Barbara Dickson

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Barbara Dickson OBE (born 27 September 1947) is a Scottish actress and singer, known for her work on stage (Blood Brothers) and television (Band of Gold).

Barbara Dickson was born in Dunfermline, and was educated at Woodmill High School. In 1964 she started singing and playing guitar in local folk clubs, and soon afterwards took up work at the Registrar General's Office in Edinburgh. Her first commercial recording was in 1967. She recorded an album with Archie Fisher The Fate O' Charlie in 1969, and started gigging in the north of England. Her first solo album was Do Right Woman in 1970. She became a professional folk singer in 1973, but after a year she had a big break as the part of the singer and pianist in Willy Russell's play "John Paul George Ringo... and Bert". In 1975 her career was boosted further, by her rendition of the role of the Discarded Mistress, on the original album version of Evita.

Her version of "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" was a UK hit in March 1977, reaching its peak of Number 18, exactly 20 years before the Madonna version made Number 7. She had earlier reached Number 9 with a version of the 1950s hit "Answer Me" in January 1976, and climbed to Number 11 with "January February" (confusingly enough in April 1980). She went on to score a 1985 UK number one with a duet (music), "I Know Him So Well" from Chess, with Elaine Paige. Despite her well-publicised image as a powerful pop-ballad singer, every decade or so she has recorded an album of traditional folk songs.