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British singer and television star, Cilla Black, has sadly passed away aged 72. Cilla died on Saturday night at her home in Estepona, Spain while holidaying with one of her sons.

A Spanish police spokeswoman said:

I can confirm the death of British national Priscilla White, aged 72. We are still awaiting autopsy results but everything at this stage is pointing towards her death being the result of natural causes.

Born Priscilla Maria Veronica White on May 27 1943 in Liverpool, England, the singer changed her name when she was mistakenly referred to as Priscilla Black in an issue of the Mersey Beat magazine in 1963. Cilla was gigging at various venues in Liverpool in this period and also working as a cloakroom attendant at The Cavern. John Lennon introduced Cilla to the Beatles manager, Brian Epstein, in the summer of 1963 and she became his only female client after seeing her perform at the Blue Angel jazz club.

After just breaking into the UK Top 40 with her first single, “Love of the Loved”, Cilla achieved back-to-back UK number ones with “Anyone Who Had a Heart” and “You’re My World”. Other notable hits included “Don’t Answer Me”, “Alfie” and “Step Inside Love”.

Cilla began a hugely successful television career in the late 1960s, achieving success with the BBC variety show, “Cilla”, from 1968 to 1976 and then hosting the hugely popular hit shows, “Blind Date” and “Surprise Surprise”, in the 1980s.

In 2014, Cilla was presented with a “Special Award” by Bafta in recognition of her 50-year career.

Cilla was married to her manager Bobby Willis for more than 30 years until his death in 1999. She leaves behind three sons, Robert, Ben and Jack, and two grandchildren.