A popular figure in musical theatre, Elaine Paige OBE is a singer and actress who made her West End debut in the 1968 production of Hair.
How old is Elaine Paige?
Elaine Jill Paige was born on March 5 1948. She is currently 73 years old.
Who is Elaine Paige married to?
Although currently in a long term relationship with Justin Mallison who is 23 years younger than she is, Elaine has never been married or had children. She said of Justin: "I doubt very much that Justin and I will get married. I'm happy with the way it is. It seems to work and I think, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.'"
She previously had a relationship which spanned over a decade with lyricist Tim Rice in the 1980s while he was still married to Jane Artereta.
Elaine Paige in Cats
Elaine played the very first role of Grizabella in the original production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats from May 1981 to February 1982. She actually took on the role when Judi Denchhad to withdraw due to a torn Achilles tendon.
Elaine was a great success despite being the second choice for the role and even had a Top 10 hit with "Memory" which became her signature piece.
Elaine's awards
As well as being nominated for five Laurence Olivier Awards, Elaine has won lots of other awards for her theatre roles. She is often dubbed the First Lady of British Musical Theatre due to her skill and longevity.
In 1995, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to musical theatre.
Elaine Paige on Sunday
In September 2004, Elaine started a weekly Sunday afternoon radio show on BBC Radio 2, Elaine Paige on Sunday. Despite regularly attracting 3 million listeners, the show didn't receive favourable reviews from critics.
The show continues to this day and you can catch up on previous episodes now.
Elaine's charity work
Elaine is an Ambassador of The Children's Trust, the UK's leading charity for children with brain injury and neurodisabiity, for over 35 years, since the charity was created, when she first presented the charity with a minibus. She has hosted and performed at fundraising events for the charity
Musical career
Elaine has to date released a whopping 22 solo albums, with eight that were consecutively certified gold and another four multi-platinum.
In 1985, she and Barbara Dickson released "I Know Him So Well" from the musical Chess, which continues to remain the biggest-selling record by a female duo.