BBC News | UK | Cilla's husband dies Saturday, October 23, 1999 Published at 18:48 GMT 19:48 UK UK Cilla's husband dies Bobby with Cilla when she received her OBE in 1997 Bobby Willis, husband of television star Cilla Black, has died after a long battle with liver and lung cancer. The Blind Date presenter's husband of 30 years, who was diagnosed with the disease in July, died at The Royal Free Hospital in London at 1300BST on Saturday. Cilla and their sons Robert 28, Ben, 24, and Jack, 17, were at his bedside. Bobby, 57, had been admitted to the hospital suffering from a chest infection which escalated into pneumonia, said a spokeswoman for LWT. Wedding: Cilla and Bobby's big day in 1969 She continued: "Our thoughts and sympathy are with Cilla and her family at this traumatic time. "Two Blind Date shows planned for Monday and Tuesday have been cancelled because of the bereavement.

"Cilla and her family have asked for privacy at this difficult time." The couple, who lived in Denham in Buckinghamshire, were said to have had one of the strongest relationships in showbusiness. Before Bobby's illness they were said to have spent only three nights apart since their marriage. When her husband was diagnosed with cancer, Cilla said: "If it was me, I would have fallen to pieces and given up. But not Bobby. "He refuses to be negative and has kept his marvellous sense of humour. "He is an incredible man." In the past Cilla has said of her husband, who was also her manager: "I'd be totally lost without him. I wouldn't have lasted five minutes without him." Talk show host Michael Parkinson said: "Bobby was very engaging, very funny and a nice man. The two were inseparable. It's going to be awful for Cilla to cope with but she's got a very strong family." He added: "It can be a strain on a relationship having a husband as a manager but it worked perfectly with them. I can't imagine anybody having a better relationship. "They were two sides of the same coin. They made all decisions together.

Bobby was Cilla's husband, manager, boyfriend and confidant." Driving force Bobby met his wife in a Liverpool club when she was a 15-year-old typist and he was a 17-year-old baker. He is said to have shelved his own plans for stardom as a singer to concentrate on her career, driving her transformation from a 1960s singing star into Britain's most successful female entertainer. In 1963, the couple moved from Liverpool to London, where Cilla met George Martin, the Beatles' producer. "I think that is when work and our relationship became one," Bobby once said. "We made a bond that's lasted all through our life." Their early years together were reported to have been turbulent, with friends saying there were furious rows in the days when she topped the bill at the London Palladium. Bobby said he often used to start driving back to Liverpool after an argument, but would always turn round again. Eventually he steered Cilla to a �12m fortune - she was recently listed as the UK's 27th richest woman.

Cilla Black on late husband Bobby Willis: My ego made him refuse recording contract - Mirror Online Celebs Cilla Black on late husband Bobby Willis: My ego made him refuse recording contract A new drama showing the ups and downs of Cilla’s relationship with the man who was also her manager portrays her often ruthless quest for fame Share Scared: Cilla waited weeks before watching the ITV drama Share Get celebs updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email For weeks the DVDs sat unwatched beside the telly in Cilla Black’s elegant London flat. She knew she’d have to face them soon because dozens of people were desperate to hear what she thought of the ITV drama about her rise to fame. But the showbiz legend was too scared to pick up the remote control and watch her own early life play out before her eyes. Because that would mean seeing her beloved husband Bobby brought back to life too... after missing him so terribly for the past 15 years. “I did have to steel myself to watch it” admits Cilla, 71. “It’s a strange experience seeing other people recreating your life on the telly.

"And I have to admit I was a bit worried when I first heard that Sheridan Smith was playing me because I’d only ever seen her playing Mrs Biggs, the train robber’s wife! “But, yes, I have watched it now... and I needn’t have worried because Sheridan is absolutely terrific. I can’t fault her. “But God knows how she sang so well with those false teeth in!” Video Loading Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8Cancel Play now Watch Next Sheridan, 33, will be thrilled, and relieved, to hear that the real Ms Black loved her portrayal because everyone involved in the three-part drama, simply called Cilla, has been waiting on tenterhooks for the superstar’s verdict. The hard-hitting drama shows the ups and downs of Cilla’s relationship with late husband and manager Bobby Willis in 1960s Liverpool, and her often ruthless quest for fame. Today not many people know that Bobby was also a singer and songwriter who sang backing vocals on her chart hits and wrote the B-side to her first single.

And the drama reveals for the first time how Cilla’s manager and mentor Brian Epstein , famous for steering The Beatles to stardom, was so impressed he offered Bobby his own recording contract. He planned to bill the handsome former biscuit-factory woker as the Blond from Bootle. Love of her life: Cilla weds her Bobby in 1969 (Photo: PA) But Cilla made Bobby refuse the tempting deal... for the sake of her own career. “It’s absolutely true,” she says with the same candour she showed when revealing secrets to writer and producer Jeff Pope. “Bobby could sing and he could write songs – he sang very much like Johnny Mathis actually. But he wasn’t a natural performer. “He wrote a song called Shy of Love and we recorded it as the B side to Love of the Loved, my debut single. "Brian offered him £50 for the rights to that but he turned him down and ended up in the money – far richer than I was at the time ’cos I had to pay Brian back for what he shelled out on me! “And then Bobby was offered his own recording contract. Brian genuinely wanted him to sign.

He was a good looking boy, a natural platinum blond. “But I made him say no. There was only room for one ego in our relationship – and this ego had landed. I knew it couldn’t work. “So he had to chose. I felt terrible about it, but...” Star Power: In 1964 with Beatle George Harrison and Brian Epstein (Photo: Express Newspapers) Cilla told Bobby they couldn’t both be stars – and if he chose the recording contract over being her manager they were finished. Bobby, played in the show by Aneurin Barnard, wanted Cilla more than he wanted that pop career. She goes on: “Bobby was his own man but he wanted to support me. And we both knew he wouldn’t have been able to get out there and do it. “He was much better at telling me what to do – and I needed that. “No matter how many people told me, ‘You were fantastic,’ I’d always ask Bobby ‘How was it?’ and he’d tell it exactly as it was...

