CILLA BLACK

Cilla Black was born Priscilla Maria Veronica White on May 27, 1943 and was an English singer, television presenter, actress and author. Cilla Black was determined to make it as an entertainer, even getting a part-time job as a cloakroom assistant at legendary Liverpool club The Cavern in 1963, and her random, impromptu performances caught the eye of The Beatles with whom she became chums with. Cilla Black’s career got off to a flying start when John Lennon introduced her to The Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein, and he managed to secure her a recording contract with their label. Cilla Black scored two UK Official Singles Chart Number 1s with the songs Anyone Who Had A Heart and its follow-up You’re My World in 1964. Cilla’s association with The Beatles saw her record several Lennon/ McCartney compositions as well as two specially written songs by George Harrison. Cilla Black began her TV career in the late 1960s with her own TV show, the theme of which Step Inside Love was specifically written for her by McCartney, and Cilla also hosted the popular shows Blind Date and Surprise Surprise, making her one of the most popular faces on television in the mid-1980s and 1990s. Cilla Black was awarded an OBE for services to entertainment in the 1997 New Year Honours list. Cilla Black died of a fall following a stroke on August 1, 2015 at her holiday home in the Spanish town of Estepona. Cilla Black’s only UK Official Album Chart Number 1 was the posthumous compilation The Very Best of…