Introduction
From the very beginning, Sir Cliff Richard looked up to Elvis Presley as a musical hero. Hearing “Heartbreak Hotel” for the first time changed everything for the young British singer—it ignited a dream. John Lennon even once remarked that Cliff Richard was the best thing to happen to British music, and it’s clear that Elvis played a crucial role in lighting that spark.
One of Cliff’s biggest regrets, however, was missing the chance to meet the King of Rock and Roll in person.
“I was in America promoting ‘Devil Woman,’ and this journalist I was speaking with asked me about my inspirations,” Cliff recalled. “I told him, ‘Elvis is the reason I got into music.’”
To his surprise, the journalist replied, “I know Elvis well. Would you like to get a photo with him?” At the end of the interview, he followed up: “So when would you like to meet him?”
In a moment he still looks back on with regret, Cliff hesitated. He’d seen recent pictures of Elvis and thought he looked unwell. “I didn’t want that to be the image I’d remember,” Cliff admitted. Tragically, the chance never came again—Elvis passed away not long afterward.
“Now I think, why didn’t I just say yes?” Cliff confessed. “I always tell people now—if you get the chance to take a picture with someone you admire, do it. You may never get that opportunity again.”
Clearly taking his own advice to heart, Cliff paid tribute to his idol in a recent appearance on ITV’s Loose Women, where he broke into Elvis-inspired dance moves right on stage.
He had been invited to the show to talk about his new book, A Head Full of Music. During the interview, he spoke passionately about the first time he heard “Heartbreak Hotel” on the radio. “It hit me hard,” he said. “I just thought, I have to do this.”
“You have to chase these moments,” Cliff added. “Sometimes luck finds you, but you’ve got to be ready to grab it.”
Host Kaye Adams mentioned Elvis’s rebellious dance style that shook up audiences across the globe. Cliff didn’t need much prompting—he stood up and performed a few of those signature moves himself. At 82 years old, the singer of “The Young Ones” brought joy to the room, then joked as he sat down: “That’s it! I’m not coming on this show again!”
Earlier in the show, Cliff was asked how he continues to perform with such energy into his eighties, marking an incredible 65 years in showbusiness.
“Age doesn’t really bother me,” he said. “There’s no use being bitter about getting older. It happens to everyone. One day I’ll die—but I haven’t scheduled that just yet.”
He went on to reflect more deeply: “We’re great at celebrating new life—births, babies—but we struggle with the concept of death. It breaks families, it’s painful. But we need to learn to accept it. We can still live fully, even as we grow older.”
When asked about his dear friend, the late Olivia Newton-John, Cliff revealed there will be a heartfelt tribute to her on his upcoming album Cliff With Strings – My Kinda Life.
He shared how their iconic duet “Suddenly” came to be. Olivia had called him while working on a film and said, “My co-star doesn’t sing—would you come and record with me?”
“Normally I’d ask to hear the track first—you can’t sing a song you don’t believe in,” Cliff admitted. “But with Olivia, I didn’t even hesitate.”
They recorded the song in an engineer’s garage, pausing every so often as trucks rumbled by. “Despite that, we blended perfectly. Her voice and mine—it just worked. It was pure magic, and maybe a little luck, too.”