Petula Clark

2.1. Childhood and Education

Petula Clark was born Sally Clark on 15 November 1932, in Ewell, Surrey, England. Her parents, Doris (née Phillips) and Leslie Noah Clark, both worked as nurses at Long Grove Hospital in Epsom. Her mother had Welsh ancestry, while her father was English. The stage name "Petula" was coined by her father, who playfully suggested it was a combination of the names of two former girlfriends, Pet and Ulla.

Clark spent her formative years in Abercanaid, a village near Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, where her grandfather was a coal miner. Her first live audience experience occurred in 1939 at the Colliers' Arms in Abercanaid. She also vividly recalled living near London during The Blitz, observing dogfights in the sky and seeking refuge in air-raid shelters with her sister. At the age of eight, she participated in a BBC broadcast from the Criterion Theatre, an underground venue used for safety, where children recorded messages for family members serving overseas. During an air-raid siren that disrupted the recording, Petula volunteered to sing "Mighty Lak' a Rose" to calm the distressed children. Her voice impressed the control room staff, leading to her being recorded. As a child, she also sang in the chapel choir and developed a notable talent for mimicry, performing impersonations of figures such as Vera Lynn, Carmen Miranda, and Sophie Tucker for her family and friends. In 1944, her father introduced her to theater by taking her to see Flora Robson in a production of Mary Stuart. This experience inspired her deeply, and she later stated, "I made up my mind then and there I was going to be an actress. ... I wanted to be Ingrid Bergman more than anything else in the world." However, her initial public performances were as a singer, including a 1945 performance with an orchestra in the entrance hall of Bentalls Department Store in Kingston upon Thames, for which she received a tin of toffee and a gold wristwatch.

2.2. Early Career in Radio and Film

From a serendipitous beginning at the age of seven, Petula Clark rapidly became a prominent child performer across various media, including radio, film, print, and television. In October 1942, at nine years old, she made her radio debut during a BBC broadcast that was delayed by an air raid. Her impromptu performance of "Mighty Lak' a Rose" to soothe the audience led to a series of approximately 500 appearances in programs designed to entertain troops during World War II.

In addition to her extensive radio work, Clark frequently toured the United Kingdom alongside fellow child performer Julie Andrews. She earned the affectionate nickname "the Singing Sweetheart" and performed for dignitaries such as George VI, Winston Churchill, and Bernard Montgomery. Often referred to as "Britain's Shirley Temple", she became a symbol of good luck for the British Army, with some troops reportedly displaying her photographs on their tanks as they advanced into battle.

Clark's film career began in 1944 when she was discovered by film director Maurice Elvey during a performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Elvey cast the 12-year-old Clark as the orphaned waif Irma in his war drama Medal for the General. This was quickly followed by roles in Strawberry Roan, Murder in Reverse?, I Know Where I'm Going!, Trouble at Townsend, and London Town. She also appeared in a series of popular "Huggett Family" films: Here Come the Huggetts, Vote for Huggett, and The Huggetts Abroad. Her early filmography also included collaborations with notable actors like Anthony Newley in Vice Versa (directed by Peter Ustinov) and Alec Guinness in The Card. In 1945, she was featured in the comic Radio Fun, where she was billed as "Radio's Merry Mimic." By this time, she felt she had outgrown child roles.

Her television career commenced in 1946 with an appearance on the BBC variety show Cabaret Cartoons, which led to her hosting her own afternoon series, Petula Clark, followed by Pet's Parlour in 1950. In 1947, she met Joe Henderson, also known as "Mr Piano," at the Peter Maurice Publishing Company. Their musical collaboration evolved into a romantic relationship that lasted for a decade. In 1949, Henderson introduced her to record producer Alan A. Freeman, who, along with Clark's father, established Polygon Records. Clark financed the label in part with her earnings and released her earliest hits through Polygon. Her first recording, "Put Your Shoes On, Lucy," was released by EMI in 1949, with additional recordings with vocalist Benny Lee appearing on Decca. She achieved several major hits in the United Kingdom during the 1950s, including "The Little Shoemaker" (1954), "Majorca" (1955), "Suddenly There's a Valley" (1955), and "With All My Heart" (1956). "The Little Shoemaker" was an international success, becoming her first number-one record in Australia. Towards the end of 1955, Polygon Records was acquired by Nixa Records, a subsidiary of Pye Records, effectively signing Clark to the Pye label in the UK, where she continued to record until the early 1970s. During this period, Clark actively supported new talent, notably encouraging Henderson to record his own music, which resulted in five chart hits for him on Polygon/Pye between 1955 and 1960.

