When most people think about Lulu they think about the broad Scottish accent, the bright blonde hair and the "Glasgow patter".

We take a look back on the 67-year-old's career which has seen many highlights, and low points, from a very early age.

Lulu was born in 1948 in Lennoxtown, East Dunbartonshire, but quickly moved to Dennistoun in Glasgow where she attended school.

Growing up in the city’s east end, it seemed like a long road to success for a girl who was then known as Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie.

Her father, a butcher, was a heavy drinker and there were often arguments around the home but when it came her days at school there was a recurring theme in the lessons: getting into trouble for singing.

It quickly became more than a distraction during class as she joined up with a young group called The Gleneagles in her early teens. Not long afterwards she and the band were discovered by Marion Massey in a Glasgow club, The Lindella, owned by her brother.

Massey knew she had a star on her hands, giving Marie Lawrie and The Gleaneagles some new names: Lulu and The Luvvers, as they signed up to Decca Records.

In 1964, Lulu was catapulted to stardom when her cover of the Islay Brothers’ song Shout climbed to number seven in the UK chart. Her version, with its iconic vocal intro, propelled the 15-year-old into the public consciousness but her next three singles for Decca Records failed to make a similar impression.

Her next hit was ballad Leave a Little Love which reached the top 10, ensuring she did join the ranks of the one-hit wonder. This was followed by further success with The Boat I Row, written by Neil Diamond.

A major hit in the US followed, with To Sir With Love reaching the top spot after she appeared in a film of the same name with Sidney Poiter. The single sold over one million copies.

She had a rocky four-year marriage to Bee Gee Maurice Gibb, tying the knot in 1969. She later said that her husband's drinking caused the marriage to fall apart as his rock and roll lifestyle started to take its toll.

At the tail end of the sixties, Lulu was offered the chance to represent the UK in the Eurovision song contest. Her song Boom Bang-a-Bang was chosen from six choices and went on to win the competition, although in a controversial tie with three other countries.

Her chart success also led to a number of television appearances, and the Scots teenager even hosted a number of series on the BBC.

Shows like Gadzooks! and It’s Happening for Lulu made her a familiar face (as well as a distinctive voice) on our screens.

In fact her programme was the venue for one of the decade’s most notable musical moments, when Jim Hendrix performed an unauthorised version of Sunshine of Your Love in 1969. Breaking off from the planned single Hey Joe, the guitarist and his band were taken off the air while performing the Cream classic.

The television roles then made way for the big screen, with her role in To Sir With Love exposing a new audience to her acting and singing. While her film career never reached the heights of her music, she performed in a number of British films throughout the late 60s and 70s.

Perhaps her most enduring contribution to film was her theme song to Bond film The Man With The Golden Gun. The tune, laced with heavy sexual innuendo, failed to chart in the UK or US.

She has continued to work in film and TV over recent decades, appearing in a number of supporting small screen roles.

A second marriage to hairdresser John Frieda lasted more that 25 years, and she had a son, Jordan.

She relaunched her singing career in 1993, with new music charting in the UK top 40.

Her comeback was boosted by a collaboration with boyband Take That, on their hit Relight My Fire. The single was a chart topper, and she performed as the band's support act on their 1994 tour.

The 2000s saw more television appearances, and the release of her autobiography, shedding light on her difficult childhood. She also confirmed rumoured romances with the Monkees Davy Jones and David Bowie, who's song The Man Who Sold The World she covered.

Lulu received an OBE form the Queen in 2000, and said her only regret was that her parents were not alive to see her receive the honour.

She was also chosen to perform at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games, singing her hit Shout in front of a 40,000-strong crowd. She was the opening act, paying tribute to the athletes and announcing their arrival into the stadium.