Entertainment News from 2019 to date

[Dave]

Latest post of the previous page:

Celine Dion 'focusing on her kids' amid 'Stiff Person Syndrome' battle.

'Resilient' Celine Dion is 'focusing on her health and children' after being diagnosed with rare neurological condition Stiff Person Syndrome, which causes her muscles to tense uncontrollably. The 54-year-old singer moved fans to tears as she revealed she had the incurable neurological condition in an Instagram post on Thursday - which has forced her to postpone her European tour.

A source told People on Friday: 'Celine is overwhelmed and moved by the outpouring of love and support from her fans. It's been a very difficult time and she has a hard road ahead of her, but she is doing everything she can to get back on stage and see her fans.'

Full Article.

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Junior Eurovision: France wins song contest as UK comes fifth

France has won this year's Junior Eurovision Song Contest, which was held in Yerevan, Armenia. Thirteen year old Lissandro won with 203 points for his song Oh Maman! beating hosts Armenia in second place, Georgia third, and Ireland fourth. The United Kingdom came fifth overall with 146 points - although it did win the public vote. The UK's entrant, Freya Skye, performed live after suffering with vocal issues during rehearsals. Accepting his award an excited Lissandro said: "I'm so happy, thank you everyone. Viva La France".

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the contest, with 16 countries competing, and is the first time the contest was broadcast on the BBC, with Lauren Layfield and HRVY commentating. It's also the first time in more than 15 years that the UK has taken part in the junior version, where entrants have to be aged between nine and 14.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-63916729

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Faithless lead singer Maxi Jazz dies aged 65

Maxi Jazz, the lead singer of British dance act Faithless, has died aged 65. The musician and DJ, whose real name was Maxwell Fraser, was a core member of the group alongside Rollo and Sister Bliss. Sister Bliss said he died "peacefully in his sleep" in his south-London home on Friday night. "Sending love to all of you who shared our musical journey. Look after each other y'hear," she said on Twitter. Faithless were known for singles including We Come 1, which reached top three in the charts in 2001 and dance hit Insomnia, which reached third in 1996. Reggae band UB40, who toured with Jazz in 2017, paid tribute to the singer with a reference to the Insomnia single: "A lovely guy, again who has gone too soon, but finally Maxi you can get some sleep."

A statement shared on Jazz's Instagram and signed by his former bandmates said: "He was a man who changed our lives in so many ways. He gave proper meaning and message to our music. He was also a lovely human being with time for everyone and a wisdom that was both profound and accessible. It was an honour and, of course, a true pleasure to work with him."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64087315

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John Bird: Actor and comedian dies aged 86

Actor and comedian John Bird has died aged 86, his representatives have confirmed. Bird was part of the TV satire boom of the 1960s, and well known for his many appearances opposite John Fortune. The pair memorably appeared alongside Rory Bremner in the Channel 4 TV series Bremner, Bird and Fortune. Co-star Bremner led the tributes to Bird, telling the BBC his former co-star "had this brilliant instinct for absurdity, and the sharpest of minds". "He was so modest, for someone who so often played these characters who were so complacent and self-aggrandising," Bremner told Radio 4's The World at One. "He was at the forefront of the satire boom... he had the most wonderful of minds and was the most modest of people, he was amazing." Bremner, Bird and Fortune ran for 16 series, as well as one-off specials, between 1999 and 2008, and was nominated for several Bafta TV Awards.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64108691

I didn't realise John Fortune had already died. I used to love watching them both in their sketches, trying not to laugh.

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Film lookahead: 23 highlights to look out for in 2023

1. Till
2. Empire of Light
3. Tár
4. Holy Spider
5. The Fabelmans
6. The Whale
7. Magic Mike's Last Dance
8. Luther
9. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
10. Fast X
11. Killers of the Flower Moon
12. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
13. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
14. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
15. Barbie
16. Oppenheimer
17. Next Goal Wins
18. Dune: Part Two
19. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
20. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
21. Wonka
22. Maestro
23. Napoleon

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64004951

There's at least 7 I'd like to see at the cinema, with several more I'm willing to wait and watch on TV.

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Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

Jeff Beck, one of the most influential rock guitarists of all time, has died at the age of 78. The British musician rose to fame as part of the Yardbirds, where he replaced Eric Clapton, before forming the Jeff Beck group with Rod Stewart. His tone, presence and, above all, volume redefined guitar music in the 1960s, and influenced movements like heavy metal, jazz-rock and even punk. Beck's death was confirmed on his official Twitter page. "On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of Jeff Beck's passing," the statement said. "After suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, he peacefully passed away yesterday. His family ask for privacy while they process this tremendous loss."

Speaking when he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the second time in 2009, Beck - said: "I play the way I do because it allows me to come up with the sickest sounds possible." "That's the point now, isn't it? I don't care about the rules. "In fact, if I don't break the rules at least 10 times in every song, then I'm not doing my job properly."

