Kenneth Hume: What happened to Shirley Bassey’s ex-husband?

Kenneth Hume is the ex-husband of Shirley Bassey. Kenneth Hume’s ex-wife is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice, and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalists in Britain. She became well-known for recording the soundtrack theme songs of the James Bond films Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, and Moonraker. In 1999, she was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II.

Kenneth Hume: Bio Summary

Who was Shirley Bassey’s ex-husband, Kenneth Hume?

Kenneth Hume was born in 1926 in England, United Kingdom to his parents. He started out in the film business as an editor in his early 20s but later made the switch to television where he established himself as a producer of arts-related shows. He started in the movie business in 1940 as an assistant editor on a number of movies. He founded S.H.W. (Piccadilly) Productions during the post-war era. He wrote, produced, and directed the 1950 films Hot Ice and Cheer the Brave.

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According to IMDB, Kenneth Hume was a director and writer known for I’ve Gotta Horse (1965), Cheer the Brave (1951), and Hot Ice (1952). Per Elisarolle, Hume directed and produced a short modern dance film entitled Mods and Rockers, which utilized the songs of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison as performed by a band called the Cheynes (featuring Mick Fleetwood on drums); the short film was later folded into a full-length program alongside a pair of jukebox shorts, Swinging UK and UK Swings Again, retitled Go Go Big Beat for U.S. release.

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Shirley Bassey and Kenneth Hume’s marriage

Per Elisarolle Hume who was an all-but-avowed homosexual married Welsh-born pop singer Shirley Bassey in 1961. He was 11 years her senior. The singer defended the relationship, saying he made her laugh. Per Elisarolle, the couple did not live together. Kenneth had a flat in Westbourne Terrace, Bayswater, and remained there after his marriage; Shirley bought a house in Chester Square, Belgravia, and moved in with Sharon- her daughter, a nanny, and a butler.

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They married and divorced twice within a three-year period (during which she had an affair with the actor Peter Finch, who is thought to be the father of her daughter, Samantha). Hume sued Finch and another man, John McAuliffe, for being “indiscreet” with Bassey. Both Finch and McAuliffe were cited as co-respondents in the Hume–Bassey divorce. The couple did not have any known children. They ended their marriage in 1965 after being together for about four years.

How did Shirley Bassey’s ex-husband die?

Shirley Bassey’s ex-husband Kenneth Hume was found dead in his London apartment on June 25, 1967. Two years after their marriage ended. The police said some drugs were found nearby, and ordered an autopsy. It was revealed he committed suicide by overdosing on drugs.

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His death left Bassey devastated. “I was so angry with Kenneth for leaving me like that,” she said once. “How could he do this to me? And why?” From 1968 until they divorced in 1979, Bassey was married to Sergio Novak, the assistant manager of the Excelsior Hotel in Venice. Speaking in recent years, Shirley has said: “I’ve found happiness in my work but not in my private life.” Now 86, she has been divorced twice and lost one of her daughters- Samantha Bassey in a tragic incident.