Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien was born on April 16.
1939in West Hampstead to an Irish Catholic family, and was brought up in
the West London borough of Ealing. The name "Dusty" was given
to her when she was a child, as she had been a tomboy in her early
years. Dusty Springfield's first single, the soul-tinged "I Only
Want to Be with You", was released in November 1963. That song was
Dustys first flirtation with American soul, She chose it as a
tribute to Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" style. While
recording her final album, A Very Fine Love, in 1995 in Nashville, Dusty
felt unwell. In England, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She
received months of radiation treatment and, for a time, the cancer was
in remission. Cancer was detected again in the summer of 1996. After a
fight, Dusty was defeated by the illness on March 2, 1999. She died in
Henley-on-Thames, on the day she had been due to go to Buckingham Palace
to receive her Order of the British Empire insignia. Before her death
the officials of St James's Palace gave permission for the medal to be
collected by the manager Vicki Wickham. She duly presented it to the
singer in the hospital, where they had been joined by a small party of
friends and relatives. Her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
had been scheduled for 10 days after her death. Elton John helped induct
Dusty Springfield into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, stating: I
think she is the greatest white singer that there ever has been.
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