Kiss bassist Gene Simmons was among those paying tribute, saying: "Heartbreaking news to report the late, great Jeff Back has sadly passed. No one played guitar like Jeff." Paul Stanley, the frontman of Kiss, also called Beck "one of the all time guitar masters", adding: "From The Yardbirds and The Jeff Beck Group on, he blazed a trail impossible to follow. Play on now and forever." Singer Paul Young added in a post on Twitter: "He was loved by everyone in the know; the guitarists' guitarist!"

Born Geoffrey Arnold Beck in Wallington, Surrey, the musician fell in love with Rock and Roll as a child, and built his first guitar as a teenager. "The guy next door said, 'I'll build you a solid body guitar for five pounds'," he later told Rock Cellar Magazine. "Five pounds, which to me was 500 back then [so] I went ahead and did it [myself]. "The first one I built was in 1956, because Elvis was out, and everything that you heard about pop music was guitar. And then I got fascinated. I'm sure the same goes for lots of people." After a short stint at Wimbledon Art College, he left to play with shock-rocker Screaming Lord Sutch and the Tridents. When Eric Clapton left the Yardbirds in 1965, Jimmy Page suggested hiring Beck - and he went on to play on hits like I'm A Man and Shapes Of Things, where his pioneering use of feedback influenced musicians like Paul McCartney and Jimi Hendrix.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64228780

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Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis, dies aged 54

Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of rock 'n' roll legend Elvis, has died aged 54, her mother has said. "It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us," Priscilla Presley said. Lisa Marie, also a singer, was rushed to hospital earlier on Thursday. US media say she suffered cardiac arrest. She was found unresponsive at her home in Calabasas, California, sources told US outlet TMZ. "She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known," Priscilla Presley said in a statement. "We ask for privacy as we try to deal with this profound loss." Her mother gave no details about the possible cause of death.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64255117

[Dave]

David Crosby, Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash Co-Founder, Dies at 81.

Singer-songwriter-guitarist David Crosby, a founding member of two popular and enormously influential ’60s rock units, the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash (later Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young), has died. He was 81 years old.

His wife released a statement to Variety, writing, “It is with great sadness after a long illness, that our beloved David (Croz) Crosby has passed away. He was lovingly surrounded by his wife and soulmate Jan and son Django. Although he is no longer here with us, his humanity and kind soul will continue to guide and inspire us. His legacy will continue to live on through his legendary music. Peace, love, and harmony to all who knew David and those he touched. We will miss him dearly. At this time, we respectfully and kindly ask for privacy as we grieve and try to deal with our profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers.”

For full report click here.

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Raquel Welch: US actress and model dies aged 82

US actress Raquel Welch, often credited with paving the way for modern day action heroines in Hollywood films, has died at the age of 82.

The Hollywood star passed away peacefully on Wednesday morning after a brief illness, her manager said.

Welch became an international sex symbol in the 1960s, widely remembered for playing a bikini-clad cavewoman in the 1966 film One Million Years BC. She also won a Golden Globe for her role in 1974's The Three Musketeers.

Born Jo Raquel Tejada in 1940, Welch grew up in California, where she won teen beauty pageants and later became a local weather forecaster. During a brief stint in Dallas, Texas, the divorced mother of two modelled for the Neiman Marcus clothing store and worked as a cocktail waitress.
Her big break came in 1964 soon after she moved back to California, when she scored cameos in A House Is Not A Home, and Roustabout, a musical starring Elvis Presley.

She shot to prominence two years later, with her back-to-back roles in the sci-fi film Fantastic Voyage and the fantasy film One Million Years BC. Welch only had a few lines in the latter, but promotional stills of her wearing a skimpy two-piece deer-skin bikini turned her into a leading pin-up girl of the era.

Despite her public image, however, she long expressed discomfort with the representation of her body, once saying she "was not brought up to be a sex symbol, nor is it in my nature to be one. The fact that I became one is probably the loveliest, most glamorous and fortunate misunderstanding," she added.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64657781

So sad to read that. Fantastic Voyage was one of my favourite films at the time.

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Paul O'Grady: TV presenter and comedian dies aged 67

Presenter and comedian Paul O'Grady has died at the age of 67. He died "unexpectedly but peacefully" on Tuesday evening, his husband Andre Portasio said in a statement. O'Grady rose to fame in the 1990s with his drag queen persona Lily Savage, going on to present game show Blankety Blank and other light entertainment programmes. Later in his career, he went on to host a number of chat shows, and also brought his love of dogs to the screen.

"It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening," Mr Portasio said. "He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion. "I know that he would want me to thank you for all the love you have shown him over the years." He had recently been on tour playing Miss Hannigan in the musical Annie. Writing on Instagram a few weeks ago after returning from performing in Newcastle, O'Grady said he was "thoroughly enjoying" playing the role again after so long "especially with a truly amazing and lovely cast". The broadcaster left his weekly Radio 2 show in August 2022, confirming it was because he was unhappy about sharing his Sunday afternoon slot. He was due to present on Boom Radio in less than two weeks time for Easter Sunday.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65108130

Some family members once had the opportunity to spend time with him. A distant relative (cousin five times removed or something) was getting married to a relative of Cilla Black, and they were invited to the reception at Cilla's country estate, where Paul was also attending. Paul was strolling around chatting to various guests, and apparently was just as funny with his anecdotes then as he was on his TV shows. He was just, himself.

