Entertainment News from 2019 to date

[boatbuilder]

Latest post of the previous page:

Very sad to have just read that the great actor Kirk Douglas has died at the grand age of 103. May he Rest in Peace.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-51394855

[boatbuilder]

Roy Hudd, actor and comic, dies aged 83

Roy Hudd, who hosted BBC Radio 2's The News Huddlines for 26 years and also starred in Coronation Street, has died at the age of 83.

In a statement, his agent said: "We are sad to announce the passing of the much-loved and amazingly talented Roy Hudd OBE.

"After a short illness, Roy passed away peacefully on Sunday 15 March, with his wife Debbie at his side."

The all-round entertainer also starred in Coronation Street.

His agent added: "The family would ask you to respect their privacy at this very sad time."

The Yvonne Arnaud theatre in Guildford posted a tribute on Twitter.

Comedy writer Simon Blackwell, who is best known for his work on The Thick of It, In The Loop and Veep, also paid tribute.

Hudd played Archie Shuttleworth in the ITV soap for several stints between 2002 and 2010.

In the 1990s, he won praise for his roles in Dennis Potter's Lipstick on your Collar and Karaoke.

He also starred in acclaimed crime drama Ashes to Ashes (2008), alongside Keeley Hawes and Philip Glennister.

BBC Newa

[Dave]

Country Music Icon Kenny Rogers Dies at 81.

Vocalist Kenny Rogers, who dominated the pop and country charts in the 1970s and 1980s with a string of sleekly tailored hits and won three Grammys, has died. He was 81. Rogers “passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family,” a representative for the singer said in a statement. Due to the national COVID-19 emergency, the family is planning a small private service at this time with a public memorial planned for a later date.

[Dave]

Goodies star Brooke-Taylor dies with coronavirus.

Comedian Tim Brooke-Taylor has died at the age of 79 with coronavirus, his agent has confirmed to the BBC.
The entertainer, best known as one third of the popular 1970s show The Goodies, and I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, died on Sunday.
Goodies co-star Bill Oddie called him a "true visual comic and a great friend".

[Dave]

The Eurovision Song Contest travels to America!

Europe’s favourite TV show will travel across the ocean to the United States of America! The American Song Contest will take place during the holiday season of 2021.
The American version of the Eurovision Song Contest will, as it is currently conceived, position the artists head to head against other states’ representatives in a series of 5-10 televised Qualifier Competitions, leading to Semi-Finals and the ultimate primetime Grand Final.

[Dave]

Wayne Fontana: 1960s pop star dies at 74.

Wayne Fontana, who found pop stardom in the 1960s with songs including Game Of Love, has died at the age of 74.
With his band The Mindbenders, the Manchester-born singer broke into the UK top five in 1964 with Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um.
They hit number one in the US and number two in the UK the following year with Game Of Love.
But he left to go solo later that year, reputedly quitting in the middle of a concert.
After going solo in 1965, he went on to have top 20 hits with Pamela Pamela and Come On Home.

[Dave]

Trini Lopez, singer and Dirty Dozen actor, dies with coronavirus at 83.

Mexican-American singer Trini Lopez, who had a hit in 1963 with his version of If I Had A Hammer and played one of The Dirty Dozen, has died at 83. Lopez, an accomplished guitarist, was mentored by Buddy Holly and Frank Sinatra and designed two instruments for the Gibson Guitar Corporation. Lopez died in Palm Springs, California, of complications from coronavirus.

Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters was among those paying tribute, saying he had left "a beautiful music legacy". He called his own Trini Lopez guitar his "most prized possession" and said it had been "the sound of the Foo Fighters from day one".

[boatbuilder]

How very sad to hear that. I remember him well from the 60's.

[Dave]

Supremes co-founder and singer Mary Wilson dies aged 76.

Mary Wilson, who co-founded The Supremes and remained a member of the group until they split up, has died at the age of 76. The singer passed away at her home in Henderson, Nevada, her publicist Jay Schwartz announced, but he did not confirm the cause of death. The Supremes were known for hits such as Baby Love and You Can't Hurry Love. The group was founded in Detroit as The Primettes in 1959, when Wilson was 15 years old.

