Cilla Black

Cilla Black, born Priscilla Maria Veronica White on 27 May 1943 in Liverpool, was a famous English singer, television presenter, actress and author. Her husband and second manager Bobby Willis gave her 3 sons. When she was young, she began to study office skills at Antfield Commercial College and then decided to become an entertainer. But for that, she needed money and some acquaintances, so she worked as a cloakroom attendant at the Liverpool’s Cavern Club, known for its musical celebrities. There she began to sing and she first appeared as “Swinging Cilla”. The Beatles remarked her talent; they went on really well and they introduced her to Brian Epstein, who became her manager in 1963.

Musical career

Cilla Black’s music belonged to different genres such as pop, soul, adult contemporary - which categorizes songs that are 75% instrumental – and Mersey beat - which refers to the eponymous river in Liverpool. Two of her singles reached number one in 1964: “Anyone who had a heart” and “You’re my world”. More than 800,000 copies of both or of each were sold.

Her first single, “Love of the loved”, was only ranked as number 35 in the UK, but her second single, “Anyone who had a heart”, reached the first place.

After Epstein died in 1967, Bobby Willis became her manager. Most of her songs were written by Paul McCartney.

In 2009 and 2013, most of her singles and albums were released on digital download.

TV career

Cilla Black began her TV career in 1968 with the first episode of her own series called “Cilla”, broadcast on BBC. The show lasted for 8 seasons and ended in 1976. On this show, Cilla received guests such as Tom Jones, a famous Welsh singer with whom she sang a duet in the first broadcast, but also Ringo Starr, Frankie Vaughan and many others. It is for that show that McCartney wrote “Step inside love”, which became one of Black’s most famous songs.

In 1975, Cilla started a new series: “Cilla’s Comedy Six”, broadcast on ITV. The original series was a sitcom in which Cilla performed the roles of every-day heroines who are full of resources.

In 1976, she acted in “Cilla’s World of Comedy”, which is fairly the same as “Cilla’s Comedy Six”.

In 1984, she started to present “Blind Date” with Duncan Norvelle. In the show, three single people of the same sex were asked questions by a person of the opposite sex who could hear them, but not see them, and who was then supposed to decide with whom she wanted to go out. It ended in 2003.

What's more?

As a conclusion Cilla was one of the most iconic English entertainers for her different roles in the media world and for that Queen Elizabeth II honoured her with an Order of the British Empire. An important fact is also that she worked for 50 years as a television presenter. But one day every star has to shut off and Cilla died at her villa in Estepona at the age of 72 of a stroke following a fall.

Want to know more about her? Check out her official website: http://www.cillablack.com/ 

By Lisa Jacquemin and Nicolas Olivier 

 

SOURCES
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cilla_Black
- http://www.cillablack.com
- https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_%28musique%29
- https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_contemporary#Premi.C3.A8res_racines
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surprise_Surprise_%28TV_series%29
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cilla_Black#Television_career-
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Date_%28UK_game_show%29
- http://www.cillablack.com/biography/
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cilla_%28miniseries%29