To the strains of the 1966 classic "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me," the funeral of the singer said to be the first white woman with "soul" in her voice began at St Mary the Virgin Church, Henley-on-Thames. There was a congregation of 300 and loudspeakers relayed the service to fans outside.

Springfield, the Sixties icon who sported a beehive hairdo and heavily made-up eyes, died of breast cancer eleven days ago, aged 59. As she had asked, her coffin was carried in a horse-drawn, glass-sided carriage. The name Dusty was printed out in white flowers. At the church, there were flowers from Sir Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Sir Elton John and Rod Stewart.

After an opening prayer, the singer Lulu, sometimes close to tears, was the first to pay tribute. "Dusty was the first person to demonstrate girl power, in my opinion," she said. "She had tremendous courage because she bared her soul to the whole world. To sing with that passion takes tremendous courage. She had a great gift from Heaven, that voice of hers. Now she and her gift have returned to Heaven. It is very hard to talk about her in the past. She had such a great spirit that it will never die, she will always be around."

Music for the service had been selected by Springfield. The singer Simon Bell gave a rendition if "The Wind Beneath My Wings." The hymns were "Love Divine," "All Love Excelling" and "Jerusalem."

The mourners were led by her brother Tom, with whom she once sang in a group called The Springfields. Her real name was Mary O'Brien. Her neighbour and friend for the past five years, Gibb Hancock, spoke of the singer's fight against cancer, which was diagnosed in 1994 as she recorded her last album, A Very Fine Love. "She never once asked, 'Why me?' She fought so bravely, she was one of the bravest I have ever known," he said. "She was a shy and retiring person who did not flaunt her fame."

The coffin left the 12th-century church as it had entered, to the strains of "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me." The congregation, which included the singer Kiki Dee and the dancer Lionel Blair, broke into spontaneous applause. As the hearse drew away for a private cremation, the speakers continued to play Sixties hits such as "In the Middle of Nowhere," "Little By Little," and her first solo success, "I Only Want To Be With You," from 1963.

At the rear of the church were floral tributes from admirers. Sir Paul wrote: "Dearest Dusty, I'm so glad I had the chance a few weeks ago to tell you what a classic you were. We love you. Paul McCartney and the kids." The Rolling Stones wrote simply: "With fond memories" and signed it "Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie". Sir Elton John wrote: "To the greatest."

Richard Duce
The Times (London),
March 13, 1999