Dame Shirley Bassey unveils her handprints in the form of a bronze plaque in the ‘Square of Fame’ at SSE Arena Wembley on September 18, 2019 in London, England. Dame Shirley Bassey was the very first musician to perform at the SSE Arena in 1959.
The singer, 82, said she felt “honoured” as she returned to the venue to unveil her plaque in Wembley Park’s “Square of Fame” 60 years after she first performed there.
She said: “I am honoured to have been asked back to The SSE Arena, Wembley, after 60 years to unveil my handprints in Wembley Park’s iconic ‘Square of Fame’. “It is incredible how much Wembley Park has transformed over the years, and I am delighted that my bronze plaque will forever be included in one of the UK’s largest collection of hand prints next to so many iconic artists.”
Dame Shirley performed to a crowd of 9,000 people in the first ever concert to take place at the Empire Pool, Wembley (now The SSE Arena, Wembley) in 1959.
The unveiling marks 60 years of the arena in Wembley Park.
The plaque joins those of other music legends including Madonna, Alice Cooper, Kylie Minogue, Lionel Richie, Bryan Adams and George Michael.
James Saunders, chief operating officer of Wembley Park, explained: “As we continue with our transformation of Wembley Park, we are thrilled to have Dame Shirley back at The SSE Arena, Wembley, after 60 years.
“We are honoured to have the Dame unveil her handprints at Wembley Park to help us celebrate our proud musical heritage.
“Internationally known for its breadth of music and sporting events, Wembley Park is fast becoming London’s go-to neighbourhood for shopping, dining, culture and entertainment with community at its heart and we encourage anyone who has not visited recently to come and see the transformation first hand.”
John Drury, vice president and general manager of the venue, added: “We are so honoured to have Dame Shirley Bassey revisit The SSE Arena, Wembley, unveiling her hand prints to celebrate a momentous 60 years of entertainment – it’s a nostalgic reminder of the amazing artists we have had perform here and how many are still to come.
“The Dame’s performance was such a significant occasion for The SSE Arena, Wembley, entertaining thousands of guests – we look forward to entertaining many thousands more over the next 60 years.”
Filmed on Wednesday 18th September 2019
Filmed in South Way, Greater London, United Kingdom
This is the moment Dame Shirley Bassey unveiled her handprints at the popular ’Square of Fame’ in Wembley Park on September 18.
Her handprints will be displayed outside the front of the SSE Arena, Wembley alongside other famous handprints of Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Lionel Richie and many more.
