Her surprise performance of "Goldfinger" at the 85th Annual Academy Awards, commemorating 50 years of James Bond films, brought the house down. Bassey received a two-minute standing ovation following her performance, more than any other performer that evening.
[on being awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the the British Empire] I was asleep and my manager came to wake me up because we were going out that night. I didn't feel like getting up and I said. "Go away, let me sleep". Just
as I was going back to sleep he said, "You wouldn't get up even for
Damehood?" I had to keep quiet for seven weeks. I nearly had a nervous
breakdown. I was afraid to go out in case I told someone - my social
life was nil.