3.1. Early UK and European Success (1950s-early 1960s)

Following her initial chart success in the United Kingdom with "The Little Shoemaker" in 1954, Petula Clark swiftly expanded her musical reach into continental Europe. Within two years of her UK breakthrough, she began recording in French. Her early international hits included `Prends mon cœur<sup>French</sup>` ("A Fool Such as I"), "Sailor" (a UK number one), "Romeo", and "Chariot". This was followed by successful recordings in German, Italian, and Spanish, demonstrating her versatility as a multilingual artist.


In 1957, Clark was invited to perform at the Paris Olympia. Despite suffering from a severe cold and having reservations about the performance, she was met with enthusiastic acclaim. The next day, she was invited to the offices of Vogue Records to discuss a recording contract. It was there that she met Claude Wolff, who would become her long-time publicist, collaborator, and husband. Clark was immediately drawn to him, and she agreed to sign with the Vogue label upon learning that she would be working with him.

In 1960, she embarked on a concert tour of France and Belgium with Sacha Distel, with whom she maintained a close friendship until his passing in 2004. Her success gradually spread further across Europe as she continued to record in multiple languages. While concentrating on her burgeoning career in France, she concurrently continued to achieve hit records in the UK during the early 1960s. Her 1961 recording of "Sailor" became her first number-one hit in the UK. Subsequent recordings such as "Romeo" and "My Friend the Sea" also reached the British Top 10 later that year. "Romeo" achieved sales of over 1 M copies globally, earning her first gold disc, which was awarded by the RIAA. In France, 1962 saw `Ya Ya Twist<sup>French</sup>`, a French-language cover of Lee Dorsey's rhythm and blues song and notably the only successful recording of a twist song by a woman, become a smash hit. Alongside it, "Chariot," the original version of "I Will Follow Him," also garnered significant success. German and Italian versions of her English and French recordings similarly charted. Her renditions of several songs by Serge Gainsbourg were also major sellers. Furthermore, the renowned composer Jacques Brel gifted her the song `Un Enfant<sup>French</sup>`, a rare honor as Clark is one of only a handful of performers to receive a song directly from Brel; a live recording of this song later charted in Canada.

3.2. Global Stardom: The "Downtown" Era (Mid-1960s)

By 1964, Petula Clark's recording career in Britain was experiencing a decline. Tony Hatch, the composer and arranger who had been assisting her with recordings for Vogue Records in France and Pye Records in the UK, visited her in Paris with new song material. However, Clark found none of the songs appealing. In a moment of desperation, Hatch played a few chords of an unfinished song inspired by his recent first trip to New York City. Upon hearing the melody, Clark immediately expressed her desire to record the tune as her next single, provided Hatch could write lyrics as captivating as the melody. This collaboration resulted in the iconic song "Downtown". Hatch has since denied earlier reports that he originally offered "Downtown" to The Drifters.

Neither Clark, who was performing in Canada when "Downtown" first received significant airplay, nor Hatch fully anticipated the immense impact the song would have on their respective careers. Released in four different languages in late 1964, "Downtown" became a massive success across various regions, including the UK, France (in both its English and French versions), the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Italy, Rhodesia, Japan, and India. During a visit to London, Warner Bros. executive Joe Smith heard the song and secured the rights for its release in the United States. "Downtown" rapidly ascended to number one on the American charts in January 1965, selling an impressive 3 M copies in the United States alone.

"Downtown" marked the beginning of a remarkable run of 15 consecutive Top-40 hits for Clark in the US, including "I Know a Place", "My Love" (her second US number-one hit), "A Sign of the Times", "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love", "This Is My Song" (from the Charlie Chaplin film A Countess from Hong Kong), and "Don't Sleep in the Subway". She was honored by the American recording industry with Grammy Awards for Best Rock & Roll Recording of 1964 for "Downtown" and for Best Contemporary (R&R) Vocal Performance of 1965 - Female for "I Know a Place." In 2004, her recording of "Downtown" was enshrined in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Her widespread recording success led to frequent appearances on popular American variety programs hosted by Ed Sullivan and Dean Martin, as well as guest spots on shows like Hullabaloo, Shindig!, The Kraft Music Hall, and The Hollywood Palace. She was also featured in musical specials such as The Best on Record and Rodgers and Hart Today.