‘You weren’t very good tonight, you could have done more.’ But he was only telling me what I already knew.” Cilla and Bobby wed in 1969 and had three sons and a daughter, Ellen, who died after being born prematurely. Real life: Loving couple Cilla and Bobby back in 1997 (Photo: PA) After 30 years of marriage Cilla was devastated when Bobby died from lung cancer in 1999. With tears welling up she tells me: “I think Aneurin got the essence of Bobby perfectly. There’s a scene where I make him come on stage with me and hold my hand because I’m too nervous. It was exactly right, like a snapshot from my past. “Aneurin was just magnificent as Bobby – and I got quite emotional over that. Seeing how it all started for us. Then missing him...” Her voice cracks, then she turns on the famous Cilla smile and adds: “But Bobby would have been so chuffed that someone was playing him on telly. “And I was very flattered and proud that anyone would want to play me. I think they’ve done a fantastic job with the whole series.

It has got the colour, the smell, the essence of the sixties . . “Sheridan really got my voice doing the early stuff, the rock and roll in the Cavern. And then when she sang Anyone Who Had a Heart – fantastic. In the end I thought it was me! “I do tend to think in the third person now anyway – that was the old Cilla. Now I’m this Cilla. My early years, the memories, are like a film rolling over in my head anyway. "So I was watching this show and thinking, ‘God, that’s Cilla... that really is Cilla!” View gallery She did find some other parts hard to watch too – like the unflinching depiction of Brian Epstein’s troubled private life and his tragic death from a drugs overdose at the age of 32. Manager Epstein, played by Ed ­Stoppard, born into a respectable Jewish family in the North West in the 1930s, spent his adult life in fear of being exposed as gay. Cilla says: “When Jeff came to me with the script I said, ‘I hope you’ve done your research here’ because it was quite shocking and hard to watch at times.

"I didn’t know any of it. I didn’t know anything about what gay men did together. I was very well protected. “He died just a month before homosexuality was legalised in Britain. It was terribly sad. I always remember Frankie Howerd telling me that if he could take a pill tomorrow to make him normal, to make him like women, then he would. "He didn’t like being the way he was. And I’m sure Brian didn’t either.” Takes the cake: Cilla with Epstein in 1964 (Photo: Mirrorpix) Epstein spotted Cilla singing in Liverpool’s Cavern Club and turned her into a pop star. But he also spotted she was a natural on TV and predicted she would be “one of the biggest stars in this country for the next 30 or 40 years”. In fact Cilla has just celebrated 50 years in showbiz – but the drama reveals how she and Bobby had to be convinced before she would agree to star in her own BBC variety show in 1967. Cilla says: “I remember Brian meeting me off the train from Liverpool at Euston Station before Bobby and I went to Portugal on holiday.

He rode with us in the taxi to Heathrow and said, ‘You must do this programme’ but Bobby was going, ‘I’m not sure... she’s a singer.’ "But Brian said, ‘No, it will be great. She’s a natural with people and every time she goes on telly people adore her.’ ” Video Loading Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8Cancel Play now It was while they were away in Portugal that Epstein was found dead in his bed with a copy of the crucial BBC contract on the bed beside him. Cilla says: “Brian was my mentor. He was the man that we all admired – the Beatles, Gerry Marsden. He just had that Midas touch. “We had a special relationship. He wrote a book called A Cellar Full of Noise but used to say he should have called it A Cilla Full of Noise. “It was such a shock when he died. And I didn’t know that the contract was on his bed when they found him. “But he’d sold me on the idea well before that anyway. And he was so right. Look what happened next....” The three-part Cilla story starts on ITV on September 15 at 9pm.

Like us on Facebook Most Read Most Recent Most Read Most Recent Cilla Black passes away 16 years after husband Bobby Willis died of cancer | Daily Mail Online comments By her own admission, Cilla Black always yearned for the aura of Hollywood royalty. Even at the height of her success, she lamented the fact that, while people might bow down and kiss Dame Shirley Bassey’s feet, ‘they’re more likely to give me a slap on the back and say: “Hi, Cilla, how’s it going?”’ Yet it was that popular perception of the happy-go-lucky girl-next-door that was the secret of Cilla Black’s 50-year success — an achievement founded on one of the great love stories of modern showbusiness. Scroll down for video Always Bobby’s girl: Cilla Black, deliriously happy with her husband-to-be and manager Bobby Willis in 1969 The public loved Cilla for her ‘lorra, lorra laughs’, not for some confected grandeur. It’s why the news of her death yesterday will have stopped so many people in their tracks. Her appeal spanned all ages and backgrounds. She was, to borrow a political cliche, a ‘real person’.

Those of a certain age will remember Cilla the singer. Anyone over the age of 25 will remember Cilla the clucking Cupid of Saturday night’s Blind Date. She could mix with everyone. Here was the docker’s girl from Liverpool who never lost her Scouse accent, remained proud of her roots and yet was one of the few celebrities to join the campaign trail with John Major and the Tories during the 1992 general election. When she finally witnessed her long-held ambition of seeing two of her Blind Date contestants walk down the aisle, it was not some contrived TV stunt. It was a genuine love match between a girl from the West Midlands and an Old Etonian. RELATED ARTICLES Share 93 shares But it was Cilla’s own marriage that was the bedrock of her popularity — and of that chirpy self-assurance which lay behind it. As she told the Mail’s Rebecca Hardy two years ago: ‘I don’t think I’d have lasted five minutes in this business without my Bobby.’ In the 16 years that followed the death of Bobby Willis — Cilla’s husband, manager and rock — no one else would come close.

There were holidays with loyal bachelor friends, a few dates (blind or otherwise) and some comical nights on the town, not least the occasion when Cilla’s eldest son rang to alert her to silly tabloid gossip that she had been spotted hanging out in a louche gay bar. He received a terse response: ‘Yeah. What’s the problem with that?’ But none of it really mattered because, from beginning to end, she was always Bobby’s girl. Older but still in love: Devoted couple Cilla and Bobby are pictured in 1989 celebrating their 20th anniversary Happy families: Cilla and Bobby had their first son in 1970, before a second in 1974 and a third in 1980 Bobby Willis was an equally promising — some would say more talented — young singer whom she met when she was a teenage waitress at Liverpool’s Zodiac Coffee Bar. He worked on the bakery counter at Woolworths. Both dreamed of following in the musical wake of their chums, The Beatles. Friendship between the pair grew into a tempestuous courtship. ‘We had terrible arguments. I can’t tell you the times that he left me,’ Cilla would recall.

‘The rows were always about stupid things, really, to do with work. Not other men, because he never left me alone. I was never, ever allowed to go out alone. We always went out as a couple.’ The problem was their identical aspirations for fame, and the fact that Cilla, who had her first No 1 hit in 1964, was way out in front. ‘I was ruthless,’ she said in a typically candid interview recently, ‘but you had to be in those days, especially as a woman. And when it came to Bobby, yes, I gave him an ultimatum. I said: “There’s only room for one ego here and I’ve got it.” The ego had landed, more or less.’ A heart for only one man: Cilla grief-stricken in 1999 after Bobby’s funeral. He died aged 57 from cancer Bobby’s talent was not in doubt. ‘He sounded a bit like Johnny Mathis,’ Cilla said.

‘He was a better singer than I was — but he couldn’t do it on stage.’ Had he pursued his own career, it would perhaps have consigned both of them to the footnotes of pop history — and spelled the end of their relationship. ‘We’d have gone our separate ways. I’m convinced of that,’ she said. Instead, Bobby channelled his own ambitions — and his sharp business acumen — into promoting Cilla. In 1967, after the death of Brian Epstein, The Beatles’ manager who had given Cilla her first break, Bobby took over as her manager, handling everything from her choice of songs to, famously, the colour of her nail polish. She later admitted that she had not used a television remote control for years because that had been Bobby’s department. Life became much more harmonious after their wedding in 1969. ‘When we eventually got married there were no rows — well, the odd one maybe.’ For all her fame and considerable fortune (she was a millionaire by the age of 25), it was a marriage of equals. ‘There’s a lot of flannel in this business. Bobby never did any of that.

He was the one person who’d be honest with me. ‘I’d come off stage and Bobby would say: “That wasn’t very good.” He’d tell it like it was. I trusted him.’ She added: ‘He had no fear. He was the raconteur — the outgoing one. I was a coward. I often think about how other singers did it all. If I didn’t have Bobby [at home] I couldn’t have stayed in those hotel rooms on my own.’ And thus evolved one of the most formidable partnerships in light entertainment. Cilla had always wanted a big family, too, and the couple’s first son, Robert, was born in 1970. ‘I remember thinking: “To hell with the singing, I want a family”,’ she told the Mail’s Jenny Johnston last year. ‘When our first son, Robert was born I remember Bobby saying: “This is it. It’s complete.” And it was.’ She had a second son, Ben, in 1974, but her daughter, Ellen, died within hours of her birth in 1975. Not long after the arrival of Jack in 1980, she was advised to have a hysterectomy.

Cilla and Bobby settled into family life at a mansion in Denham, Buckinghamshire, surrounded by woodland. There was a nanny and a housekeeper to help with the children and the shopping, but the couple ensured that home life remained as normal as possible. Even so, the children were soon aware that they had a celebrity parent. ‘I remember our Ben, my middle son, being upset when this other boy, he must have been five or six, put his arms around my legs and said: “I love you, Cilla Black.” Ben went mad. He said: “Your mummy’s over there, you go and love your own mummy.” That’s when they realised, because I was just Mummy to them.’ Close friendship: Cilla surrounded herself with good friends including Sir John Madejski (pictured last year) As her singing career waned, her status as a television presenter was going the other way — masterminded by Bobby. In 1985, Cilla became the face of Blind Date in addition to her prime-time show, Surprise, Surprise.

It marked her out as one of the top talents in the land, although the excitement may have been somewhat tempered by the ITV executive who explained that Cilla was a natural choice being ‘the most sexless person on television’. Did that hurt? ‘I knew I was sexy and as long as I knew I was sexy, and as long as Bobby knew, that’s all that mattered,’ she said later. ‘He was this good-looking guy, Bobby, and I had him!’. Such sentiments, expressed in numerous interviews over the years, help explain why Bobby’s death from cancer, aged 57, in 1999, left Cilla heartbroken. In her 2003 autobiography, What’s It All About?, she revealed that for many years after Bobby’s death, she was often so depressed that she would have to curl up in bed for 24 hours at a time. ‘I’d never done anything on my own,’ she recalled years later. ‘I remember flying to Barbados and it was the first time I’d been without Bobby.

In the taxi to my little apartment I thought: “Oh, if I run back now I can make the flight home.” But a little voice told me — maybe it was coming from Bobby — “No, you’ve got to do it.” And I’m glad I did.’ Successful career: Cilla (pictured left in London in May) excelled as both a singer (right in 1960s) and a TV star While her son, Robert, took over as manager, a loyal circle of confirmed bachelor friends — whom she called her ‘gay mafia’ — coaxed her out to restaurants and parties. Chief among them was actor Christopher Biggins, presenter Dale Winton and fellow Scouser Paul O’Grady (otherwise known as Lily Savage). It was O’Grady who hosted the 2013 ITV special in honour of Cilla’s 50 years in showbusiness, and who always remained fiercely protective.

When an admirer sent over Cilla’s favourite drink at a fashionable London restaurant, and followed up with a personal approach, he received a vintage O’Grady put-down: ‘Just because you bought her Champagne, doesn’t mean you bought a slice of her time!’ For some years, there were reports that Cilla was involved in a romance of sorts with multi-millionaire publisher and football club chairman Sir John Madejski. The pair were certainly good friends and were photographed hand-in-hand at the races only last year. Cilla was also a regular holiday companion of Sir Cliff Richard, at his homes in Barbados and Portugal. But friends and family always knew that the girl whose career took off with Anyone Who Had A Heart, really had a heart for only one man. ‘I don’t think I’ll find a love like Bobby ever, ever again,’ she said in 2013. ‘Remember, we were brought up as more or less children together. We’re from the same background and everything. ‘We fitted like a glove. It’s like a part of the jigsaw is missing. It’s hard.

