Cliff has sold 250 million records and scored more than 120 top-40 hits. But perhaps his biggest achievement was beating American teen star Justin Bieber to the title of top-selling celebrity calendar in 2011.

He’s in Sussex tomorrow for a one-off show which might well be his last in the area for some time. With tickets hot property, The Guide emailed a few questions over to Barbados where Cliff lives...

How does touring now compare to the tours of your youth?

Touring now is just as exciting but much more comfortable than in the old days. Long gone are the tour bus and the showbusiness “digs” and today the backstage catering verges on the five-star! But what hasn’t changed is the adrenalin rush I get on hearing the buzz of an audience. They may have have grown up with me but their welcome is every bit as loud as it ever was.

Music has been a passion for nearly all of your life – why is that?

I remember my mother telling me that even before I could read I would be able to pick out my favourite record from the collection in our living room. I don’t know how I did it, but even as a little kid I loved listening to music and had some kind of instinct for it. When I was a bit older it was always a thrill to buy a vinyl album which I’d play to death! Where this “musical awareness” came from I’ve no idea. Neither my mum nor my dad were particularly musical – although it was my dad who taught me my very first chords on the guitar.

Do you feel you’ve made sacrifices for your career?

Not at all. My career has taken me down so many different paths and given me so many opportunities and experiences that I feel incredibly blessed. No, absolutely no regrets at all!

Olivia Newton John is touring the UK this year – any chance of a duet?

Olivia and I have been close friends for many years and when we have the chance to work together we jump at it and love the special chemistry that always seems to result. In this industry you never know what the future may hold. I did duet with Livvy and John Trovolta on their Christmas CD last year but there are no immediate plans for another duet I’m afraid.

What do you consider your greatest achievements?

It’s difficult to pinpoint as I’ve had so many wonderful moments and privileges. Of course, receiving my Knighthood from the Queen definitely has to be a pinnacle and my two evenings at Wembley Stadium, playing to a total of around 150,000 people in 1989, is an experience that will remain vivid for the rest of my life.

Do you feel your faith has helped you in your career?

There’s no doubt that my Christian faith has very much shaped the person I am today. It has kept me grounded, given me perspectives and has been the source of guidance in just about everything I’ve done – from career choices to decisions in my private life. Without a sure and solid faith, I hate to think where my life might have drifted.

You’ve been a resident of Barbados for many years now – do you ever get homesick for Britain?

I used to escape to Barbados occasionally, just to avoid the British winter, but I soon grew to love it and now it feels like home. Barbados offers so much – great beaches, terrific food and it’s easy to hop on a plane and be back in Europe.

Do you have any vices?

Well, none that I’d tell you about! Seriously, if enjoying a glass of champagne or red wine most nights is a vice, then I must hold my hand up. Of course, Vida Nova, which is produced at my vineyard in Portugal, is my favourite, and they do say that red wine is good for your heart. I rest my case!

Can you ever see yourself retiring from music?

I would only give up singing if my vocal chords gave up on me. If I couldn’t put on a good show for my fans I’d be letting them – and myself – down, I just couldn’t do that. So, as I’m about to embark on my Still Reelin’ And A-Rockin’ tour, I’m thankful that I’m still fit and healthy and stamina doesn’t seem to be a problem. The bottom line is recording and performing still excite me. After every project I find myself wondering about what to do next. I’m sure it’s the same for every artist but I always feel I could do that little bit better; that there’s more to be achieved.

  • Cliff Richard plays the Sussex Country Cricket Ground, in Eaton Road, Hove, on Saturday, June 15. Gates 5.30pm, tickets from £66. Call 0844 2640201
  • See The Argus on Monday for our eight-page picture special