In 1968, NBC invited Clark to host her own television special in the US, an event that inadvertently created a moment in television history. While performing a duet of "On the Path of Glory", an antiwar song she had composed, with guest Harry Belafonte, she briefly touched his arm. This spontaneous gesture caused dismay to a representative from the Chrysler Corporation, the show's sponsor, who expressed concern that the physical contact between a white woman and a black man might provoke racial backlash from viewers in the Southern states. When the representative insisted on substituting a different take where Clark and Belafonte stood farther apart, Clark and the show's executive producer, her husband Claude Wolff, refused. They reportedly destroyed all other takes of the song to ensure that the original, intact moment would air. The Chrysler representative subsequently lost his job. The program was broadcast on 8 April 1968, just four days after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and garnered high ratings and critical acclaim, earning a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. It has been erroneously cited as the first instance of physical contact between a black man and a white woman on American television, despite numerous prior instances, including Frankie Lymon dancing with a white girl on Alan Freed's live ABC show The Big Beat in 1957, Nancy Sinatra kissing Sammy Davis Jr. on her 1967 special Movin' with Nancy, and Louis Armstrong shaking hands with panelists Dorothy Kilgallen and Arlene Francis on What's My Line? in 1953. To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1968 Belafonte telecast, Clark and Wolff participated in an event at the Paley Center for Media in Manhattan on 22 September 2008, where they discussed the broadcast and its cultural impact following a screening of the program.

Clark later hosted two additional television specials: Portrait of Petula, which aired on both the NBC and CBC networks in early 1970, and Petula for ABC, which served as a pilot for a proposed weekly series. She also starred in the BBC television series This Is Petula Clark, which ran from mid-1966 to early 1968.

She revitalized her film career in the late 1960s, starring in two major musical films. In Finian's Rainbow (1968), she starred opposite Fred Astaire and received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy nomination for her performance. The following year, she was cast alongside Peter O'Toole in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), a musical adaptation of the classic James Hilton novella. Throughout the late 1960s, Clark conducted concert tours in the US and frequently performed in prestigious supper clubs such as the Copacabana in New York City, the Ambassador Hotel's Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles, and the Empire Room at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

During this period, Clark continued her commitment to fostering new talent, actively supporting the launch of Herb Alpert and his A&M Records record label. In 1968, she brought French composer and arranger Michel Colombier to the US to serve as her musical director, introducing him to Alpert. Colombier subsequently co-wrote the film score for Purple Rain with Prince, composed the critically acclaimed pop symphony Wings, and contributed to numerous soundtracks for American films. Richard Carpenter credited Clark with bringing him and his sister Karen to Alpert's attention after they performed at a premiere party for the 1969 film Goodbye, Mr. Chips. Clark has also recounted an encounter with Elvis Presley in Las Vegas alongside Karen Carpenter, where Presley engaged in flirtatious behavior with both women, humorously remarking, "Wow, the two biggest girl pop stars in my dressing room. That's pretty good."

Clark was among the backing vocalists on John Lennon's iconic Plastic Ono Band anthem "Give Peace a Chance." While performing in Montreal in June 1969, she faced heckling from the audience due to her bilingual performance. She sought advice from Lennon, who was staying at the city's Queen Elizabeth Hotel during his "bed-in" protest with Yoko Ono. Clark subsequently joined them on the recording of "Give Peace a Chance." On 15 November 1969, her concert, An Evening with Petula, from the Royal Albert Hall in London, achieved a milestone by becoming the first BBC One color television transmission.

3.3. Later Career and Recording Activities (1970s-Present)

During the early 1970s, Petula Clark continued to have chart singles on both sides of the Atlantic, including "Melody Man" (1970), "The Song of My Life" (1971), "I Don't Know How To Love Him" (1972), "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)" (1972), and "Loving Arms" (1974). In Canada, `Je Voudrais Qu'il Soit Malheureux<sup>French</sup>` became a major hit. She maintained an active touring schedule throughout the 1970s, performing in clubs across the US and Europe. During this period, she also appeared in print and radio advertisements for the Coca-Cola Corporation, television commercials for Plymouth automobiles, print and TV spots for Burlington Industries and Chrysler Sunbeam, as well as print advertisements for Sanderson wallpaper in the UK.

