Robert Willis (25 January 1942 – 23 October 1999) was an English songwriter and talent manager who became the manager and eventually husband of singer

Cilla Black Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer, actress and television presenter. Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her ...

Career

His first known recorded composition, "Shy of Love" was featured on the B-side of "

Love of the Loved "Love of the Loved" is a song written mainly by Paul McCartney, credited to Lennon–McCartney. It is one of his earliest compositions and featured in the Beatles live act in their early days. The group recorded the song at their 1962 audition fo ...

", the debut release of Cilla Black in September 1963. During the sixties he was to write many songs for his then girlfriend to record and perform. One of his most popular – "Is It Love?" – was featured in the beat film ''

Ferry Cross the Mersey "Ferry Cross the Mersey" is a song written by Gerry Marsden. It was first recorded by his band Gerry and the Pacemakers and released in late 1964 in the UK and in 1965 in the United States. It was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reachin ...

'' in 1965. He collaborated with Clive Westlake,

Kenny Lynch Kenneth Lynch, OBE (18 March 1938 – 18 December 2019) was an English singer, songwriter, entertainer, and actor. He appeared in many variety shows in the 1960s. At the time, he was among the few black singers in British pop music. He was app ...

and

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

producer

George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "Fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the B ...

on some songs. After the death of Black's manager,

Brian Epstein Brian Samuel Epstein (; 19 September 1934 – 27 August 1967) was a British music entrepreneur who managed the Beatles from 1962 until his death in 1967. Epstein was born into a family of successful retailers in Liverpool, who put him i ...

, Willis took over her management duties and over the next thirty years, developed her popularity with television family audiences, and helped Black to become the highest-paid female presenter on television.

Death

On 23 October 1999, aged 57, Willis died of lung and liver cancer at the

Royal Free Hospital The Royal Free Hospital (also known simply as the Royal Free) is a major teaching hospital in the Hampstead area of the London Borough of Camden. The hospital is part of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, which also runs services at Barn ...

in London. His funeral service was held on 1 November at Saint Mary the Virgin Church in

Denham, Buckinghamshire Denham is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Buckinghamshire, England, approximately from central London, northwest of Uxbridge and just north of junction 1 of the M40 motorway. The name is derived from the Old English for ...

. He was cremated.

Personal life

Willis had four brothers named Albert, Ronnie, Bertie and Kenneth. Willis married

on 25 January 1969, his 27th birthday, at

Marylebone Town Hall Marylebone Town Hall, also known as the Westminster Council House, is a municipal building on Marylebone Road in Marylebone, London. The complex includes the council chamber, the Westminster Register Office and an educational facility known as t ...

. To please her Catholic family, the couple were granted a dispensation to have their marriage blessed on 6 March 1969 at St Mary's Church in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

Woolton Woolton (; ) is an affluent suburb of Liverpool, England. It is located southeast of the city and is bordered by Allerton, Gateacre, Halewood, and Hunt's Cross. At the 2011 Census, the population was 12,921. Overview Originally a standalone ...

suburb. (Willis was from an Anglican background.) They had three sons together: Robert (born 1970), Ben (born 1974), and Jack (born 1980). Their daughter Ellen (born 1975) lived for only two hours.

Discography

As songwriter

Singles

*"Shy of Love" (A-side "

") UK#35 Sept. 1963 *"Just for You" (A-side " Anyone Who Had a Heart") UK#1 Jan. 1964 *"Suffer Now I Must" (A-side "

You're My World "You're My World" is a ballad originally recorded in 1963 as "Il mio mondo" ("My World") by Umberto Bindi, who co-wrote the Italian version with Gino Paoli. Subsequently, an English version was commissioned, and the lyrics were written by Carl S ...

") UK#1 May 1964 *"He Won't Ask Me" (A-side "

It's for You "It's for You" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the Beatles for Cilla Black for whom it was a UK Top Ten hit in 1964. The song is mainly a McCartney composition. Background Composition Paul McCartney, who had been presen ...

") UK#7 July 1964 *"Is It Love?" (A-side "

You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin is a song by Phil Spector, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, first recorded in 1964 by the American vocal duo the Righteous Brothers, whose version was also produced by Spector and is cited by some music critics as ...

") UK#2 Jan. 1965 *"I Don't Want to Know" (A-side "I've Been Wrong Before") UK#17 Apr. 1965 *"Night Time Is Here" (A-side "

Alfie Alfie may refer to: Theatre and film * ''Alfie'' (play), a 1963 play by Bill Naughton * ''Alfie'' (1966 film), a film based on the play starring Michael Caine * ''Alfie'' (2004 film), a remake of the 1966 film * ''Alfie'' (2013 film), an Indi ...

") UK#9 Mar. 1966 *"From Now On" (Bobby Willis/Clive Westlake) (A-side "I Only Live to Love You") UK#26 Nov. 1967 *"I Couldn't Take My Eyes Off You" (Bobby Willis/Clive Westlake) (A-side "

Step Inside Love "Step Inside Love" is a song written by Paul McCartney (credited as "Lennon–McCartney") for Cilla Black in 1967 as a theme for her TV series '' Cilla'', which first aired on 30 January 1968. Background In late 1967 Paul McCartney was appro ...

") UK#8 Mar. 1968 *"London Bridge" (Bobby Willis/Clive Westlake) (A-side "

Surround Yourself with Sorrow "Surround Yourself with Sorrow" is a song recorded by the English pop singer Cilla Black, which was released as a single and on the album ''Surround Yourself with Cilla'' in 1969. The song spent 12 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 3,< ...

") UK#3 Feb. 1969 *"That's Why I Love You" (Bobby Willis/Kenny Lynch) (A-side "Child of Mine") Dec. 1970

Album tracks

*"Come to Me" (George Martin/Bobby Willis) ''Cilla'' Jan. 1965 *"Our Brand New World" (Bobby Willis/Clive Westlake) ''Images'' May 1971

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Bobby Cilla Black English songwriters English music managers 20th-century English musicians People from Woolton 1942 births 1999 deaths Deaths from liver cancer Deaths from lung cancer in England Musicians from Liverpool 20th-century English businesspeople