No sour grapes for Sir Cliff
By Gabriel Hershman

Gabriel Hershman (left): "Interviewing Cliff Richard (right) has been a great experience and he couldn't have been more helpful."

I'd been living in Portugal for ten months, working as a journalist, photographer and reporter on a new local English newspaper when 'the call' came.

Aware of the need for high profile interviewees to boost the paper, I had written to Sir Cliff in June of last year requesting an interview. To be honest I don't think I ever expected a reply and so it was a pleasant surprise when several weeks later one of Cliff's aides rang to tell me he was leaving for England the following evening. Would I be able to interview him at about 3pm the next day? I replied I might just be able to squeeze him in...And if you believe that...Of course, I was ecstatic and dropped everything to think up some interesting questions!

One part of stammering is that sometimes we over-focus on our speech when faced with an important speaking occasion. This can be dangerous when conducting an interview because we also need to concentrate on maintaining good eye contact and pursuing unexpected responses which might lead to an illuminating diversion from a prepared line of questioning. That means being alert, showing genuine interest in one's interviewee and not being preoccupied exclusively by the battle to talk (as I would have been in my twenties) - something which, in my own case, I have always referred to as 'tunnelling'.

Arriving at Sir Cliff's house, walking through the large open gates, it would be silly to deny I was aware it was an important occasion for me. I was bursting with expectancy! I knocked on the door. No answer came. Then, just as I was starting to worry, I heard a familiar voice in the distance and Cliff appeared from the garden at the rear of the house. We shook hands, entered the house and moved onto his terrace. He poured me a diet-coke, I took out my notepad and Cliff said "fire away". I soon got into my stride and we talked for about 50 minutes before adjourning to the garden to take some photos. And I didn't 'tunnel' at all - well, perhaps just once when I was so mesmerized by the fantastic view that he gently touched my arm to bring me back to the subject at hand!

It was a great experience and Cliff couldn't have been more open and helpful on a wide variety of topics. The interview with Cliff Richard had a good follow-up when, the following week, I was also granted a short interview with Dionne Warwick.

From the Spring 2003 edition of Speaking Out