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Procol Harum: Whiter Shade of Pale lyricist Keith Reid dies

Keith Reid, the lyricist who co-wrote Procol Harum's timeless classic A Whiter Shade Of Pale, has died at the age of 76.

Born in Hertfordshire, Reid never performed with Procol Harum but was vital to the band's success, writing all their lyrics until 2017.

Among his other hits was John Farnham's soft rock anthem You're The Voice, which became a worldwide smash in 1986.

Reid's death was confirmed on Procol Harum's official Facebook page.

"His lyrics were one of a kind and helped to shape the music created by the band," they said in a statement.

"His imaginative, surreal and multi-layered words were a joy to Procol fans and their complexity by design was a powerful addition [to] the Procol Harum catalogue.

"Our thoughts go out to his family and friends."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65122226

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Paul Cattermole: S Club 7 star dies aged 46

S Club 7 star Paul Cattermole has died at the age of 46, weeks after the band announced a comeback tour. "It is with great sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of our beloved son and brother Paul Cattermole," a statement from his family and the pop group said. He died on Thursday and the cause of his death is unknown but there are no suspicious circumstances, it said.

S Club 7 were one of the biggest pop acts of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Their hits included Reach, Don't Stop Movin' and S Club Party. In total, they had 11 UK top 10 singles, including four number ones, and sold more than 10 million albums worldwide. They also won two Brit Awards. The statement said: "While the cause of death is currently unknown, Dorset Police has confirmed that there were no suspicious circumstances. Paul's family, friends and fellow members of S Club request privacy at this time". On social media, his bandmates said they were "truly devastated". "There are no words to describe the deep sadness and loss we all feel," they wrote. "We were so lucky to have had him in our lives and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. He will be so deeply missed by each and every one of us."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65215283

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Barry Humphries: Dame Edna Everage comedian dies at 89

Australian entertainer Barry Humphries, best known for his comic character Dame Edna Everage, has died aged 89. The star had been in hospital in Sydney after suffering complications following hip surgery in March. He had a fall in February. Humphries' most famous creation became a hit in the UK in the 1970s and landed her own TV chat show, the Dame Edna Everage Experience, in the late 1980s. His other personas included the lecherous drunk Sir Les Patterson.

In a statement, his family remembered him as "completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit". They said Humphries' fans were "precious to him", and said his characters, "which brought laughter to millions, will live on". Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute shortly after the news of Humphries' death broke. "A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift," Mr Albanese said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65328507

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Angela Thorne: To the Manor Born actress dies aged 84

Actress Angela Thorne, best-known for starring in To The Manor Born, has died aged 84, her family has said. She played Marjory Frobisher in the BBC comedy series, alongside Penelope Keith as Audrey Fforbes-Hamilton and Peter Bowles as Richard DeVere from 1979 to 1981. Thorne also starred in the BBC comedy Three Up, Two Down, opposite Michael Elphick, from 1985-1989. Her family said she died "peacefully at home".

Thorne was also the mother of actors Rupert and Laurence Penry-Jones. and had been married to the late actor Peter Penry-Jones, who appeared in two episodes of To the Manor Born in 1981. A statement from Rupert said she died on 16 June, adding: "She was the beloved wife of Peter Penry-Jones, and is survived by her two sons Rupert and Laurie Penry Jones and her grandchildren, Florence, Peter, Giorgio and Delilah. "We will all miss her very much."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65948570

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Emmerdale and Coronation Street actress Meg Johnson dies

Actress Meg Johnson, who appeared in three of the UK's most popular soap operas, has died at the age of 86. A soap stalwart, Johnson was Coronation Street's Eunice Gee and Brookside's Brigid McKenna, before joining Emmerdale as Pearl Ladderbanks in 2003. In a statement, her family, talent agency Jorg Betts Associates and ITV said she had been "kind and wonderful" and always had "a twinkle in her eye". They said she had dementia in recent years, but "battled on" regardless. They said it was with "great sadness" that they had to announce she died "peacefully" on Saturday evening, "surrounded by her family" "Meg was a kind and wonderful lady, full of warmth and always with a twinkle in her eye," they said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-m ... r-66080549

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Roger Whittaker: Durham Town folk singer dies at 87

Folk singer Roger Whittaker, famous for his 1969 hit song Durham Town and expert whistling, has died at the age of 87.

His other hits included The Last Farewell and New World in the Morning, and he sold nearly 50 million records around the world, his website said.

After starting in folk clubs, his successes included the Skye Boat Song, a duet with Des O'Connor in 1986.

He was also able to sing in several languages.

They included German and French, allowing him to appeal to a wide audience, especially in Germany, where he was particularly popular.

Whittaker was born in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1936, while his parents were from Staffordshire, England.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-66843162

Very sad. This is one of my favourites of his: