Cilla Black funeral: Fans turn out in Liverpool

Fans, friends and family have turned out to pay their respects to singer and TV star Cilla Black as her funeral takes place in Liverpool.

Crowds applauded her funeral cortege during its two-mile journey to St Mary's RC Church in Woolton.

Sir Cliff Richard told mourners the journey to the church had made him realise "how much people loved her".

TV stars Paul O'Grady, Jimmy Tarbuck and Christopher Biggins joined her sons Robert and Ben in giving readings.

Sir Cliff described Black as 'our greatest TV presenter, probably of all time' 

 

 

Sir Cliff delivered the opening words and performed the song Faithful One.


He said: "I'm not sure what to say because, these last few weeks, I cannot think of Cilla in the past tense. There are certain people you believe will always be there, and of course she's been taken from us.

"She took the country by storm because she became our greatest TV presenter, probably of all time."

She loved being a star - She lived to entertain and make people happy

Ben Willis, Cilla Black's son

The funeral began with All Things Bright And Beautiful and a greeting by the Right Reverend Thomas Williams, Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool.

Black's son Robert Willis delivered a tribute, describing her as a "wonderful lady who had touched all our lives and brought joy and laughter" to those she knew.

He said: "Her pure enthusiasm, self belief and wonderful sense of humour made being with her a joy and a pleasure."

Mr Willis added that his mother was a "trailblazer in the fields of music and television" and "set the bar high and it's still there".

His brother Ben Willis later spoke, saying his mother "was always young at heart".
He continued: "I think this was one of the reasons so many people loved her dearly. She loved being a star. She lived to entertain and make people happy. But she also valued her privacy greatly."

Black's 1964 hit Anyone Who Had A Heart was played during Holy Communion and The Long And Winding Road by her friends The Beatles was chosen as the recessional music.

Biggins delivered a Bible reading from the Book of Wisdom, Tarbuck read the Prayers of the Faithful and O'Grady gave a touching and humorous closing tribute.

"I firmly believed that Cilla was indestructible," he said. "I've got fabulous Cilla stories because we just had such a good time together. We just laughed constantly. We got into a lot of trouble I'll admit, but we laughed while we were doing it.

"I loved this lady dearly. You've no idea. She was one of my closest friends and I absolutely adored her."

Other guests included Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sir Tom Jones.

Black died of a stroke after falling over at her Spanish home earlier this month at the age of 72.

 

        

The church is the same one where Black and her late husband Bobby Willis had their marriage blessed in 1969, following a register office wedding earlier that year.
Black grew up in Liverpool and found fame on stage after singing in clubs including the famous Cavern in the early 1960s.

She went on to become a TV favourite, hosting the hit Saturday night shows Blind Date and Surprise Surprise from the mid-1980s to early 2000s.


Fans have been asked to make donations in her name to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. An online donation page has been set up.

After the service, Black's body will be laid to rest at a private ceremony in Allerton Cemetery, where her parents are buried.

Her marriage to Bobby Willis was blessed at St Mary's following a register office ceremony in 1969 

 

 

An album of the star's greatest hits re-entered the UK top 40 after her death, and is continuing to climb the chart.

It is likely to be in the top three when the next chart is announced on Friday, according to the Official Chart Company, and could be number one.