RIP Cilla.

Not by the wildest stretch of the imagination could Cilla Black, who died today at her Spanish Villa, be seen as having any jazz affiliations although, googling reveals that she was singing with a Liverpool jazz group when she was 'discovered'. Nevertheless, I'm sure that many of us, of a certain age, remember those heady days of pirate radio stations, former jazz clubs that became pop emporiums, Mary Quant, Twiggy, Beatles, Top of the Pops and, of course, Cilla. You don't remember? then you were certainly part of the scene!

The 1960s may have dealt a near knockout blow to jazz but, as ever, our music came back fighting and, in later years, many of the pop idols sought to reclaim us old jazzers by recording songbook material with jazz backing. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

Cilla, sensibly, avoided that route and opted for the role of 'TV personality'. That her shows were cheesy didn't matter. What counted was that personality and that scouse accent. John Lennon's Liverpudlian brogue grated, Cilla's didn't - and she had better legs!

Cilla was 72.

Rest In Peace.

Obituary.

Lance.

PS: A re-run of one of the old Bergerac shows now showing on a cable channel has Anyone Who Had a Heart on the soundtrack!