Who Is Cilla Black? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Cilla Black, born on May 27, 1943, in Liverpool, England, was an iconic figure in the entertainment industry until her death on August 1, 2015. She gained fame not only as a talented singer but also as a beloved television presenter, known for her warmth and charisma. Her journey began in the early 1960s, quickly climbing to superstardom with hits like "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "You're My World."
| Occupation | Autobiographer |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | May 27, 1943 |
| Age | 72 Years |
| Birth Place | Vauxhall, Liverpool, England |
| Horoscope | Gemini |
| Country | England |
| Date of death | 1 August, 2015 |
| Died Place | Estepona, Spain |
Popularity
Cilla Black's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Although Cilla Black has passed, her legacy is remembered fondly by fans. She was known for her striking presence. At approximately 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) tall, her weight fluctuated throughout her life but was generally around 154 lbs (70 kg). Her body measurements, while not frequently documented, reflected a typical hourglass figure, which she carried with confidence throughout her career.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Cilla was married to her longtime partner, Bobby Willis, in 1969 until his death in 1999. They had three children together: Robert, Ellen, and Jack. After Bobby's passing, Cilla dated various notable figures but never remarried. By 2025, the focus remains on her legacy as a devoted mother and her influence on British culture.
She grew up in the Scotland Road area of Vauxhall. She was raised in a Roman Catholic household and attended St Anthony's School in Scotland Road. She later attended Anfield Commercial College, where she learned office skills.
Determined to become an entertainer, Black gained a part-time job as a cloakroom attendant at Liverpool's Cavern Club, best known for its connection with the Beatles. Her impromptu performances impressed the Beatles and others.
She was encouraged to begin singing by a Liverpool promoter, Sam Leach, who booked her first gig at the Zodiac Club on Duke Street, where she appeared as Swinging Cilla, backed by the Big Three. She later also became a guest singer with the Merseybeat bands Rory Storm and the Hurricanes and Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes.
Meanwhile, she worked as a waitress at the Zodiac coffee lounge, where she met her future husband Bobby Willis. She was featured in an article in the first edition of the local music newspaper Mersey Beat by the paper's publisher, Bill Harry, who mistakenly referred to her as "Cilla Black" rather than her real name.
She subsequently decided to keep the name.
Net Worth and Salary
At the height of her career, Cilla Black amassed considerable wealth, primarily through her music and television endeavors. Estimates of her net worth at the time of her passing were around £15 million, thanks to her successful singing career, popular television shows, and lucrative deals. While specific figures in 2025 are not available, her estate continues to generate income through ongoing royalties and licensing agreements.
In October 2013, Parlophone (the record label which launched her career in 1963) released the career-spanning CD The Very Best of Cilla Black—containing all 19 of her UK Top 40 singles, new club remixes plus a bonus DVD of her 1966 TV music special Cilla at the Savoy.
Career, Business, and Investments
Cilla Black's career spanned over five decades, during which she released numerous chart-topping singles and hosted successful TV programs like "Blind Date" and "The Moment of Truth." Beyond her singing and television work, Cilla ventured into business, launching her own line of perfumes and memoirs that captured her life story. Her investments in entertainment and a sturdy financial portfolio have had lasting effects even years after her legacy.
Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her singles "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "You're My World" both reached number one in the UK in 1964. She had 11 top 10 hits on the UK Singles Chart between then and 1971 and an additional eight hits that made the top 40.
In May 2010, new research published by BBC Radio 2 showed that her version of "Anyone Who Had a Heart" was the UK's biggest-selling single by a female artist in the 1960s. "You're My World" reached No. 14 in Canada and was also a modest hit in the U.S., peaking at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Social Network
Though Cilla Black is no longer alive to maintain a personal social media presence, she remains a topic of discussion on various platforms. Posts about her music and television highlights continue to circulate on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, where fans celebrate her contributions to entertainment and share memorable moments from her shows.
In 1966 Black recorded the Bacharach-David song "Alfie", written as the signature song to the 1966 feature film of the same name. While Cher sang "Alfie" on the closing credits of the American release of the film and Black on the UK version, Black was the only artist to have a hit with the song in the UK (No. 9).
The next year, "Alfie" would become a success for Dionne Warwick in the US. Black's version of "Alfie" was arranged and conducted by Bacharach himself at the recording session at Abbey Road. Bacharach insisted on 31 separate takes, and Black cited the session as one of the most demanding of her recording career. For Bacharach's part, he said "...
there weren't too many white singers around, who could convey the emotion that I felt in many of the songs I wrote but that changed with people like Cilla Black".
Education
Cilla started her education at St. Mary's Primary School and later attended secondary school, where she honed her talent for singing and performing. Though she did not pursue formal higher education, her experiences in the working-class community of Liverpool shaped her character and greatly influenced her future in the music and television industries.
