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| Cilla Black |
Born Priscilla Maria Veronica White in Stanley Hospital, Liverpool, on the 27th May 1943, she grew up above G H Murray Hairdresser at 380 Scotland Road in Liverpool next to the Midland Bank. She attended St. Anthony's School situated behind St. Anthony's Church on Scotland Road.
Whilst working as a dictaphone typist at the BICC she started getting up in clubs to sing with whichever group was on stage. It began at the Iron Door when her friend Pauline Beehan, then the girlfriend of George Harrison and later to become Gerry Marsden's wife, asked the performing 'Rory Storm and the Hurricanes' if Cilla could get up to join them and she sang 'Fever'. Ringo Starr, the drummer with Rory at that time, went on to become her close friend ( their mothers were friends ) and she appeared on stage with them several times as well as at the Zodiac club with 'Kingsize Taylor and The Dominoes' with whom she allegedly had romantic links in the early days. She was almost an unofficial fifth member of the group and they backed her on their debut at The Cavern in 1961. |
| Cilla with Ringo |
Cilla hung about the music venues as she had set her sights on becoming a
jazz singer and was often serving coffee to be near 'the action' in the
Zodiac club, where she met her husband-to-be Bobby Willis, as well as occasionally working in the cloakroom at The Cavern. There has been some confusion over her name change but Bill Harry has put the record straight. He had published an article in the first issue of his newspaper 'Mersey Beat' in 1961 but in a rush to complete it he had completely forgotten Cilla's surname apart from the fact it was related to a 'colour' so he plumped for Cilla Black. Cilla was pleased with the article and also liked the 'new' name and told him she was going to use it in future. A fact Cilla confirmed in her autobiography 'Step Inside'. Cilla often dropped into Bill Harry's Mersey Beat office suggesting that Bill become her manager, but he was too occupied with producing the newspaper. During one of her visits he took her to the nearby coffee bar, the Coffee Pot, where she described the career she had in mind. Peggy Lee was her idol and she wanted to become a jazz singer. She asked Bill if he could fix it for her to have a jazz trio backing her.
This situation lasted for some time, until one evening at the Blue Angel Club Bill noticed Brian Epstein huddled in conversation with Andrew Loog Oldham. Spotting Cilla at the bottom of the stairs with her mate Pat Davies, he took her over to Epstein, introduced her and asked him if he would listen to her sing. He then arranged for Cilla to join the group on stage and sing the number 'Boys'. Cilla was friends with a lot of the local groups, including 'The Masterminds', who backed her that night. Mal Jefferson had been rehearsing this number with Cilla and his band in her key, so little wonder it went down well. Bill brought her back over to Brian Epstein and left her to it. She later told him that Brian had arranged a meeting for her at his office the next day when she became the first female artist in his stable. Not only that, Andrew Loog Oldham signed up 'The Masterminds' and recorded them performing Bob Dylan’s ‘She Belongs To Me.’
This situation lasted for some time, until one evening at the Blue Angel Club Bill noticed Brian Epstein huddled in conversation with Andrew Loog Oldham. Spotting Cilla at the bottom of the stairs with her mate Pat Davies, he took her over to Epstein, introduced her and asked him if he would listen to her sing. He then arranged for Cilla to join the group on stage and sing the number 'Boys'. Cilla was friends with a lot of the local groups, including 'The Masterminds', who backed her that night. Mal Jefferson had been rehearsing this number with Cilla and his band in her key, so little wonder it went down well. Bill brought her back over to Brian Epstein and left her to it. She later told him that Brian had arranged a meeting for her at his office the next day when she became the first female artist in his stable. Not only that, Andrew Loog Oldham signed up 'The Masterminds' and recorded them performing Bob Dylan’s ‘She Belongs To Me.’
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| Cilla at The Cavern |
Brian used 'The Beatles' to promote her and she made her singing debut at the Odeon, Southport in a show with them on the 30th of August 1963 as well as appearing with them on the 'All Merseyside' edition of the ABC show 'Thank Your Lucky Stars' as well as their Christmas Show at the Finsbury Park Astoria in London on Christmas Eve of the same year.
Brian Epstein's attempts to launch her on the American market were unsuccessful however and her only success there was with 'You're My World' which only reached No.26 in the Billboard charts in 1964.
However it was a different matter in England. She was now working with George Martin and, despite his attempts to give the song to another one of his artists, Shirley Bassey, Brian's insistence that Cilla record the song he had picked for her 'Anyone Who Had A Heart' proved a master stroke as it went to the top of the British charts.
However it was a different matter in England. She was now working with George Martin and, despite his attempts to give the song to another one of his artists, Shirley Bassey, Brian's insistence that Cilla record the song he had picked for her 'Anyone Who Had A Heart' proved a master stroke as it went to the top of the British charts.
Although it became the biggest selling single in the history of 'pop' in England by a female artist even greater success was to follow 3 months later with the release of what was to become her 'signature tune' 'You're My World' which was the English version of an Italian written song.
Further hits followed with the Lennon-McCartney 'It's For You' and the Righteous Brothers hit 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling'.
It was in 1966, after she had further chart success with 'Alfie', that Cilla became disappointed that Brian Epstein wasn't giving her the same amount of attention so, together with her boyfriend Bobby Willis, met up with Brian to tell him she was leaving him. After an emotional meeting where Brian broke down and cried, telling her: “There are only five people I love in the world. And that’s the Beatles and you, Cilla. Please don’t leave me, my Cilla, please,” they agreed to stay with him. The next day Brian arranged for BBC TV to showcase her in her own series. This new direction was to turn Cilla into one of Britain’s most popular mainstream entertainers, establishing her career for the next few decades and reaping her awards such as Best Female Entertainer of the Year for several years to come. Sadly Brian had passed away before that TV career that he had set up had begun.
It was in 1966, after she had further chart success with 'Alfie', that Cilla became disappointed that Brian Epstein wasn't giving her the same amount of attention so, together with her boyfriend Bobby Willis, met up with Brian to tell him she was leaving him. After an emotional meeting where Brian broke down and cried, telling her: “There are only five people I love in the world. And that’s the Beatles and you, Cilla. Please don’t leave me, my Cilla, please,” they agreed to stay with him. The next day Brian arranged for BBC TV to showcase her in her own series. This new direction was to turn Cilla into one of Britain’s most popular mainstream entertainers, establishing her career for the next few decades and reaping her awards such as Best Female Entertainer of the Year for several years to come. Sadly Brian had passed away before that TV career that he had set up had begun.
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| Cilla Black statue in Mathew Street in front of the original Cavern Club entrance |
The first series of nine 50-minute shows, simply called 'Cilla', made its debut on BBC 1 on the 6th of February 1968 and the series was to feature many top names, including Tom Jones, Donovan, Tony Bennett and Harry Seacombe.
Paul McCartney penned a number called 'Step Inside Love' as the show's signature tune, which became a Top 10 hit for her. This was the third song Paul had penned which Cilla had recorded. For the next few years she continued to receive awards as Britain's top Female singer by publications such as New Musical Express and Disc, but by the mid-1970s she'd become firmly established as an all-round entertainer being awarded an OBE in 1997.
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