You know you’re getting old—gulp—when your five-year-old crush turns 80 and today is the 80th birthday of—still radiant—British pop singer Petula Clark.

An appearance by Petula Clark on The Ed Sullivan Show, This is Tom Jones or any random variety show she happened to appear on was the only “OK, you can stay up past your bedtime” excuse that my parents would indulge (because I’m sure I’d have thrown a temper tantrum or something).

Pet Clark was the prettiest, classiest woman I think I had ever seen up to that point in my life. And her songs, often the recorded in collaboration with the great British arranger, Tony Hatch, were really catchy. Oh how I loved her then. Still do. Clark has special kind of magic charisma, I think, that makes her such an all-time classic and iconic performer.

Here’s wishing Petula Clark the happiest of birthdays. In January a Facebook campaign was launched to petition for a Damehood for Clark.

“Downtown” on French TV:
 

 
More Petula Clark after the jump…