Cilla Black, who early in her career shared a manager with The Beatles and recorded songs written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, is being honored for her outstanding contribution to entertainment by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
Black is scheduled to receive the BAFTA award during the Arqiva British Academy Television Awards, taking place May 18 in London.
Black, like The Beatles, was part of the early 1960s music scene at the Cavern club in Liverpool, England.  After signing with the group’s manager, Brian Epstein, Black recorded a handful of Lennon-McCartney compositions, among them “Love of the Loved” and “It’s for You,” which became chart hits in the U.K.
By the late 1960s, Black was a regular on British television, starting with her eponymous variety show for BBC TV, followed by long stints on the shows Surprise! Surprise! and Blind Date, plus appearances on other programs.