Joining Adele, Norah Jones and Barbra Streisand, Bassey is expected to sing 'Goldfinger' to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the James Bond movie franchise.
- Feb 9, 2013
AceShowbiz - Dame Shirley Bassey is added to the lineup of the upcoming 85th annual Academy Awards. The 76-year-old singer who recorded soundtracks for the James Bond films "Goldfinger", "Diamonds Are Forever" and "Moonraker" is expected to take the stage during a tribute celebrating the 50th anniversary of the movie franchise.
"We are thrilled to welcome the legendary Dame Shirley Bassey to our Oscar show," say Craig Zadan and Neil Meron in a joint statement. "Her association with film music is world renowned and we are proud that she will be making her first Oscar appearance on our telecast."
Rumor has it, Bassey is going to perform the "Goldfinger" theme song. She joins a stellar list of previously announced Oscar performers including Adele, Norah Jones and Barbra Streisand.
Adele is set to perform "Skyfall" soundtrack which is nominated for Best Original Song. Jones will deliver another Best Original Song nominee, "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" that host Seth MacFarlane co-wrote for the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy of all time "Ted".
"Goldfinger" song itself was not nominated for an Oscar at the 37th annual Academy Awards. The Best Original Song winner back then was "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from "Mary Poppins" with the other contenders being "Dear Heart", "Hush...Hush Sweet Charlotte", "Where Love Has Gone", all from the movies of the same names; and "My Kind of Town" from "Robin and the Seven Hoods".
"Skyfall" is the first Bond theme to be nominated for an Oscar since 1981's "For Your Eyes Only" from the 12th James Bond film of the same name and the first Bond song to ever debut in Billboard's top 10 chart. The other Bond anthem that got Oscar nods are "Live and Let Die" and "Nobody Does it Better". None of the three previous nominees won.
Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented Sunday night, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center. Presenters include co-stars Mark Wahlberg and Ted with special guest appearances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Daniel Radcliffe, Channing Tatum and Charlize Theron.
"The Avengers" cast members Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo; and returning 2011 Oscar winners Jean Dujardin, Christopher Plummer, Octavia Spencer and Meryl Streep are also scheduled to present at the prestigious awards gala.