It’s 14 years and it’s still hard.’ Cilla Black's family to fly her body home after confirming she died of stroke - Telegraph Celebrity news Cilla Black's family to fly her body home after confirming she died of stroke Entertainer's sons prepare to bring her body back to Britain for funeral after it is confirmed she suffered stroke when she fell at Spanish villa Cilla Black died aged 72 By Anita Singh , Arts and Entertainment Editor, and James Badcock, in Malaga 5:12PM BST 04 Aug 2015 Follow Cilla Black’s sons are preparing to fly her body home to Britain for her funeral after Spanish authorities confirmed that she died of a stroke. The 72-year-old entertainer was found dead on a sun terrace at her holiday home on the Costa del Sol on Saturday. A judge and coroner informed the family on Tuesday of the cause of death at 72, which prompted an outpouring of grief across the world. “Cilla was sunbathing on her private terrace at her villa in Estepona, got up, lost her balance and fell, hitting her head, which left her unconscious,” her manager said. "She subsequently died of a stroke.

She would not have suffered." Black's three sons, Robert, Ben and Jack, hope to return her body to Britain later this week. Cilla Black in the 1960s (Rex) In a statement, they said: "We are devastated by the sad loss of our mother, but have been deeply touched by all the kind messages of support from her friends, fans, the public and media. “We would like to thank everyone, especially the people of Liverpool. The tributes and condolences have really helped us through these difficult times,” the statement said. “The Spanish authorities have now told us we are able to bring Mum home, which we hope to do as quickly as possible. We would also like to thank all those involved for their assistance with this matter. We respectfully request for our continued privacy to grieve.” Cilla Black on Surprise, Surprise in 1989 (Rex) The funeral is expected to take place at St Mary the Virgin Church in Denham, Buckinghamshire, close to the star’s home. It is a church with strong emotional ties for the family: the funeral of Black’s husband, Bobby, was held there in 1999, and her eldest son married there in 2001.

Cilla Black on 'The Bruce Forsyth Show' in 1969 Black said she wished to be remembered as a singer, rather than a television presenter, and fans are ensuring her music career gets the recognition it deserves. Her best known hit, the Burt Bacharach and Hal David song Anyone Who Had A Heart, is heading back into the charts – her first top 40 entry in 41 years. Cilla Black's holiday home in Spain The Liverpool-born singer and TV presenter’s engaging personality and phenomenal capacity for hard work propelled her to become one of the country’s most successful and well-paid performers . She had flown to Spain last week with the eldest of her three sons and was staying at her whitewashed stone villa in Estepona, near Marbella, on the Costa del Sol. A social media picture believed to be the last one taken of Cilla Black, at Malaga airport in Spain with a hen party Tributes have poured in for Black, led by friends such as Sir Cliff Richard, Sir Paul McCartney and Christopher Biggins. She rose to fame in the 1960s as an associate of The Beatles and their manager Brian Epstein.

Cilla Black on Surprise, Surprise (Rex) Born Priscilla Maria Veronica White in Liverpool, she became the first woman to have her own prime-time chat show on BBC1. Her star continued to shine brightly and she had two number ones in 1964 - Anyone Who Had A Heart and You're My World. Cilla Black in the 1960s (Rex) In a touching tribute, Sir Cliff said he was due to visit her in Spain next week. "Her passing away is a particular shock because despite the aches and pains we all suffer, she was always so upbeat," he wrote in The Sun. Cilla Black with her late husband Bobby Willis in 1992 (Rex) Sir Paul paid tribute to her from Los Angeles, saying: "Such a shock to hear about Cilla's passing. She was a lovely girl who infected everyone with her great spirit. "From first meeting her as a cloakroom girl at the Cavern in Liverpool, to seeing her many times since, she always had a fun-loving dignity that made her a great pleasure to be around. "She had a fine, distinctive voice and was always a bit of a laugh.

It was a privilege to know and love her." Cilla Black 1943-2015 1943: Cilla Black was born Priscilla Maria Veronica White on May 27 1963: She was signed by Brian Epstein, best known for managing The Beatles, who is said to have been persuaded to audition her by John Lennon 1964: Her debut single, Love of the Loved, written for her by Lennon and Paul McCartney, was a relative failure. But her second single the Burt Bacharach-Hal David composition, Anyone Who Had A Heart became the biggest-selling single by a female artist in the history of British popular music. She went on to have 20 consecutive Top 40 hits on the British single and EP charts, including 11 British Top Ten singles and two consecutive Number One singles in 1964 1968: She made her television debut with Cilla, becoming the first woman to hold her own primetime chat show on BBC One.

Guests included Sir Tom Jones and Sir Cliff Richard 1969: She wed her manager Bobby Willis and they were married until he died in 1999 from lung cancer, aged just 57. The couple had three sons, Robert, Ben and Jack, and two grandchildren. They also had a daughter, Ellen, who died shortly after her premature birth in 1975 1984: She later hosted hugely popular shows including Blind Date and Surprise Surprise, regularly drawing audiences of around 22 million 1997: Cilla was awarded an OBE in 1997. In 2005, her autobiography What's It All About? became a best-seller. She has been the recipient of many TV honours and awards 2014: In May, she won The Special Award at the Baftas in recognition of an outstanding contribution to television entertainment of over 50 years 2015: She died on August 2, 2015, at her home near Marbella, Spain.

She was 72 Cilla Black, singer and TV star, dies in Spain aged 72 - BBC News BBC News Cilla Black, singer and TV star, dies in Spain aged 72 2 August 2015 Close share panel Media captionDavid Sillito looks back at Cilla Black's life and achievements Singer and TV star Cilla Black, who enjoyed a 50-year showbusiness career, has died aged 72, her agent has said. The 1960s singing star became a popular TV celebrity on such shows as Blind Date and Surprise Surprise. Spanish police said a woman named Priscilla White - Black's real name - had died in Estepona on the Costa del Sol, where the star had a home. The death appeared to be due to natural causes, but this had not yet been confirmed by tests, police said. "It is with deep sorrow that I confirm... the passing of singer and TV personality Cilla Black," said her agent, Nick Fiveash. "Details of her death will be announced following the coroner's report.

Her family have asked for their privacy to be respected at this time." Prime Minister David Cameron has paid tribute to the entertainer, remembering her as "a huge talent who made a significant contribution to public life". Image copyright PA Image caption Black, pictured with son Robert last year, had a home on the Costa de Sol Tributes have also been paid by her friends from the world of entertainment. "I am so sad and shocked by news about my good friend Cilla," tweeted Dame Joan Collins. "She was a resplendent and rare talent." "Such a shock to hear about Cilla's passing," said Sir Paul McCartney. "She was a lovely girl who infected everyone with her great spirit. "From first meeting her as a cloak room girl at the Cavern in Liverpool, to seeing her many times since, she always had a fun-loving dignity that made her a great pleasure to be around." Media captionCelebrities pay tribute to the singer and entertainer Cilla Black Sir Bruce Forsyth said Black would be "sadly missed", while presenter Christopher Biggins described her as a "national treasure".