[boatbuilder]

UK Eurovision Entry 2021 - Rotterdam.

[Dave]

Lionel Blair: Veteran TV presenter and dancer dies at 92.

Veteran entertainer, TV presenter and dancer Lionel Blair has died aged 92, his agent has said. Blair, whose stage and screen career spanned eight decades, died early on Thursday morning.

[muzzy]

Postman Pat sets saved from destruction go on display

The sets used to create children's TV favourite Postman Pat have gone on show after being saved from destruction by the show's animators. The sets, which depict the rolling lanes of Pat's fictional Lake District home Greendale, were in storage, but had to find a new home or be scrapped. Animators MacKinnon & Saunders, who made the show's last series, persuaded a film archive to step in to help. Chief executive Peter Saunders said he was relieved they had been saved. Postman Pat has been a favourite with audiences since the stop-motion animation was first broadcast on the BBC in 1981.

Originally created by Ivor Wood and John Cunliffe for Woodman Animations, later series were made by Manchester animators Cosgrove Hall Films (CHF) and subsequently Altrincham-based Mackinnon & Saunders. Mr Saunders said the sets they and CHF used, for episodes between 2013 and 2017, had incorporated parts of Wood's originals, but had expanded Pat's world to include a nearby town, Pencaster. "After production was completed, the beautiful miniature sets and props were carefully packed and moved to a storage facility in Stalybridge," he said. However, he added that the "iconic village of Greendale was served notice this year". "No longer required for filming, all the models were to be destroyed unless a new home could be found for them."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-m ... r-59348025

[muzzy]

Michael Sheen turns himself into a 'not-for-profit' actor

Michael Sheen said he has turned himself into a "not-for-profit actor". The Welsh actor and activist sold his houses to ensure the 2019 Homeless World Cup went ahead in Cardiff. Now the Hollywood star has pledged to carry on using the money he earns from acting to fund more projects. He said: "There was something quite liberating about going, alright, I'll put large amounts of money into this or that, because I'll be able to earn it back again." Sheen added: "I've essentially turned myself into a social enterprise, a not-for-profit actor."

Speaking to The Big Issue, Sheen described how he stepped in to bankroll the Homeless World Cup when funding for the £2m project fell through at the last moment. "I had committed to helping to organise that and then suddenly, with not long to go, there was no money," he said. "I had to make a decision - I could walk away from it and it wouldn't happen. "I thought, I'm not going to let that happen. So, I put all my money into keeping it going. "I had a house in America and a house here and I put those up and just did whatever it took. "It was scary and incredibly stressful. I'll be paying for it for a long time. "But when I came out the other side, I realised I could do this kind of thing and, if I can keep earning money, it's not going to ruin me."


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59528341

[muzzy]

Cornish comedian Jethro dies aged 73

Cornish comedian Jethro has died at the age of 73 after contracting Covid-19, his family has said. Their statement on his Facebook page said he died on Tuesday and "our lives will never be the same without him". Jethro, real name Geoffrey Rowe, stopped touring in 2020 after more than 50 years on the road. His manager, John Miles, said: "He just loved to make people laugh ... and he did make millions of people laugh." Born in St Buryan, Cornwall, Jethro's popularity as a comedian grew during the 1980s and he made his first national appearance on the Des O'Connor show in 1990. He later said that performance gave him a national profile and it led to other TV appearances and stage shows across the UK. In 2001, he appeared on the Royal Variety Show and went on to become one of the biggest stars from Cornwall.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-59666409

[boatbuilder]

How very sad. RIP Jethro.

[Dave]

Michael Nesmith of the Monkees passes away (1942 - 2021).

This post is a week late but to anyone who remembers the 60's and the Monkees it will be of interest. The passing of Mike Nesmith leaves only Micky Dolenz, the drummer in the group, as Davy Jones and Peter Tork have also passed away.