Elvis And The Pet Shop Boys Pay Tribute To Dusty

03/15/1999 4:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Craig Rosen

(3/15/99, 1 a.m. PST) - Elvis Costello, Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys, and Lulu were among the hundreds of mourners Friday on hand to bid adieu to singer Dusty Springfield, who died of breast cancer earlier this month (LAUNCH, 3/3).

The three pop stars addressed the crowd gathered to pay their respects to Springfield, known as "the white queen of soul," at St. Mary The Virgin Church near her home in the Oxfordshire town of Henley-On-Thames.

Pet Shop Boy Tennant, who was partially responsible for introducing Springfield to a new generation of fans by inviting her to sing on the group's 1987 hit "What Have I Done To Deserve This?," called her the "very essence of fabness," the BBC reported.

Costello read a letter from his recent collaborator Burt Bacharach, who co-wrote such Springfield hits as "Wishin' And Hopin'" and "The Look Of Love." Bacharach's letter said, "You could hear just three notes and you knew it was Dusty. It was such a rare and beautiful voice. I just want to add my thanks for every beautiful note Dusty sang."

Springfield contemporary Lulu said, "Dusty was the first one to demonstrate girl power. She was a real powerful force but yet she way shy. She was very vulnerable. She drew me close to her," the BBC reported.

"She had tremendous courage and she bared her soul to the whole world. I say now that she and her gift have returned to heaven. She had such a great spirit that it will never die and will never disappear."

Those unable to attend the funeral, including Elton John, Rod Stewart, and Tom Jones, sent floral tributes. Elton John is scheduled to induct Springfield into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on Tuesday.

The funeral was private, but Springfield's family made a concession to the fans--a live video of the service was available to those who gathered across the street to pay their respects to the singer.

After arriving via horse-drawn carriage, Springfield's coffin was brought into the church as her 1964 hit "You Don't have To Say You Love Me" played in the church. Springfield will be cremated and her ashes will be scattered at a "favorite place" of the singer in Ireland, the BBC reports.

Springfield's spirit will live on in her recordings, many of which have been reissued. On March 23, Mercury Records will re-release Stay Awhile/ I Only Want To Be With You (1964), Dusty (1964), Ooooooweeee!!!! (1965), You Don't Have To Say You Love Me (1966) and The Look Of Love (1967).

Those releases follow the 1997 three-CD retrospective Anthology, 1998's The Very Best Of Dusty Springfield, and two discs issued last month by Rhino--a deluxe edition of her acclaimed classic Dusty In Memphis featuring previously unreleased material, and a compilation titled Dusty In London.

Features on Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach and Tom Jones are available now on LAUNCH.com.

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