Cilla Black dies, aged 72
It has been confirmed that Cilla Black passed away in her Spanish home, aged 72, on Sunday, August 2nd. The former pop star and television presenter, who enjoyed a 50-year career in showbusiness, lived in Estepona near Marbella on the Costa del Sol. Black, who had arthritis and hearing problems, reportedly died overnight after flying to Spain with her son, Robert.
Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Sheridan Smith, who played Black in the three-part drama Cilla, were among friends, colleagues in the entertainment industry and politicians who expressed their sorrow at her death. McCartney, who is currently in Los Angeles, said: "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."
Starr tweeted: "I just heard the news Cilla Black has left us; she was a good friend we will all miss her; peace to Cilla, peace and love to the family."
Politically, she appeared on stage at a Conservative rally in 1992, but said in a Guardian interview twelve years later that while she "loved John Major" and she "adored Tony Blair and Cherie", she was apolitical. The British prime minister, David Cameron, said: "Cilla Black was a huge talent who made a significant contribution to public life in Britain. My thoughts are with her family."
Black, who also had a home in Denham, Buckinghamshire, grew up as Priscilla White, in a home without television in the predominantly Roman Catholic Scotland Road area of Liverpool. She worked at the Cavern Club, was friends with The Beatles and powered her way to the top of the charts with songs including "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "You're My World". Cilla, her eponymous variety show on the BBC, drew audiences of up to 22 million in the late 1960s and early 70s. On commercial television, from the mid-80s, she hosted Blind Date and Surprise, Surprise. Over the past decade, Black made TV appearances on Loose Women among other programmes. Less than two years ago, she co-presented a tribute to her on ITV called The One and Only Cilla Black.