RESEARCH INTO CILLA BLACK

Priscilla Maria Black OBE, most commonly known as by her stage name
Cilla Black, was an English singer, television presenter and actress. She
was also a massive house hold name and British icon for many. Cilla
was born in Liverpool, England on 27th May 1943 and died on 1st August
2015 after a fall on her balcony at her villa in Estepona, Spain. When
the news quickly broke out to the British public of Cillas sudden death,
it came as a huge shock to people all over the UK and devastation soon
set in at the news. Families all over Britain grew up having Cilla as their
household name and felt as though she was part of their growing up.
She began her career as a singer in 1963 with her single Anyone who
had a heart which went straight to number one. Cilla had 11 top ten
hits between 1963 and 1971. In May 2010 research showed that
Anyone who had a heard was the biggest selling by a female artist in
the 1960s. Along with a successful recording career in the 60s, she
also became a very prominent TV presenter in the 80s and 90s after a
brief time as a comedy actress. She Hosted hit TV shows such as Blind
Date and Suprise Suprise.
In 2013, Cilla celebrated her 50 years in show business. TV network ITV
honored this milestone with a one off special which aired on 16 th
October 2013 called The one & only Cilla Black. It of course featured
Cilla herself and was presented by Paul OGrady. After the sudden and
tragic death of Cilla in Spain her Compilation album the very best of
Cilla Black went straight to number one on the UK albms chart. This
was her first number one album.
In her early life Cilla was determined to become an entertainer, she
gained a part time job as a cloakroom attendant at Liverpools Cavern
club, best known for its connection with The Beatles. She did several
impromptu performances which impressed the beatles and others. She
was then encouraged to sing more by a Liverpool promoter, Sam
Leach, who booked her first gig at the Casanova Club where she
appeared as Swinging Cilla. Meanwhile, she worked as a waitress at a
coffee lounge where she later met her future husband Bobby Willis.