In the mid-1970s, Clark strategically scaled back her career commitments to dedicate more time to her family. On 31 December 1976, she performed her hit song "Downtown" on BBC One's A Jubilee of Music, a special celebrating British popular music in anticipation of Queen Elizabeth II's impending Silver Jubilee. She also hosted the television series The Sound of Petula (1972-74) and made numerous guest appearances on various variety, comedy, and game-show television programs throughout the 1970s, including a notable special guest appearance in an episode of The Muppet Show in 1977. Her last film appearance was in the 1980 British production Never Never Land, and her last television acting role was in the 1981 French miniseries Sans Famille^French (An Orphan's Tale). A 1981 single, "Natural Love," reached number 66 on Billboard Hot 100's Hot 100 chart and number 20 on the US country music singles chart in early 1982.

As Clark transitioned away from regular film and television work, she returned to her roots in stage performance. Although she had starred in a 1954 stage production of The Constant Nymph, she did not return to legitimate theater until 1981, when, encouraged by her children, she took on the role of Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London's West End. The production opened to highly positive reviews and achieved what was then the largest advance ticket sale in British theater history. Clark, acclaimed by Maria von Trapp herself as "the best Maria ever," extended her initial six-month run to 13 months to meet the overwhelming demand for tickets, earning a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. On 6 February 1983, during a concert at the Royal Albert Hall, she delivered an emotional performance of "For All We Know" in tribute to her friend Karen Carpenter, who had passed away just two days prior. Also in 1983, she took on the title role in George Bernard Shaw's play Candida.

Her later stage work includes Someone Like You in 1989 and 1990, for which she also composed the score; Blood Brothers, in which she made her Broadway debut in 1993 at the Music Box Theatre, followed by an American tour; and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard, appearing in both West End and American touring productions from 1995 to 2000. In 2004, she reprised her role as Norma Desmond in a production at the Cork Opera House in Cork, Ireland, which was later broadcast by the BBC. With over 2,500 performances, she has portrayed Norma Desmond more often than any other actress.

A new disco remix of "Downtown," titled "Downtown '88," was released in 1988, marking her first UK singles chart success since 1972 by reaching the Top 10 in the UK in December 1988. A live vocal performance of this version was featured on the BBC show Top of the Pops. Clark consistently recorded new material throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. In 1992, she released "Oxygen," a single produced by Andy Richards and written by Nik Kershaw.

In 1998, Clark was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. In 2012, she was inducted as a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France by the French Minister of Culture.

Clark toured extensively throughout the UK in both 1998 and 2002. In 2000, she premiered a self-written, one-woman show, recounting her life and career, to significant critical and audience acclaim at the St. Denis Theatre in Montreal. A 2003 concert appearance at the Olympia in Paris was subsequently released in both DVD and compact disc formats. In 2004, she toured Australia and New Zealand, performed at the Hilton in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the Hummingbird Centre in Toronto, Humphrey's in San Diego, and the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. She also participated in a multi-performer tribute to the late Peggy Lee at the Hollywood Bowl. Following another British concert tour in early spring 2005, she contributed to the V45 televised BBC concert in Trafalgar Square in May, where she sang "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square". She then appeared with Andy Williams at his Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri, for several months, returning for another engagement in the autumn of 2006 after a series of scattered concert dates across North America.

In November 2006, Clark was the subject of a BBC Four documentary titled Petula Clark: Blue Lady. The following month, she performed with Michael Ball and Tony Hatch in a concert at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, which was broadcast by BBC Radio. In December of that year, she made her first appearance in Iceland. Duets, a compilation album featuring collaborations with artists such as Dusty Springfield, Peggy Lee, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, and The Everly Brothers, was released in February 2007. Solitude and Sunshine, a studio recording of all new material by composer Rod McKuen, followed in July of the same year. She hosted the March 2007 PBS fundraising special My Music: The British Beat, which provided an overview of the musical British Invasion of the United States during the 1960s, and subsequently undertook a series of concert dates across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Her song "Downtown" was featured on the soundtrack of the 2007 independent film Downtown: A Street Tale. Une Baladine^French (in English, "a wandering minstrel"), an authorized pictorial biography by Françoise Piazza, was published in France and Switzerland in October 2007, and Clark promoted it in bookshops and at book fairs the following month. In 2005, she participated in the BBC Wales program Coming Home, which explored her Welsh family history.

