Cilla Black to get first Royal Television Society Legends Award

Cilla Black was one of the biggest female vocalists in Britain during the 60's and an equally big television personality over the next four decades.

Black has been chosen by the Royal Television Society to receive their first Legends Award to honor her fifty years in the TV business. The award will be presented during the RTS Legends Lunch: In Conversation With Cilla Black OBE, on December 5 at the Houses of Parliament.

Cilla had the biggest selling single by a female artists during the 60's in the U.K., Anyone Who Had a Heart (1964 / #1) and followed with ten more top ten hits including You're My World (1964 / #1 / #26 U.S.), You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (1965 / #2), Surround Yourself With Sorrow (1969 / #3) and Something Tells Me (Something's Gonna Happen Tonight) (1971 / #3).

In 1968, she transitioned her career to television on the BBC with the series Cilla which lasted for eight seasons, through 1976. By 1975, she was also acting in the ITV series Cilla's Comedy Six which led to her being named Britain's Top Female Comedy Star by the Writers' Guild of Great Britain.

In the mid-80's, Black moved into hosting duties on such long running quiz and entertainment shows as Surprise Surprise (1984 to 2001), Blind Date (1985 to 2003) and The Moment of Truth (1998 to 2001).

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