she is a very special lady.
Thanks for this comment about, and tribute to, Petula, David! When I first posted something about Petula at the beginning of the year, I was acting purely on impulse. I’d heard about the Blue Lady BBC documentary, but had no idea she would be hosting the PBS British Beat show, and the PETition was a surprise when it appeared. I simply felt it was time to come out and express my appreciation for the woman and her talents. I was very pleased when the “Driven By Emotion” blog appeared, and somewhat dismayed, but not discouraged, when it disappeared.
My concern is that Pet’s multi-national appeal may itself be a hinderance to her being named Dame Petula Clark. And that certainly should not be case. The woman is special. She just is. For myself, the proof is that she burst on the American scene and conquered where other talented British women of her generation had only moderate success. We Yanks had absolutely no idea of Petula’s French career or her start as a child star. And there she was, lovely, sexy and singing her heart out. With no preconceptions about her whatsoever, the response by Americans was immediate and resounding. Pet is indeed the very best of what is British, and is well deserving of the title.
Lovely song, co written by Petula and the amazing multi-talented David Hadzis. This was the version sung at the Arts Festival in Norfolk, Virginia a few years ago, but the song was first performed at Petula’s momentous bi-lingual concert in Montreal in 2000. That version is also available on record. Lastly it was recorded in 2003 in a performance at the Paris Olympia. So 3 live versions of the song are available. (Montreal is the best I think). Petula sings it now in all her concerts, always giivng credit to David. There has never been a studio recording, perhaps because the song is a personal statement from Pet to her audience, and really has to be “live”.
If anyone in British showbiz should be promoted to the ranks of Dame or Knight, I feel Petula has a fair call on being that person. A long and distinguished career, appealing to generation after generation, breaking records wherever she has gone; the biggest female British artiste, the most gold discs, the biggest sales, the longest career in the charts (51 years!), the most languages sung in, the only girl to have records in the UK charts in 3 different languages. The list of her achievements is endless… and the strange thing is that when you meet her, you’d never know she wasn’t the woman from next door…she is clearly more interested in talking about you than about her.
Amazingly this charming and delightful woman has been in showbiz and a star for more than 65 years, and is still touring, recording and generally spreading happiness all over the world. And on she goes…I heard her on Swiss radio today talking about the fact that she is looking for new French songs.
In between having a career that encompassed almost every aspect of showbusiness in several languages, she brought up 3 children who adore her, and has found time to work for a variety of charities in many countries, giving concerts, cutting records, attending functions, and visiting refugee camps.
What is there not to love about Petula Clark? She is totally unique; there’s just no one near her.
So, I say to the UK government…give her a damned damehood. Not that she sets any kinda store by that stuff… she’d much rather have a new song…but she so deserves the recognition, and we should be so proud of her.
Bless you, Petula. You’re simply the very best of British.