Cliff Richard’s self-presentation as a redeemer

Abstract

Although tremendously popular, Great Britain’s long-term icon Cliff Richard has been widely neglected by popular music studies. This article aims to correct this omission by introducing an argument that claims that Cliff Richard portrays himself to a considerable degree as a saviour figure. Evidence for this thesis will be drawn from three meaningful dimensions in popular music: song lyrics, pictorial self-representations, and image components. These three areas can be shown to be semantically concordant in presenting Cliff Richard as a redeemer. While the promise of redemption by the singer persona is a recurring motif in his song lyrics, this assurance gets repeated in pictorial representations that make allusions to Jesus Christ (through posture, lighting, and elevation) and is further reinforced by a number of components of Richard’s image such as the (apparently) incorruptible body, the asexuality, and the demonstrative benevolence towards the sick and poor. The combination of these sign-complexes creates a meaningful pattern around the singer that sets him apart as a surrogate saviour.

Fandom as a religious form: on the reception of pop music by Cliff Richard fans in Liverpool

“…This book offers an analysis of fan culture and attempts to document in a systematic way, yet without any theoretical background, that the worship of Elvis Presley resembles a religious cult (Harrison 1992, p. 9). In accordance with the theory I proposed elsewhere about Cliff Richard's self-presentation as a redeemer figure and indications of a proportion of his fans instrumentalising the singer as such 17 (Löbert 2008), it must be noted that Elvis fans also experience healing, alleviation, and redemption through their star: 109-10).…”

“…109-10). In accordance with the theory I proposed elsewhere about Cliff Richard's self-presentation as a redeemer figure and indications of a proportion of his fans instrumentalising the singer as such 17 (Löbert 2008), it must be noted that Elvis fans also experience healing, alleviation, and redemption through their star:…”

“…I have been able to show (Löbert 2008) that the British singer Cliff Richard, while no doubt less blatantly than Jackson, equally represents himself as a redeemer figure in terms of the symbolic material he uses. I have been able to show (Löbert 2008) that the British singer Cliff Richard, while no doubt less blatantly than Jackson, equally represents himself as a redeemer figure in terms of the symbolic material he uses.…”

“…Some readers may recall Michael Jackson's extraordinary performance at the 1996 Brit Awards when the pop star appeared on stage in a way unmistakably suggestive of Jesus Christ. I have been able to show (Löbert 2008) that the British singer Cliff Richard, while no doubt less blatantly than Jackson, equally represents himself as a redeemer figure in terms of the symbolic material he uses. The purpose of this article is to turn the tables and focus on the other side of the issue: assuming the proposition of Cliff Richard's self-enactment as a redeemer is admitted, the question is now whether his fans indeed accept this communication offer and, more specifically, how and in which ways they use or instrumentalise the singer.…”

“…He or she has to project a certain image to enable the relationship to work that way. As my empirical analysis of the media text 'Cliff Richard' showed (Löbert 2008) he indeed presents himself as a redeemer and thus is very easy to instrumentalise in that way by victims of traumas (as opposed to, say, Marilyn Manson). 13.…”