Clark received the 2007 Film and TV Music Award for Best Use of a Song in a Television Programme for "Downtown" in the ABC series Lost. She completed a concert tour of England and Wales in summer 2008, followed by concerts in Switzerland and the Philippines. Then & Now, a compilation of her greatest hits and several new compositions, entered the UK Albums Chart in June 2008 and earned Clark her first silver disc for an album. Open Your Heart: A Love Song Collection, a compilation featuring previously unreleased material along with new and remixed recordings, was released in January 2009. Additionally, her 1969 NBC special Portrait of Petula, previously available on DVD for Region 2 viewers, was also produced for Region 1. A collection of holiday songs titled This Is Christmas, which includes some new compositions by Clark in addition to previously released material, was issued in November 2009. At the Montreux Jazz Festival on 14 July 2008, Clark joined Paolo Nutini to perform "Goin' to Chicago Blues" in celebration of Quincy Jones' 75th birthday.

In 2010, she became president of the Hastings Musical Festival. She toured Australia, New Zealand, and Quebec to sold-out audiences and appeared on the Vivement Dimanche show on French television, where she announced a return to Paris the following year. Her triple album Une Baladine^French featured 10 new tracks and one new studio recording: `SOS Mozart<sup>French</sup>`, a songwriting collaboration between Gilbert Bécaud and Pierre Delanoë. Both her album set and the new recording of `SOS Mozart<sup>French</sup>` were produced by David Hadzis at the Arthanor Productions studio in Geneva and charted in France. She served as patron of the 2011 Dinard British Film Festival. In early 2011, the Lark Street Business Improvement District in Albany, New York, held an internet poll to name its logo/mascot, a graphic image of a blue lark. The winning name, "Petula Lark," was a clear homage to the singer of "Downtown," which had become an anthem for urban areas like New York City. In November 2011, at 78 years old, Clark performed at the Casino de Paris, a renowned Parisian music hall. Her performance lasted over 90 minutes and featured five new songs, one of which she had recently co-written with her friend Charles Aznavour. A French album of entirely new material was released on 7 February 2012 on the Sony label, marking her first album in that language since the late 1970s.

On 11 December 2011, The Saw Doctors released their version of "Downtown," featuring Clark. She appeared in the song's music video, which was filmed in Galway and Paris. On 22 December 2011, the record reached number two on the Irish chart. In February 2012, Clark performed her first New York City show since 1975. Her performance included a parody of "Downtown," an idea conceived by her musical director, Grant Sturiale. Following the conclusion of her extended season, which was prolonged due to high demand for tickets, she returned to Paris to promote her new album before embarking on a tour of Australia.

Clark was a guest on BBC Radio 4's The Reunion in August 2012. In January 2013, she released a new album titled Lost in You, which featured both new compositions and cover songs. The album included a reimagined version of her famous "Downtown" and a cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy." She also performed a new song called "Cut Copy Me," which spent 14 weeks on the Belgian chart. The album debuted at number 24 on the UK Albums Chart on 3 March 2013. Two of the songs, "Crazy" and "Downtown," were performed on Jools Holland's New Year "Hootenanny" on 1 January 2013, alongside her 1966 number-six hit, "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love." On 20 June 2015, she appeared with The Midtown Men at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, performing "Downtown." Clark released a new English-language album, From Now On, in October 2016 and completed a tour of the UK to promote it. She made a cameo appearance in the 2017 London Heathrow Airport Christmas television commercial, which featured her song, "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love."

On 10 November 2017, an English-language album titled Living for Today was released. She embarked on a US tour in November 2017, marking her first US tour in five decades. A French-Canadian album, Vu d'ici, was released on 20 April 2018. In March 2019, it was announced that Clark would return to the West End stage in London for the first time in 20 years, performing the role of The Bird Woman in the revival of Mary Poppins. In March 2020, the United Music Foundation released A Valentine's Day at the Royal Albert Hall, a collector's edition that included the complete recording of her legendary concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 14 February 1974. Clark appeared in Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends concert, which aired on the BBC in January 2023. She performed "I'm Still Here" from Follies. A CD recording of this performance was released physically and digitally in December 2023.

