On Friday, Sir Cliff Richard, 82, posted on Facebook to express his sorrow over the passing of Bill Latham, a friend and former manager who he had shared a home with for 30 years. The musician attributed his ability to uncover the “spiritual pathway” that transformed his life to his late religious studies instructor.
He shared an old photo of the couple with Billy Graham, an American evangelist.
Does It Matter That It’s Christmas? hitmaker said, “Dear everyone. Another setback.
This time, someone who I felt I had known forever has passed away and is now living a better life.
“Many, if not all of you, will be aware of who I am writing about… William Latham
Sir Cliff said, “He is the one who guided me along that spiritual path that absolutely and utterly changed my life.
He demonstrated to me the value of generosity and the need for courage to share my beliefs in public. Bill was one of those folks you could depend on, and I did so frequently.
Bill would be “greatly missed” and “will live on in the many hearts of those that loved and respected him…my heart being one of them,” the singer continued.
“God bless you, Bill,” he concluded. Cliff, you deserved to be at peace.
When Bill and Sir Cliff first met in the 1960s, they moved into the singer’s mansion on the St. George’s Hill estate in Weybridge, Surrey, where they remained until Bill left to live with his wife in 1996.
According to Mail Online, Cliff addressed romance rumors in 2008, saying: “When Bill and I shared a house, there were constantly stories about what people thought our genuine relationship was, but what nobody realized was that Bill’s girlfriend was also residing with us.
Nobody inquired about that because it was none of their concern. Simply put, Bill and his girlfriend wanted to be alone together when he made the decision to move out.
In a recent interview, Cliff discussed the duration of his career and how his 20-year Christmas calendar “came to an end.”
In an interview with Richard Arnold of Good Morning Britain earlier this month, the singer talked about his most recent Christmas album and his yearly calendar, which has been published every year for the past 20 years.
Sir Cliff was questioned by Richard about why it took him so long to release a Christmas album in the opening of the conversation.
The performer clarified: “It may get really monotonous if you produce Christmas CDs over and over again. Recently, I’ve listened to a number of Christmas music, but they don’t really give me the holiday spirit.”
Regarding the public’s response, Sir Cliff continued: “You are aware now. In the end, all you can do is wait and hope that the public will approve.”
The topic quickly turned to Sir Cliff’s 20-year-old annual Christmas calendar, which Cliff acknowledged “must come to an end” eventually.
The GMB host remarked, “You’re not only talking about Christmas.” Of course, the calendar is a present that never expires.
Said Sir Cliff: “We’ve been doing it for around 20 years.
“Therefore, I believe that this year’s calendar has been photographed by attendees of the previous performance.
We did reach number one on the calendar the previous year, so we are keeping our fingers crossed, but it must end.
