'IT WAS A PRIVILEGE TO KNOW AND LOVE HER'- Paul McCartney

The news that Cilla Black had died in August at the age of seventy-two triggered an outpouring of love and a wave of sadness that spread around the world. Her infectious personality and her common touch made her one of Britain's best loved entertainers. Known to one generation for a string of number-one hits like Anyone Who Had a Heart and You're My World, and loved by another for hosting the classic ITV show Blind Date, Cilla came a long way from hanging coats in Liverpool's Cavern Club for five bob an hour.

In Cilla: 1943 2015, Douglas Thompson traces her rise to the top, her heart-warming marriage to Bobby Willis and the profound effect his death had on her. This affectionate biography is a fitting tribute to our Cilla, a huge talent who became a national treasure.

Douglas Thompson is the author of more than twenty books. A biographer, broadcaster and international journalist, he is a regular contributor to major newspapers and magazines worldwide. His books, published in a dozen languages, include the television-based anthology Hollywood People and a series of bestselling biographies. He divides his time between London and Los Angeles.