3.4. Songwriting and Composition

Beyond her vocal and acting talents, Petula Clark has also demonstrated significant contributions as a songwriter and composer. In 1963, she wrote the soundtrack for the French crime film `À Couteaux Tirés<sup>French</sup>` (Daggers Drawn), released in 1964, in which she also made a cameo appearance as herself. This endeavor added the dimension of film composer to her growing career. She composed additional film scores for Entre ciel et mer^French (1963), Rêves d'enfant^French (1964), La bande à Bebel^French (1966), and Pétain^French (1989). Six themes from the score for Pétain^French were later released on the 2007 CD In Her Own Write.

Clark also wrote the score for the stage musical Someone Like You, which was performed in 1989 and 1990. Her composing talent is further highlighted by her collaboration with Tony Hatch on the song "You're the One" (1965), which achieved success, reaching number four on the US charts.

4.1. Filmography

Petula Clark's film career began as a child actress and continued with significant roles into her adult life.

Her filmography includes:

• Medal for the General (1944)
• Strawberry Roan (1945)
• Murder in Reverse? (1945)
• I Know Where I'm Going! (1945)
• Trouble at Townsend (1946)
• London Town (1946)
• Vice Versa (1948)
• Easy Money (1948)
• Here Come the Huggetts (1948)
• Vote for Huggett (1949)
• The Huggetts Abroad (1949)
• Don't Ever Leave Me (1949)
• The Romantic Age (1949)
• Dance Hall (1950)
• White Corridors (1951)
• Madame Louise (1951)
• The Card (1952)
• Made in Heaven (1952)
• The Runaway Bus (1954)
• The Gay Dog (1954)
• The Happiness of Three Women (1954)
• Track the Man Down (1955)
• That Woman Opposite (1957)
• 6.5 Special (1958) (as herself)
• `À Couteaux Tirés<sup>French</sup>` (1964) (also composed score; also known as "Daggers Drawn" for American release)
• Finian's Rainbow (1968)
• Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)
• `Drôles de zèbres<sup>French</sup>` (1977)
• Never Never Land (1980)
• `Sans famille<sup>French</sup>` (1981, French mini-series)

4.2. Stage and Television Work

Petula Clark initiated her television career in 1946 with an appearance on the BBC variety show Cabaret Cartoons, which subsequently led to her hosting her own afternoon series, Petula Clark. This was followed by another series, Pet's Parlour, in 1950. As her global fame grew, she hosted her own US specials, including the groundbreaking 1968 NBC special, Portrait of Petula in 1970 (aired on both NBC and CBC), and Petula for ABC, which served as a pilot for a projected weekly series. She also starred in the BBC television series This Is Petula Clark, which aired from mid-1966 to early 1968. In 1977, she appeared as a special guest star in an episode of The Muppet Show. Her last television acting role was in the 1981 French miniseries `Sans Famille<sup>French</sup>` (An Orphan's Tale).

Clark's stage career began early, with a starring role in a 1954 production of The Constant Nymph. However, it was not until 1981 that she returned to legitimate theater, taking on the iconic role of Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London's West End. Her performance garnered positive reviews and achieved what was then the largest advance ticket sale in British theater history. Clark extended her initial six-month run to 13 months due to overwhelming demand, and she received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Maria von Trapp herself praised Clark, declaring her "the best Maria ever." In 1983, Clark took on the title role in George Bernard Shaw's play Candida.

Her later stage work includes Someone Like You (1989-1990), for which she also composed the score; Blood Brothers, in which she made her Broadway debut in 1993 at the Music Box Theatre, followed by an American tour; and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard. She appeared in both the West End and American touring productions of Sunset Boulevard from 1995 to 2000, playing the role of Norma Desmond more than any other actress, with over 2,500 performances. In 2004, she reprised her acclaimed portrayal of Norma Desmond in a production at the Cork Opera House in Cork, Ireland, which was later broadcast by the BBC. In March 2019, it was announced that Clark would return to the West End stage for the first time in 20 years, joining the cast of the Mary Poppins revival as The Bird Woman. Most recently, in January 2023, she appeared in Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends concert, broadcast by the BBC, where she performed "I'm Still Here" from Follies.

6.1. Key Singles and International Chart Success

Petula Clark achieved significant chart success throughout her career, particularly with her multilingual recordings and international hits.

