THE Blackburn band knocked off number one by Cilla Black have paid tribute to the singer and TV personality.

Mike Wilshaw, a member of The Four Pennies, said he was saddened to hear about the death of Cilla, the first woman to have her own prime-time chat show on BBC1 as well as two number ones,who died at the weekend.

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The Four Pennies hit top spot on May 21, 1964, but just seven days later Cilla’s You’re My World ousted the four-piece, who were founded after a meeting above a Blackburn music shop on Penny Street.

Mike said: “She was a wonderful person. We knew Cilla right at the beginning. We used to play the Cavern quite regularly when she was the cloakroom girl.

“We were great mates, there was a great camaraderie among the bands.

“There was a bit of a divide between the northern groups and the southern bands like the Stones but lads like The Hollies were great friends of mine and they still are.”

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Mike, who turned 70 last month, played alongside Cilla at Blackburn King George’s Hall and also together on the first series of the television show Ready Steady Go! on May 1, 1964.

Mike said: “We played Blackburn King George’s Hall with her and her voice was tremendous – she had a very high ranging voice.

“We also worked with Dionne Warwick and Cilla used the same material, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and she was exceptional.

“But most of all she was always very natural, she never lost sight of her roots, which is a very Liverpudlian quality.”

The Four Pennies played on the pitch at Ewood Park during the half-time interval in a match against Aston Villa in January 1965.

Meanwhile, Ted Robbins, who wrote the voiceover links as programme associate on Blind Date and Surprise Surprise, paused from a weekend of celebrations for his 60th birthday at his Ramsbottom home to pay tribute to Cilla, who also played at Nelson Imperial Ballroom on March 27 1964.

Ted, whose sister Kate wrote the theme tune to Surprise, Surprise, said: “ Cilla was the Queen of Showbiz. On Sunday I had most of my family round for my birthday and I had a glass of champagne, Moet, which was Cilla’s drink of choice.

“If you were with Cilla she always cracked open a bottle. When the news broke I looked up the the heavens and said, ‘cheers kid’.”