Broadcaster Noel Edmonds told BBC Radio 5 live she "captured the hearts of the British people" because "she was our Cilla - there were no airs and graces". Songwriter Burt Bacharach, who worked with Black, said: "It will always be a most special memory for me of recording her on Alfie in Abbey Road Studios in 1965." Other tributes have come from comedian Jimmy Tarbuck, who said she had "warmth in bundles", and Ringo Starr, who remembered her as " a good friend ". Des O'Connor called her "a very special lady", while broadcaster Gloria Hunniford - who saw Black two weeks ago at a friend's barbeque - called her "a true icon". Dale Winton said Black had been "a dear and close friend" and "the most loyal person", as well as a "true 'star' and genuine national icon". Analysis Image caption Cilla Black with the OBE she received in 1997 Lizo Mzimba, BBC entertainment correspondent The phrase "national treasure" is often overused. But Cilla Black was one of the small group of entertainers who genuinely deserved it.

Long before she became a presenter she had an extraordinarily successful music career, with a string of top 10 hits. She then did what few have managed and became equally successful in another arena, as a TV star. Her easy going, natural manner endeared her to people, whom she famously addressed as "chuck". And that unaffected charm was the reason millions of viewers welcomed her into their homes in shows like Surprise Surprise and Blind Date. But it wasn't just audiences who loved her. She also had the admiration and respect of fellow entertainers, some of whom had known her in Liverpool when she was still the teenaged Priscilla White. Despite her success over the decades, she remained in many ways the same person to them - hard-working and passionate about performing. That's what made her such a remarkable star. Born Priscilla White in Liverpool, Black changed her name to launch a singing career with hits such as Anyone Who Had a Heart and You're My World. Her career focus shifted to television in 1968, when she was given her own BBC One primetime series, and she went on to host a number of shows for ITV.

Black's journey to stardom began at Liverpool's famous Cavern Club, where she started work as a part-time cloakroom attendant. Media captionCilla Black performing Anyone Who Had a Heart in 1969 It was there she met her husband-to-be Bobby Willis and went on to perform alongside such acts as The Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers. She was soon brought to the attention of manager Brian Epstein and released her first single, Love of the Loved, in September 1963. The following year she released the ballads You're My World and Anyone Who Had a Heart, both of which went to number one. Cilla's hits in music and on television UK Top 10 Singles She and Willis wed in 1969 and remained married until his death in 1999 at the age of 57. The couple had three sons, one of whom, Robert, succeeded his father as her manager. Last year Black received honours from Bafta and the Royal Television Society in recognition of her lengthy career. A recent ITV drama series about her early years saw her played by the actress Sheridan Smith.

Holly Willoughby, who took over Black's role as Surprise Surprise host, called her "one incredible lady", while the actor Russell Crowe expressed " thanks for everything ". Gordon Burns, with whom Black worked on Surprise Surprise, told the BBC she was a "larger-than-life figure" and "a lorra lorra laughs" - a reference to one of her famous catchphrases. Lord Grade, former executive chairman of ITV, said Black was a "natural performer of the highest quality" and "one of the all-time greats in showbiz". The Cavern Club in Liverpool paid its own tribute with a sign announcing the death of its "famous cloak room girl". Image copyright Paul Murphy/Twitter Image caption Sign outside the Cavern Club in Liverpool Black was photographed by a fan at Gatwick Airport on Friday, shortly before she flew to Spain. Amy Kelly said: "She looked so glamorous but frail. Everyone was talking about her but no one was asking for pictures. "I said all of my family loved her and took a picture with her. She gave me a massive smile.

She was so lovely." Image copyright Amy Kelly Image caption Amy Kelly took this picture of herself with Cilla Black on Friday Speaking to the BBC last year , Black described herself as "a lady of leisure" who was "living disgracefully" in semi-retirement. "I'm going to enjoy myself," she told entertainment reporter Natalie Jamieson. "If it be in television then so be it, but I've had my time." Cilla Black never got over the death of her beloved husband Bobby - now they can hold hands again - Mirror Online Celebs Cilla Black never got over the death of her beloved husband Bobby - now they can hold hands again It will provide some comfort to those mourning Cilla that she and Bobby will, somewhere, be holding hands again Share Heartbreak: Cilla Black never got over the death of husband Bobby Willis from cancer in 1997 Share Get celebs updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email As a young pop princess too nervous to sing he would hold her hand, and famously remained by her side for the rest of their married life.

And today, if there is one comfort to those mourning the death of Cilla , it is the belief she and her beloved Bobby, will, somewhere, finally be holding hands again. A 60s’ singing sensation and a TV entertainment legend she may have been, but most recently it was the flame-haired scouser’s love story with fellow Liverpudlian Robert Willis, which had cemented her place in our hearts. Captured to critical acclaim by Sheridan Smith in an ITV drama last year, we saw behind the gobby, glitzy showbiz professional and her ‘lorra, lorra laughs’ and learnt the inspiring personal story behind her road from obscurity in hard-knocks Liverpool to five decades of fame. It re-established for a new generation her true talent as a singer with a powerhouse voice - showing she was much more than just the larger-than-life TV host from Blind Date and Surprise Surprise in the 1980s and 1990s.

Happy family: Cilla Black with her husband, Bobby, and their three sons (Photo: Mirrorpix) But most poignantly, we saw in heartwarming detail the debt she owed to her devoted husband Bobby, and understood the crushing blow she suffered when, after 30 years of marriage, he died in 1999 from lung cancer aged 57. Yooung love: Cilla Black and her husband and personal manager Bobby Willis (Photo: PA) It was a blow she struggled until the end to overcome, and despite her iconic and always ‘fabulous’ smile, never truly did. They had never spent more than four nights apart. She never re-married – her heart was Bobby’s until the end. Always close: Cilla Black and her husband Bobby Willis (Photo: PA) “No matter how many people told me ‘You were fantastic’ I’d always ask Bobby ‘How was it?’ and he’d tell me exactly as it was,” she told the Mirror last year, remembering Bobby, her manager and soulmate, with tears in her eyes. “Bobby was offered his own recording career but he wanted to support me.

"There’s a scene where I make him come on the stage with me and hold my hand because I’m too nervous,” she described of Smith’s portrayal. “It was exactly right, like a snapshot from my past.” She had earlier gut-wrenchingly explained: “I was only 56 (when he died), and without Bobby I felt so alone. "Before I used to be terrified of flying, but his death cured me. For a while afterwards, I couldn’t wait to get on a plane. I thought, ‘If the plane crashes, great.’ I wanted something to take me now.” Their eldest son Robert, who became Cilla’s manager when Bobby passed away, once said: “In a time where men didn’t really do that, my father was never afraid to walk a couple of steps behind carrying my mother’s handbag. Cilla Black: She never stopped mourning her beloved husband, Bobby (Photo: Photoshot) “Their relationship was unique.

She could be broadcasting to millions, but she’d look just off camera and there he’d be, making sure everything ran smoothly.” After Bobby’s death, Cilla bravely struggled to overcome the crippling bereavement to live a colourful, independent life, jet setting with famous friends including Cliff Richard, Dale Winton, Christopher Biggins and Paul O’Grady . But she admitted an unfillable void was always there. Despite ongoing public appearances – including a typically gutsy performance as the aging stripper from the musical Gypsy in 2001 at the Royal Variety Performance, showcasing her still-enviable pins in a basque, the 72-year-old was insistent she did not want to live to an old age. Video Loading Share this video Watch Next Life without Bobby was never truly the same, and she did not want to battle illness and infirmity, having recently admitted to hearing difficulties. She said 75 would be her preferred cut off . She was just three years off. “Secretly I don’t want to linger,” she told the Mirror last year. The very suggestion that Cilla would ever linger, fading quietly into obscurity, is now unthinkable.

Her’s was a fame that seemed irrespressible from that first time we saw her - the feisty teenager whose friendship with the Beatles and belting voice made the buck-toothed redhead an unlikely pop star. Close pals: John Lennon and Ringo Starr (back row centre) stand with Rolling Stone Brian Jones (far left), folk singer Donovan (second left), Cilla Black (second right) and Paul McCartney (right) (Photo: Mirrorpix) Priscilla Maria Veronica White – whose stage name was coined when music magazine Mersey Beat called her Cilla “Black” by accident - grew up on Scotland Road, Liverpool, with docker dad John, market trader mum Priscilla, and three brothers. She once recalled the neighbourhood was so tough boyfriends would not walk her home to their flat over a barber’s shop. She described how her mother, ‘wept for want of a front door of her own’ , and once laughed of herself as a kid: “I used to pinch babies. Everyone knew it was Cilla, dreaming of motherhood, who had trotted off with prams left outside for an instant.” She later became the first woman in her family to take an office job.

But Cilla had always been a singer at heart. Young star: Cilla Black performing in the 1960s (Photo: Getty) At the age of four she made her first performance, tellingly singing “This is what I want to do” on the kitchen table for neighbours. Later, she would sneak out from her job as a 25p-an-hour typist to get up on stage. Liverpool based promoter Sam Leach gave her her first break at The Casanova Club where she appeared as ‘Swinging Cilla’. But determined Cilla took a part-time job at the famous Cavern Club too, where she could also take turns on stage. Soon she was performing with rising stars The Beatles who nicknamed her ‘Swinging Cyril’. Ringo Starr was a family friend, and he and John Lennon introduced her to the band’s manager Brian Epstein. Cilla Black: The star shows off her fabulous smile (Photo: Getty) When she finally auditioned for the legendary manager, The Beatles were her backing band – which initially spelt unexpected disaster. The boys played the songs in their key and she once admitted: “My voice sounded awful.

I was destroyed and wanting to die.” It was later, seeing her perform again, Epstein made Cilla his only female client and introduced her to producer George Martin, who went on to record a decade of hits with her at the famous Abbey Road Studios. Typically self-deprecating, Cilla once said: “I only expected to last three years as a pop singer... “I don’t know why he liked me so much, but I was definitely the darling of Brian’s bunch. He saw me as the new Judy Garland. I was never going to be like that.” Meanwhile, she’d already met Bobby, a handsome young baker with Woolworth’s. Cilla Black: She was signed by The Beatles manager Pursuing his girl, he offered to be her manager, and would drive her from club to club in his work van. Cheeky and a gifted singer himself, blond Bobby initially made out he was a record producer. He had the talent to pull off the white lie, and even sang backing vocals on Cilla’s chart hits and wrote the B-side to her first single. Yet when Epstein offered him a contract, Cilla told him he couldn’t do that and support her. “I made him say no.

There was only room for one ego in our relationship,” she later admitted. Cilla was serious about needing support - and it was Bobby that kept her on the straight and narrow, whisking her away the one time she was offered her a spliff. “He said, ‘Come on, girl, get your coat. We’re going!’,” she remembered. “We weren’t exactly what you’d call rock ’n’ roll, were we?” By the time the lovebirds married on January 25, 1969, Cilla was a household name. Celeb pals: Cilla Black with Dale Winton and Barbara Windsor Her first single, 1963’s Love Of The Loved, written by Lennon and McCartney, wasn’t a high charter. But the two follow-ups, Anyone Who Had A Heart and You’re My World both hit number one the following year and went on to sell more than a million copies worldwide. By late 1968 she had scored 14 chart entries in the UK, including the famous Alfie. Eight singles had hit the Top Ten and two had gone to number one. But Cilla was always more than a voice. It was her charisma that made her, and Epstein recognised that.

Before his tragic suicide in 1967 he had arranged for her to host her own BBC variety show – a first for a woman. It ran for a decade, drawing in audiences of 22 million, and marking a new birth for the lass from Liverpool. But when it ended its landmark run, her career dipped - until an appearance on Wogan in 1983. Cilla Black: In the second phase of her career (Photo: Rex) The appearance acted as a springboard to the second phase of her career, which saw her host Blind Date for 18 years and Surprise Surprise for 17. She became the unprecedented, unchallenged Queen of Light Entertainment - and the highest paid woman on TV , earning a pay cheque of £3m a year from ITV by 1995. Her first hit Surprise, Surprise, launched in 1984, with her also singing the theme tune. Each week she’d reduce millions of viewers to tears as she reunited long-lost relatives, helped sick children and transformed people’s lives. Screams of “surprise, surprise” became a daily fixture in the school playgrounds.

