Cilla Black will be honoured in a Radio 2 Christmas Day special hosted by long time pal Sir Cliff Richard it’s been announced.
The legendary entertainer died following a stroke at her home in Marbella in 2015 aged 72, and the show will coincide with the 60th anniversary of the start of her career.
The special will feature previously unheard songs and interviews with Cilla as it chart her rise to pop superstardom in the 1960s before going on to host TV shows Blind Date and Surprise Surprise.
Cliff told The Mirror: ‘Too many people that we love pass on, but people like Cilla leave behind something that will remain in our memories forever’.
‘For me, it was a joy and a pleasure and an honour to have known Cilla personally and be in close touch with her constantly. So Cilla, rest in peace, and remember we are going to be screaming about you forever.’
Icon: Cilla Black will be honoured in a Radio 2 Christmas Day special hosted by long time pal Sir Cliff Richard it’s been announced (pictured in 2014)
Pals: The legendary entertainer died following a stroke at her home in Marbella in 2015 aged 72, and the show will coincide with the 60th anniversary of the beginning of her career (pictured with Cliff Richard in 2001)
Cilla Black was a pop star of the Beatles era who became one of the most highly paid and successful light entertainment performers in the history of British television.
She was born Priscilla Maria Veronica White on May 27, 1943 and was encouraged to sing by her family. In the early 1960s she got a part-time job as a cloakroom attendant at the famous Cavern Club in Liverpool where the Beatles regularly played.
She quickly impressed the Beatles and others with her talent, when she gave impromptu performances at the Cavern. At this time, she also worked as a waitress in the Zodiac coffee lounge, where she met her future husband and manager Bobby Willis.
Cilla was introduced to Brian Epstein by John Lennon who persuaded him to audition her. In September, 1963, Epstein signed her up as his only female client.
Her debut single, Love of the Loved, written for her by Lennon and McCartney, was a relative failure. But her second single the Burt Bacharach-Hal David composition, Anyone Who Had A Heart shot to Number One and became the biggest-selling single by a female artist in the history of British popular music.
This launched her on an extraordinary pop career, with 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.
Her hits included You’re My World, Alfie, the theme song from the Michael Caine film of that name, and Step Inside Love.
Cilla’s pop career persisted until the end of the 1960s, by which time she was an internationally-acclaimed star, having notably successfully broken into the notoriously difficult United States market.
Talent: The special will feature previously unheard songs and interviews with Cilla as it chart her rise to pop superstardom in the 1960s before she went on to host TV shows Blind Date and Surprise Surprise (pictured in 1963)
Old friends: Cliff said : ‘Too many people that we love pass on, but people like Cilla leave behind something that will remain in our memories forever’ (pictured together 1968)
Star: Cilla Black was a pop star of the Beatles era who became one of the most highly paid and successful light entertainment performers in the history of British television (pictured in 1960)
She branched into acting with 1964’s Ferry Across the Mersey, which featured Gerry & The Pacemakers, also out of Epstein’s stable.
But by August 1967, only days before his premature death, Epstein had engineered Cilla’s switch to television. It was a shrewd move and, largely through her own sheer drive, she remained at the height of popularity until the end of the century and beyond.
Her own variety show for the BBC regularly commanded staggering audiences of 22 million. So while her pop career was declining she was developing into the most popular figure on television.
It was this resounding TV success which was eclipsing her musical career, although she always said she preferred to be remembered for her songs than for anything else.
Cupid: Her own variety show for the BBC regularly commanded staggering audiences of 22 million. So while her pop career was declining she was developing into the most popular figure on television (pictured hosting Blind Date in 1992)
Blind Date (1985-2003), Surprise! Surprise! (1984-1999) and Moment of Truth (1998-2001) never lost their popularity during their long and successful runs.
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.
Willis. her husband and manager, to whom she was married for over 30 years, died in the late 1990s.
She was survived by three sons, one of whom, Robert, succeeded his father as her manager.