In the UK, her major charting singles included:

• "The Little Shoemaker" (1954)
• "Majorca" (1955)
• "Suddenly There's a Valley" (1955)
• "With All My Heart" (1956)
• "Alone (Why Must I Be Alone)" (1957)
• "Baby Lover" (1958)
• "Sailor" (1961) - UK number one
• "Something Missing" (1961)
• "Romeo" (1961)
• "My Friend The Sea" (1961)
• "I'm Counting On You" (1962)
• "Casanova / Chariot" (1963)
• "Downtown" (1964) - US number one
• "I Know a Place" (1965)
• "You'd Better Come Home" (1965)
• "Round Every Corner" (1965)
• "You're The One" (1965)
• "My Love" (1965) - US number one
• "A Sign Of The Times" (1966)
• "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" (1966)
• "Who Am I" (1966)
• "Colour My World" (1967)
• "This Is My Song" (1967)
• "Don't Sleep in the Subway" (1967)
• "The Cat In The Window (The Bird In The Sky)" (1967)
• "The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener" (1968)
• "Kiss Me Goodbye" (1968)
• "Don't Give Up" (1968)
• "American Boys" (1968)
• "Happy Heart" (1969)
• "Look At Mine" (1969)
• "No One Better Than You" (1969)
• "Melody Man" (1970)
• "The Song Of My Life" (1971)
• "I Don't Know How to Love Him" (1972)
• "My Guy" (1972)
• "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)" (1972)
• "Loving Arms" (1974)
• "Natural Love" (1982)
• "Downtown '88" (1988)

Clark achieved widespread success with her multilingual recordings across Europe:

• French Singles**:
  • `Prends mon cœur<sup>French</sup>` ("A Fool Such as I") (1960, No.9)
  • `Garde-moi la dernière danse<sup>French</sup>` ("Save the Last Dance for Me") (1961, No.3)
  • `Marin<sup>French</sup>` ("Sailor") (1961, No.2)
  • `Roméo<sup>French</sup>` ("Romeo") (1961, No.3)
  • `Ya Ya Twist<sup>French</sup>` (1962, with Johnny Hallyday, No.1)
  • `Chariot<sup>French</sup>` (later also known as "I Will Follow Him") (1962, No.1)
  • `Les Beaux Jours<sup>French</sup>` (original title: "Ramblin' Rose") (1963)
  • `Cœur blessé<sup>French</sup>` (original title: "Torture" by John D. Loudermilk) (1963, No.4)
  • `Je me sens bien auprès de toi<sup>French</sup>` ("Dance On") (1963, No.5)
  • `Ceux qui ont un cœur<sup>French</sup>` ("Anyone Who Had a Heart") (1964, No.11)
  • `Dans le temps<sup>French</sup>` ("Downtown") (1965, No.6)
  • `Un jeune homme bien<sup>French</sup>` ("A Well Respected Man") (1965)
  • `C'est ma chanson<sup>French</sup>` ("This is My Song") (1967, No.1)
  • `La Dernière Valse<sup>French</sup>` ("The Last Waltz") (1967, No.2)
  • `Tout le monde veut aller au ciel<sup>French</sup>` (1967)
  • German Singles**:
    • `Monsieur<sup>German</sup>` (1962, No.1)
    • `Casanova Baciami<sup>German</sup>` (1963, No.2)
    • `Cheerio<sup>German</sup>` (German language version of "Chariot") (1963, No.6)
    • `Mille Mille Grazie<sup>German</sup>` (1963, No.9)
    • `Warum muß man auseinandergeh'n (Mit weißen Perlen)<sup>German</sup>` (1964, No.17)
    • `Alles ist nun vorbei<sup>German</sup>` ("Anyone Who Had a Heart") (1964, No.37)
    • `Downtown<sup>German</sup>` (German version) (1965, No.1)
    • `Kann ich dir vertrauen<sup>German</sup>` (1966, No.17)
    • `Verzeih' die dummen Tränen<sup>German</sup>` (German version of "My Love") (1966, No.21)
    • `Love - so heißt mein Song<sup>German</sup>` (German version of "This is My Song") (1967, No.23)
    • `Alle Leute wollen in den Himmel<sup>German</sup>` (German version of "Tout le monde veut aller au ciel") (1967, No.28)
    • Italian Singles**:
      • `Monsieur<sup>Italian</sup>` (the German song with Italian lyrics by Vito Pallavicini) (1962, No.1)
      • `Sul mio carro<sup>Italian</sup>` (Chariot) (1962, No.1)
      • `Quelli che hanno un cuore<sup>Italian</sup>` ("Anyone who had a heart") (1964, No.4)
      • `Invece no<sup>Italian</sup>` (Entry at the Sanremo Music Festival 1965, No.5)
      • `Ciao, ciao<sup>Italian</sup>` ("Downtown") (1965, No.1)
      • `Cara felicità<sup>Italian</sup>` (This is my song) (1967, No.1)
      • `Kiss Me Goodbye<sup>Italian</sup>` (Italian version) (1968, No.26)
      • Complete Spanish Recordings** (released in 1964 on Hispavox EP "Petula Clark canta en Español"):
        • `Qué tal, Dolly?<sup>Spanish</sup>` ("Hello, Dolly!")
        • `Pequeña Flor<sup>Spanish</sup>` ("Petite Fleur")
        • `Tú no tienes corazón<sup>Spanish</sup>` ("Anyone Who Had a Heart")
        • `Cantando al caminar<sup>Spanish</sup>` (The Road)