But it was her other hit, Blind Date, launched in 1985 that really made her queen of the catchphrase. Cilla Black: Presenting Blind Date (Photo: REX) For two decades, generations grew up with the oh-so-familiar “lorra lorra” laughs coming from the TV screen in the corner of their living room. Each week she’d chirp: “Here’s our Graham with that quick reminder’. And of course, “buying a hat” became synonymous with wedding bells. The nation loved her for it. At the height of its popularity over 18 million would tune in for compulsive Saturday night viewing until the show ended in 2003. Meanwhile, off stage, the catchphrase queen was raising a family with her devoted Bobby. The pair had three sons, Robert, Ben and Jack, but also suffered the tragedy of losing a daughter, Ellen, who was born at 27 weeks in 1975 and died at two hours old. Later, she heartbreakingly recalled: “All I can really remember is I could hear in the next room two women talking about their babies and I had none.

It was awful, awful.” TV Queen: Cilla Black presenting Blind Date Robert went on to give her grandchildren Max and Alana. But after Bobby’s death, family was all she needed - another romance was never to follow. “At first, I still hoped for romance too, but only to fill the void Bobby had left... and no one is going to do that,” she said. She was once linked to millionaire businessman Sir John Madejski, but she insisted he was a friend and said: “He helped me through an awful lot in the early stages because I was still grieving over Bobby and very needy... It would be very, very hard to match the wonderful marriage Bobby and I had.” Even when OBE Cilla was honoured with a special BAFTA award in 2014 for her services to television – she was still presenting up until 2009 - she accepted with a heavy heart. Although it was 15 years since Bobby had died, she admitted the honour was ‘bitter sweet’ because he could not share it. Now, hopefully, they can finally raise a toast of her favourite tipple Moet together.

Video Loading Cilla Black - IMDb IMDb Cilla Black was born on May 27, 1943 in Liverpool, England as Priscilla Maria Veronica White. She was married to Bobby Willis . She died on August 1, 2015 in Estepona, Spain. See full bio » Born: a list of 35 people created 24 Jan 2013 a list of 44 people created 29 Dec 2013 a list of 393 people created 26 Aug 2014 a list of 117 people created 12 Jan 2015 a list of 48 people created 21 Dec 2015 Do you have a demo reel? Add it to your IMDbPage How much of Cilla Black's work have you seen?

User Polls 2016 World Cup 1966: Alfie's Boys (TV Movie documentary) (performer: "Alfie" - uncredited) 2013 The One and Only Cilla Black (TV Movie documentary) (performer: "Liverpool Lullaby (Oh you are a mucky kid)") 2013 Rude Tube (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - Rude'lympics (2013) ... (performer: "Surprise, Surprise" - uncredited) 2009 ...Sings The Beatles (TV Movie documentary) (performer: "If I Fell" - as Cilla) 2009 20 to 1 (TV Series documentary) (performer - 1 episode) - Scene-Stealing Songs (2009) ...

(performer: "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'") 2000 The Wedding Tackle (performer: "Something Tells Me (Something's Gonna Happen Tonight)") 1986 First Among Equals (TV Mini-Series) (performer - 1 episode) - Episode #1.1 (1986) ... (performer: "Anyone Who Had A Heart" - uncredited) - Episode dated 6 June 1968 (1968) ... (performer: "Where is Tomorrow? (Non C'E Domani)") 1968-1976 Cilla (TV Series) (performer - 18 episodes) - Episode #8.8 (1976) ... (performer: "Sing a Rainbow") - Episode #8.6 (1976) ... (performer: "Conversations") - Episode #8.3 (1976) ... (performer: "Something Tells Me") - Episode #8.2 (1976) ... (performer: "Imagine") - Episode #8.1 (1976) ...

(performer: "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover", "If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind") 1974 The Liver Birds (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - Friends at First Sight (1974) ... (performer: "I Don't Know How to Love Him" - uncredited) 1971 Please Sir! (performer: "La La La Lu (I Love You)") 1969 Pop Go the Sixties! (TV Movie) (performer: "Anyone Who Had A Heart") 1968 Work Is a 4-Letter Word (performer: "Work Is a Four-Letter Word") 1966 Alfie (performer: "Alfie") 1966 Not Only... But Also (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - Episode #2.1 (1966) ... (performer: "If I Fell") 1965 The Ed Sullivan Show (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - Episode #19.1 (1965) ...

(performer: "September in the Rain", "Goin' Out of My Head" (uncredited)) 1965 Shindig! (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - Episode #1.32 (1965) ... (performer: "I've Been Wrong Before") Pop, Merseybeat, Soul, Adult Contemporary About Official facebook page for British singer & TV icon Cilla Black OBE. For more information visit: Biography Born Priscilla Maria Veronica White on the 27th May 1943, Cilla Black grew up in a musically oriented household in one of the toughest parts of Liverpool. Livin...g with her parents and three brothers, she was often encouraged to practise her innate singing talent by performing to her family. “It’s no wonder that I knew I wanted to be a professional singer from a very early age, because I was surrounded by music in our house.

My father played the mouth organ, my mother and aunts used to sing, and it wasn’t unusual for families to get together and make their own music in the fifties.” - Cilla During her late teens, the sheer drive Cilla had to become famous made her adamant that she would never be labelled as just another girl “suitable for office work” as an early school report had suggested. Understandably, she wanted more from life and could regularly be found escaping to the trendy clubs of the day like The Iron Door and The Cavern, the latter of which was where she worked as a coat-check girl. She also served coffee at The Zodiac, another clubbers’ haven, where, incidentally, she met her husband-to-be, Bobby Willis. Perfectly placed amongst the up-and-coming stars of the day, she wowed them with her singing and confidently convinced the powers that be to let her share the spotlight on stage. Thanks to a lot of support from her friends, she quickly became a mini-celebrity in her neighbourhood, performing alongside so many legendary acts that were fundamental in establishing the "Mersey Sound", such as The Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Fourmost and Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.

