Cliff’s fury over radio ban
Britain's Cliff Richard. Britain's Cliff Richard.
Sir Cliff Richard has lambasted a new radio station for banning his hits despite being dedicated to 1960s music.
He accused programme bosses of “lying to the public” by erasing him from history after he was barred from the playlist of the digital service Absolute Radio 60s.
The station, which launches on November 22, claimed Sir Cliff’s songs were not “cool” enough to make the cut.
Presenter Pete Mitchell said: “We believe timeless acts of the decade that remain relevant today are the Beatles, the Stones, the Doors and the Who, not Sir Cliff.”
However, Sir Cliff, 71, who scored his first hit with Move It! in 1958 was a superstar by the dawn of the Swinging Sixties, hit back with a furious riposte: “They’re lying to themselves and, more importantly, they’re lying to the public.
“They can do that if they want to, there’s nothing I can do. But what they’re forgetting is that the Beatles didn’t start it here - I started five years before the Beatles.
“You cannot count me out. I sold more singles than any other artist on the planet, in Britain.
“DJs should play what the public like. I don’t expect airplay, but I deserve fair play.” - Daily Mail