        Other noteworthy recordings include:

        • "Put Your Shoes on Lucy" (1949)
        • "House in the Sky" (1949)
        • "I'll Always Love You" (1949)
        • "Clancy Lowered the Boom" (1949)
        • "You Go to My Head" (1950)
        • "Music! Music! Music!" (1950)
        • "You Are My True Love" (1950)
        • "May Kway (Rose, Rose I Love You)" (1951)
        • "Mariandl" (with Jimmy Young) (1951)
        • "Where Did My Snowman Go?" (1952)
        • "The Card" (1952)
        • "Christopher Robin at Buckingham Palace" (1953)
        • "Meet Me in Battersea Park" (1954)
        • "Another Door Opens" (1956)
        • "Fibbin'" (1958)
        • "Devotion" (1958)
        • "Dear Daddy" (1959)
        • "Mama's Talkin' Soft" (1959), a song deleted from Gypsy prior to its Broadway opening
        • "Cinderella Jones" (1960)
        • `La Nuit N'en Finit Plus<sup>French</sup>` ("Needles And Pins") (1963)
        • `Sauve-moi<sup>French</sup>` (1977)
        • "C'est si bon" (1978) (with Mireille Mathieu)
        • "Fred and Marguerite" (1980) (from Captain Beaky and His Band)
        • "The Bumble Bee" (1980) (from Captain Beaky and His Band)
        • "Mr. Orwell" (1984)
        • "Starting All Over Again" (2003)
        • "Driven by Emotion" (2005)
        • "Memphis" (2005)
        • "Together" (2006), recorded as a duet with Andy Williams
        • "Thank You for Christmas" (2006)
        • "Simple Gifts" (2006)
        • "It Had to Be You" (2007)

6.2. Major Albums and Compilations

Throughout her career, Petula Clark has released numerous studio albums, live recordings, and compilations, reflecting her evolving musical styles and enduring popularity.

Her major albums and compilations include:

• Downtown (1965)
• In Love (1965)
• I Know A Place (1965)
• Petula Clark Sings The World's Greatest International Hits (1965)
• My Love (1966)
• A Sign of the Times / My Love (1966)
• I Couldn't Live Without Your Love (1966)
• Petula Clark's Hit Parade (1967)
• Color My World/Who Am I (1967)
• These Are My Songs (1967)
• The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener (1968)
• Petula (1968)
• Finian's Rainbow (1968)
• Petula Clark's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 (1969)
• Portrait Of Petula (1969)
• Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)
• Just Pet (1969)
• Memphis (1970)
• Warm And Tender (1971)
• Live at the Royal Albert Hall (1972)
• Now (1972)
• 20 All Time Greatest (1977)
• Give it a Try (1986)
• Blood Brothers (International Recording) (1995)
• Songs from Sunset Boulevard (1996)
• Here for You (1998)
• The Ultimate Collection (2002)
• Kaleidoscope (2003)
• Live at the Paris Olympia (2004)
• Duets (2007)
• Solitude and Sunshine (2007)
• In Her Own Write (2007)
• Then & Now (2008)
• Open Your Heart: A Love Song Collection (2009)
• This is Christmas (2009)