Due to a twist of fate, Priscilla White (known around the Liverpool music scene as "Swinging Cilla") almost overnight received a new stage name, when the music paper the 'Mersey Beat’ misprinted her surname as Cilla Black, a name that she favoured and happily kept. It wasn’t long before Cilla came to the attention of Brian Epstein, a local talent scout and manager of The Beatles. Epstein was introduced to her by none other than John Lennon, who persuaded him to arrange an audition at The Majestic Ballroom in Birkenhead. Unfortunately, the audition was unsuccessful due to a combination of nerves and singing to The Beatles’ accompaniment, who played in their own key. All was not lost as, to her surprise, she was later spotted by Epstein while singing "Bye, Bye Blackbird" in the jazzy surroundings of the Blue Angel club. This performance finally convinced him to sign her, so on the 6th September 1963, she became his only female vocalist! There was an immediate bond between Cilla and Epstein.

From the moment he met his starlet, he wanted to nurture the 'Judy Garland' qualities he believed she possessed, having high aspirations of creating a British icon who, in his prophetic words, would become “...one of the biggest stars in this country for thirty or forty years”. His faith, combined with Cilla's talent, effortlessly convinced George Martin, the renowned producer of Matt Monro, Shirley Bassey and The Beatles, that she was worthy of signing to Parlophone Records (a subsidiary label of the EMI Group). Shortly afterwards, Cilla Black made her debut on the British singles charts with one of the first of many songs given to her by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. "Love of the Loved", a song Cilla had often heard The Beatles perform at The Cavern. The recording made a modest impression on the British charts when it was released on the 27th September 1963. This was soon to be overshadowed by her next release, which Brian Epstein discovered on a trip to the USA.

"Anyone Who Had A Heart", a song by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, had already proved to be a massive hit for Dionne Warwick which Cilla, then a keen follower of the US Top 100, had already admired prior to it being suggested by Epstein. Her knockout rendition, recorded in January 1964, went on to become not only her first #1 but is still, to this day, the biggest selling single of all time by a British female recording artist. George Martin acquired the perfect follow-up, an Italian ballad, "Il Mio Mondo", with an English lyric, became "You’re My World". This epic "torch" song went on to become Cilla's second #1, paving the way for an influx of other Italian songs such as Dusty Springfield’s "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me". Furthermore, it broke Cilla into the tough US market as well as gaining her massive support across Europe and Australasia, culminating in hundreds of sell-out concert dates throughout her time at EMI (1963-1978).

“When I reached #1 in the charts with "You’re My World", it made me the second British girl to ever have two successive #1 hits. I heard the good news just days before my 21st birthday. Two #1 hits in a row!” - Cilla During the sixties, Cilla sustained her place at the forefront of the Brit-Pop music scene, with one of the most impressive starts for a British female recording artist, including 17 consecutive Top 40 triumphs on the singles charts. To put this unprecedented success into perspective, it happened during a decade when achieving a Top 20 single meant that you had to sell in excess of 100,000 copies a day in the UK alone! In August 1967, only days before his premature death, Brian Epstein had engineered Cilla’s switch to television with her own eponymous variety show for BBC TV. The immediate success of the 'Cilla' series marked the beginning of a new phase of Cilla's professional life as she was now one of Britain's top rated television entertainers. Her show regularly commanded staggering audience figures of between 18 and 22 million until it ended in 1976.

Apart from providing Cilla with the opportunity to perform her music, it also showcased her infectious personality, her ability to host a live show, the ease with which she performed with guest stars, acted in comedy sketches and her forte - her interaction with the general public. Cilla's immense popularity continued throughout the seventies into subsequent decades through an array of successful concert tours, situation comedy series, pantomime performances, summer season shows, West End productions and prime-time entertainment shows - ‘Surprise!, Surprise!’ (1983-1997; 14 Series/137 shows) and ‘Blind Date’ (1985-2003; 18 Series/380 shows). The latter show earned Cilla an award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. In 1997, Cilla was honoured with an OBE (Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II for her achievements in the entertainment industry. In 1999, after 30 years of marriage, Cilla’s beloved husband and manager Bobby Willis sadly passed away at the age of 57.

Bobby was not only acknowledged and respected for his skilful management of Cilla's career, he was a songwriter, executive TV producer and executive producer of many stage productions. In May 2010, new research published by BBC Radio 2 revealed that Cilla's version of "Anyone Who Had a Heart" was the UK's biggest selling single by a female artist in the 1960s. In September 2013, Cilla Black OBE celebrated her 50th year in the entertainment business. The milestone anniversary was marked by a TV special 'The One and Only Cilla Black' as well as the release of ‘Back to Black' (Photo Memoir) and a new greatest hits album 'The Very Best Of Cilla Black' which notably contained a bonus DVD of Cilla's previously unreleased 1960s TV special 'Cilla at the Savoy'. In spring 2014, ITV filmed a new television series about the early career of Cilla Black which was written by Jeff Pope. It was broadcast in three parts and began on 15 September 2014 starring Sheridan Smith who played the starring role.

The series received critical and commercial success (each episode was watched by over 8 million viewers). On 1 August 2015, Cilla died at her holiday home near Estepona, Spain aged 72. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Paul O’Grady, Bruce Forsyth and Prime Minister David Cameron were among friends, colleagues in the entertainment industry and politicians who expressed their sorrow at Cilla’s death. “Cilla Black was a huge talent who made a significant contribution to public life in Britain…” – Prime Minister David Cameron The funeral of popular recording artiste and TV star Cilla Black O.B.E was on Thursday, 20th August 2015 at St Mary’s Church, Woolton in Cilla’s home city of Liverpool. Cilla’s body was then laid to rest, at a private ceremony, in Allerton Cemetery alongside her parents. Her beloved husband, Bobby Willis, was cremated in 1999 and his remains were scattered at her various homes here in the UK and abroad. UPDATED 1 SEPTEMBER 2015. For more information on Cilla Black's life and career refer to her Top 5 best-selling autobiography 'What's It All About?'.

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Question: What was the name of the husband and manager of TV star Cilla Black who died in 1999, ending over 30 years of marriage ?
Answer: BOBBY WILLIS