West End performer Elaine Paige said she is still in “complete disbelief” that she has been given a Damehood in the King’s Birthday Honours for services to music and to charity.
The music star was born Elaine Bickerstaff in north London 1948 and became an overnight star with her portrayal of Eva Peron in Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical Evita.
After the show debuted in 1978, Dame Elaine, who had been nominated alongside her co-star David Essex, won the Olivier Award for performance of the year in a musical.
Dame Elaine told the PA news agency: “I’m kind of still in that mode of complete disbelief. You know, it’s been such a shock. And I think probably the word to say is ‘astonished’.”
She added: “I received a letter in the post, and I opened the letter and I read it once, and then I thought, no.
“I read it again and probably three times. I couldn’t believe it.
“I was absolutely astonished to receive such a great honour from the King in recognition for music and the charitable organisations that I support, it’s the ultimate privilege, and I’m just over the moon about it and absolutely thrilled.
“It’s all very exciting. I’ve got all these different emotions coming at me all at once. I’m proud and I feel grateful and I’m thrilled and surprised, and so it’s been quite a lot to take in.”
The 77-year-old has had starring roles in Cats, Chess, Piaf, and Sunset Boulevard, and has more recently starred in pantomimes at The London Palladium.
Across her career she has recorded more than 20 solo albums and has had one chart-topping single with I Know Him So Well featuring Barbara Dickson.
She has also won a number of accolades including the Gold Badge of Merit from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) in 1993.
In 2014 she celebrated five decades on stage with a concert titled I’m Still Here, staged at the Royal Albert Hall and screened in cinemas.
Accompanied by the 60-piece BBC Concert Orchestra, Dame Elaine’s show included highlights from across her career, which saw her originating the roles of Eva in Evita, Grizabella in Cats, and Florence in Chess.
She currently appears on BBC Radio 2 with her own lunchtime show, Elaine Paige On Sunday, which has been running for more than two decades.
On TV she has appeared in TV series Marple, Where The Heart Is and Midsomer Murders.
Outside of her work she has supported a number of charities including The Children’s Trust, the Royal Voluntary Service and Dan Maskell Tennis Trust, which she has been president of since 2010.
She told PA: “Music has been the mainstay of my life. It’s been all of my life, musical theatre in particular.
“But of course, I’ve recorded many albums, something like 22 solo albums, aside from the musical theatre albums I’ve been involved with.
“It’s been the mainstay of my life from the very get go, I don’t know that I could live without it, really.
“And in fact, I’m considering, or started to work on a new album. So yes, in my 60th year as well. I can’t believe I’m still here, I’m still doing it, but I’ve had an idea… working with a lovely young man to produce a new album, and we’re looking at songs and working on that right now.
“So music has played a great deal in my life, and of course, it’s for charity as well.
“And I’ve been involved in lots of charities as well for many, many years, particularly The Children’s Trust. I’ve been involved with them for over 40 years. I’ve been President of the Dan Maskell (Tennis) Trust for 15 years, and I’m also an ambassador for the Royal Voluntary Service and I sponsor, or sort of nurture students at Mountview drama school, as well as the Brighton Institute of Modern Music (BIMM).
“So there’s quite a lot of different charities across the board that I’m involved with.
“And now that I’m not performing quite as regularly as I used to doing eight shows a week, I’ve got more time to be able to devote to these charities, which is pleasing me very much.”
Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, said: “I’d like to send huge congratulations from everyone at BBC Radio 2 to our very own broadcasting legend Elaine Paige on becoming a dame in the King’s Birthday Honours list.
“She keeps the nation entertained every Sunday lunchtime with the perfect mix of musical theatre anthems, and this is a truly fitting honour in her 60th year in showbusiness.
“We all know there’s nothing like a dame and now she has the official title to match.”
Paige was previously made an OBE for services to musical theatre in 1995.
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