Sir Cliff Richard Breaks Down Remembering His Father’s Death: ‘He Missed the Best Things in My Life’
LONDON — Sir Cliff Richard has opened up about one of the most painful moments of his life — losing his father at just 20 years old — during an emotional appearance on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories. The singer, now in his eighties, spoke candidly about the deep sense of loss that has stayed with him for over six decades, revealing the regret that his father never saw the heights of his career.
Cliff’s father, Rodger Webb, died in 1961 at the age of 56 from complications related to thrombosis. At the time, Cliff’s career was only beginning to take off. He had already made his name as one of Britain’s most promising young performers, but the international superstardom, knighthood, and enduring legacy that would define his life were still to come — achievements his father would never witness.
“Twenty years old is a tough age to lose your father,” Morgan said during the interview, prompting Cliff to reflect. The singer replied, “It wasn’t easy for any of us really, but he was a naughty person really, he did smoke a lot. But, no, I didn’t get to say everything I wanted to him.”
His voice broke as he continued: “That’s why I feel sometimes that my anger, if I’ve got any, comes out when I think he missed the best things in my life. He never saw the knighthood. Everything that Dad — he was the one that was right behind me — and when he became part of the management group, he’s the one that kept me on the tracks and continued to remind me, ‘This is what you’re going to do.’ So for me, it was a horrible, horrible loss.”
Born Harry Rodger Webb in Lucknow, then part of British India, on October 14, 1940, Cliff was the son of Rodger and Dorothy Webb (née Marie Dazely). His father worked as a manager for a catering contractor serving the Indian Railways, and his mother was a dance teacher and homemaker. The Webbs lived in Maqbara, near Lucknow’s bustling Hazratganj district, before moving to Howrah near Calcutta.
Cliff’s early years were shaped by the culture and community of post-war India. In 1948, after Indian independence, the family undertook a three-week voyage aboard the SS Ranchi to England, settling first in Tilbury, Essex. Life in England was far from glamorous. The family lived in company-supplied housing before moving to a small council home in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, where space was tight and money was scarce.
It was Rodger who first encouraged Cliff’s musical ambitions. When his son was 16, he bought him a guitar — a gift that would change the course of his life. By 1957, Cliff had formed his first vocal group, The Quintones, and just two years later, he was topping the charts with Move It, performing alongside The Shadows.
Rodger quickly became more than a supportive father — he was part of Cliff’s early management team, helping guide his son through the challenges of a rapidly rising career. His influence, Cliff says, was instrumental in keeping him focused and grounded during those early years.
Cliff’s mother, Dorothy, later faced her own long illness, battling Alzheimer’s disease for a decade before her death in 2007 at the age of 87. Cliff also had three sisters — Joan, Jacqui, and Donna — with whom he has always shared a close bond. Donna died in 2016, another deeply personal loss for the singer.
For Cliff, the pain of losing his father so young is compounded by the thought of all the milestones Rodger never got to see — from record-breaking tours to his knighthood in 1995. “He was right behind me from the beginning,” Cliff said. “And he should have been here to see it all.”
The interview offered fans a rare glimpse into the private grief behind the public image of one of Britain’s most enduring entertainers — a reminder that even icons carry wounds time can never fully heal.