Robert "Bobby" Willis was a British songwriter, who eventually became the husband and manager of British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 singer and television personality Cilla Black

Cilla Black

Cilla Black OBE is an English singer, actress, entertainer and media personality, who has been consistently popular as a light entertainment figure since 1963. She is most famous for her singles Anyone Who Had A Heart, You're My World, and Alfie...

.

Career

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

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 for Decca Records, but never issued it on any of their...

", 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 prettiest - "Is It Love?" - was featured in the beat film Ferry Cross the Mersey

Ferry Cross the Mersey (film)

Ferry Cross the Mersey is a 1965 musical film featuring Gerry and the Pacemakers.The film, directed by Jeremy Summers, is one of the more uncommon artifacts of the Mersey scene, shown very rarely on television and never issued on video...

in 1965. He often collaborated with Kenny Lynch

Kenny Lynch

Kenny Lynch, OBE is an English singer, songwriter, entertainer and actor from London. Lynch appeared in many variety shows in the 1960s...

 and Beatles producer George Martin

George Martin

Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...

.

After the death of Brian Epstein

Brian Epstein

Brian Samuel Epstein , was an English music entrepreneur, and is best known for being the manager of The Beatles up until his death. He also managed several other musical artists such as Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, The Remo Four & The Cyrkle...

 - Black's manager and svengali - Willis undertook management duties and eventually began to represent her for over thirty years.

Personal life

Willis married Cilla Black on 25 January 1969 at Marylebone Register Office

Register office

A register office is a British term for a civil registry, a government office and depository where births, deaths and marriages are officially recorded and where you can get officially married, without a religious ceremony...

. They had three sons together; Robert, who is now her manager (born in 1970), Ben (born in 1974), and Jack (born in 1980).

Willis died of cancer

Cancer

Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

in 1999 aged 57.