Paul McCartney Says Cilla Black Had ‘Fun Loving Dignity’


Paul McCartney and Beatles drummer Ringo Star have issued statements following the death of beloved English recording artist Cilla Black, who passed away at her home in Spain from what appeared to be natural causes, according to her publicist. She was 72.

“Such a shock to hear about Cilla’s passing,” Paul McCartney tweeted. “She was a lovely girl who infected everyone with her great spirit. 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.”

Ringo Starr tweeted, “I just heard the news Cilla Black has left us she was a good friend we will all miss her peace to Cilla peace and love to the family.”

Black was also the host of two of Britain’s longest-running entertainment shows, and, according to Deadline, she became closely associated with The Beatles, who nurtured her talent, when she occasionally sang at the Cavern Club in the early 60s.

Cilla’s debut single was written specifically for her by McCartney. He wanted to write a song that would showcase her dynamic vocal range, but the track didn’t quite take off as Paul had hoped. The record, “Love Of The Loved,” – co-written by John Lennon, stalled at No. 35 on the music charts.

In his statement, Ex-Beatle Paul also said, “She had a fine distinctive voice and was always a bit of a laugh. It was a privilege to know and love her.”

Paul McCartney rehearses with Cilla Black in 1968
Paul McCartney rehearses with Cilla Black in 1968

In related news, Sir Paul McCartney also paid tribute to the late-great Jimi Hendrix during his performance Friday night at Lollapalooza in Chicago. McCartney rocked the crowd with Jimi’s classic hit “Foxy Lady” during his two-hour headlining set, which closed out the first night of the three-day music festival. Huff Post reports that Paul also dedicated songs to John Lennon, George Harrison and his wife, Nancy Shevell.

McCartney recently announced the deluxe reissues of his newly remixed solo albums, 1982’s Tug of War and 1983’s Pipes of Peace. The reissues are set for an October 2 release. Both albums feature previously unreleased and long-out-of-circulation tracks, plus never-before-seen videos.

Pipes of Peace features “Say Say Say,” McCartney’s hit collaboration with Michael Jackson. Tug of War features the hit single “Ebony and Ivory” (recorded with Stevie Wonder). The tracks “Take It Away” and “Here Today” were tributes to John Lennon, who was murdered during the recording of the album. A previous inquisitr article revealed that Paul resented how fans reacted to John’s death.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon wrote and co-wrote about 180 songs for The Beatles between 1962 and 1969. Check out the trailers below for Paul’s extended reissues, both albums feature Ringo Starr on drums on many of the tracks.

[Image via Theo Wargo/Getty Images/Zimbio North America]

[Image courtesy of Getty Images/Sky.News]

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