War baby Cilla Black was born Priscilla Maria Veronica White at Liverpool the same year as George Harrison. She knew all the Beatles personally, and as well as hanging out there, worked part-time at Liverpool's famous Cavern Club. A stunningly attractive, blue-eyed redhead, she was not a musician nor lyricist, but she did sing, and got her big break when the always-cynical John Lennon dropped her name to the Beatles manager Brian Epstein. She had actually already signed with another prospective manager but was too young at the time, and still needed her father's signature on the contract with Epstein who was working with producer George Martin.
Her first recorded single was "Love of the Loved," a Lennon/McCartney composition released on the Beatles Parlophone label and backed by "Shy of Love" which was written by her future and only husband Bobby Willis. The record broke the Top 40 but did no better than that, which was probably a disappointment, but her second single was a cover of the Bacharach/David composition "Anyone Who Had A Heart" which had been recorded by Dionne Warwick. At that time, this sort of "instant cover" was far from unusual; the same thing happened in 1968 with the John/Taupin song "Skyline Pigeon."
Black's version of "Anyone Who Had A Heart" reached #1 in the UK, and after that she never looked back, especially as it was followed immediately by a second #1, "You're My World." Although she never hit the top spot again, she released singles more or less continuously until 1978. Her theme song was "Step Inside Love," another Lennon/McCartney composition. As her recording dwindled she moved into other related areas including acting, but her mainstay was as a presenter.
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