She made no secret of her desire not to linger into old age, and yet the death of one of Britain’s best-loved stars at the age of 72 has triggered a wave of sadness that spread across the world.
Cilla Black, one of the most recognisable women in showbusiness, died overnight on Saturday at her home in Spain.
The Liverpool-born singer and TV presenter’s engaging personality and phenomenal capacity for hard work propelled her to become one of the country’s most successful and well-paid performers.
She had flown to Spain last week with the eldest of her three sons and was staying at her whitewashed stone villa in Estepona, near Marbella, on the Costa del Sol.
Cilla Black's Spanish villa close to Marbella
Her publicist Nick Fiveash said: “It is with deep sorrow that I confirm today the passing of singer and TV personality Cilla Black.
“Details of her death will be announced following the coroner’s report. Her family have asked for their privacy to be respected at this time.”
A Spanish police officer added: “We are still awaiting autopsy results but everything at this stage is pointing towards her death being the result of natural causes.”
Sons Robert, 45, who was also her manager, Ben, 42, and Jack, 34, were too upset to comment.
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Rehearsals at Alpha studios, Birmingham, for ABC's 'Thank Your Lucky Stars' programme with Brian Matthew, Cilla Black (centre), The Beatles (back), Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Gerry and the Pacemakers and The Searchers (PA)
It is understood that the two younger men were told the news on Saturday night and immediately made arrangements to fly to Spain.
The £2.2m family home in Denham, Bucks, remained quiet as one mourner laid a solitary bunch of flowers outside the property.
The star spoke openly of her desire to die before illness could rob her of the ability to enjoy life.
In recent interviews, she admitted she was lonely and struggled with deafness and crippling arthritis.
Cilla relaxes at the Liverpool music venue the Cavern Club Picture: John Pratt
She also revealed that she found it “hard and sad” to watch her life unfold on television. “It’s no fun getting older,” she said.
“Seventy-five is a good age to go if things start to drop off. I don’t want to linger. I don’t want to be a burden on anybody. I know 75 is only four years away, but I take each day as I find it.”
Cilla in the 1960s Picture:Rex
News of her death stunned many throughout the entertainment industry and tributes poured in for a “wonderful artist” repeatedly described as a national treasure.
Sir Cliff Richard said he would miss his “outrageous” friend dearly. “Some people will always be with us and Cilla is one of those people,” he said.
“I will always think of her as outrageous, funny, incredibly gifted but above all, full of heart. She was a very special person, and I have lost a very wonderful friend. God bless her.”
Cilla in the 1960s Picture:Rex
Sheridan Smith, who played the singer in last year’s three-part ITV drama that charted her rise to stardom, said she was “absolutely devastated to hear the tragic news about Cilla”.
“She was the most remarkable woman, a true legend,” the actress said. “She was so kind and helpful to me, it was a privilege to play her.
“My condolences go out to her family and all who loved her. She will be truly missed.”
Sir Paul McCartney said she was a “lovely girl who infected everyone with her great spirit”.
Cilla Black on 'The Bruce Forsyth Show' in 1969
“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,” he added. “She had a fine distinctive voice and was always a bit of a laugh. It was a privilege to know and love her.”
Christopher Biggins, who co-starred in Surprise Surprise, said the news of her death was “devastating”.
“She was a wonderful friend,” he said. “She loved to laugh and loved to enjoy herself. She will always be with me.”
With her husband Bobby Willis taking their first son, 10-day old Robert John home in 1970 Picture: Rex
Lord Grade, the former executive chairman of ITV, said a once-nervous Cilla soon gained a natural confidence in front of the cameras and went on to become an “enduring family favourite”.
“A natural, natural performer of the highest quality,” he added. “One of the all-time greats in showbiz. She always felt like a friend in your living room when she was on TV. A magical lady.”
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.”
Cilla Black receives MBE at Buckingham Palace Picture: Rex
Others who expressed their shock on Twitter included Ringo Starr, Russell Crowe, Joan Collins, Bruce Forsyth, Holly Willoughby and Brian May.
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Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister, revealed the star had been one of her childhood idols while Harriet Harman, the acting Labour leader, said she was “an icon of her era”.
Born Priscilla Maria Veronica White in 1943, she was raised alongside her three brothers in a small, terraced house in Liverpool by their father Anthony, a docker, and their mother, Priscilla, who ran a market stall.
Queen Elizabeth II meeting Cilla Black in 2005 (PA)
She studied typing and shorthand at college but was determined to crack the entertainment industry from an early age, having been encouraged to sing in front of her family as a five-year-old.
“I wanted to be a film star,” she said in 1964. “Until I was really about 14, I truly believed I was going to be the Shirley Temple of the North!”
She took a job in the cloakroom at Liverpool’s famed Cavern Club and by night she served coffee at The Zodiac coffee lounge, where she met her husband-to be Bobby Willis.
I am so sad and shocked by news about my good friend Cilla. She was a resplendent and rare talent. RIP #cillablack http://t.co/wsK6RtIszI
— Joan Collins (@Joancollinsdbe)
August 2, 2015
She changed her name to launch her singing career and her impromptu performances alongside acts including The Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers at the Cavern gave her a taste for fame.
A sign on the door of the club stated: “The Cavern Club is sad to announce the passing of its famous cloakroom girl & performer Cilla Black”.
Cilla Black was the complete entertainer/host in an era when everyone watched TV. She was a trail blazer. RIP Cilla.
— Gabby Logan (@GabbyLogan)
August 2, 2015
She got her break in 1963, when John Lennon introduced her to Brian Epstein, The Beatles’ manager, who eventually signed her.
She went on to notch up 19 consecutive Top 40 hits, including 11 top 10 singles and two consecutive number ones.
She later turned her attention to television, establishing herself as one of the most in-demand presenters of her day, regularly commanding audiences of 22 million. In 1968, she became the first woman to have her own prime-time show on BBC One. The following year, she wed Willis, whom she described as her “soulmate” and they remained married until he died in 1999 from lung cancer, aged 57.
'The One and Only Cilla Black' 2013 Picture: Rex
The couple had three sons and two grandchildren. They also had a daughter, Ellen, who died shortly after her premature birth in 1975.
By the end of the 1970s, she had largely disappeared from public view but she returned in 1984, hosting hugely popular shows Blind Date and Surprise Surprise.
She awarded an OBE in 1997 and in 2005, her autobiography What’s It All About? became a bestseller.
While Cilla had taken a step back from public life in recent years, she did enjoy appearing on TV's 'Loose Women' Picture: Rex
She celebrated 50 years in showbusiness in 2013 and last year she was the recipient of the Bafta Special Award in recognition of an outstanding contribution to TV entertainment.
Willis’s funeral was held in the village of Denham, and it is thought his widow’s ceremony will also take place there.
Black scattered his ashes under a willow tree in the grounds of their Victorian home and had often described how she stood under the tree to talk to him.
Arqiva British Academy Television Awards Special Winner 2014 Picture: Rex
• Cilla Black through the years, in pictures
