Entertainment News from 2019 to date

[Dave]

Latest post of the previous page:

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.

[muzzy]

Il Divo singer Carlos Marin dies aged 53

Il Divo's Carlos Marin has died aged 53, the classical group has announced. Marin would be "missed by his friends, family and fans", a statement on social media said. "There will never be another voice or spirit like Carlos." The group had said they were praying for Marin's recovery after he was admitted to hospital this month leading them to postpone a UK Christmas tour. The male quartet was brought together by Simon Cowell in 2003 and achieved three UK number one albums. Marin was born in Germany, but moved to Spain at the age of 12 and was a baritone in the group, performing alongside tenors Urs Buhler and David Miller, and pop singer Sebastien Izambard. "Singing is my way of saying what I feel, my way of life," he is quoted as saying on the group's website. "Singing is what makes me feel alive, so thank you for letting me continue making a living from what I love." Spanish newspaper El Pais reported Marin had been taken ill during the UK tour and placed into an induced coma at a hospital in Manchester. The nature of his illness has not been disclosed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-59722285

[boatbuilder]

Very sad, both of the above two.

[muzzy]

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang star Sally Ann Howes dies aged 91

Sally Ann Howes, who starred in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and My Fair Lady, has died aged 91, her family has confirmed. The Tony Award-nominated actress first appeared on screen aged 12, and enjoyed a career that spanned six decades. She was best known for playing the role of Truly Scrumptious in the 1968 musical film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, opposite Dick Van Dyke. Her son, the artist Andrew Hart Adler, confirmed the news to the Press Association news agency on Wednesday. He shared an old photograph of the two of them together, saying she was now reunited with her husband of 48 years, Douglas Rae, who died earlier this year. The London-born actress and singer "died peacefully in her sleep" her nephew Toby Howes posted on Twitter. Actress Emma Williams was among those paying tribute, describing Howes as "the original and best Truly Scrumptious". "She was the epitome of class, a generous and kindly soul who offered the sweetest words of advice and support to me when I met her. I will forever be grateful," Williams said. Fellow actress Caroline Sheen called her "a glorious inspiration".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-59753882

When I was younger, growing up, I had a bit of a crush on her. She had classic good looks.

[muzzy]

LadBaby score historic fourth Christmas number one

YouTube stars and charity campaigners LadBaby have claimed the UK's Christmas number one single for a record-breaking fourth year in a row. Sausage Rolls For Everyone, the duo's collaboration with Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton John, hit the top spot on Friday. LadBaby have now surpassed the Beatles and the Spice Girls as the act with the most consecutive Christmas number ones. Mark and Roxanne Hoyle's annual sausage roll-themed singles raise funds for the Trussell Trust food bank charity. "It means so much to us, and thank you so much for all the support, positivity and love that has been given to us over the last few weeks… Over the last four years!" they said. The Nottinghamshire couple first topped the chart in 2018 with We Built This City, a cover of Starship's 1985 hit; followed by I Love Sausage Rolls, their take on The Arrows / Joan Jett's I Love Rock 'n' Roll; and last year by Don't Stop Me Eatin', a cheeky version of Journey's beloved power ballad.

This year's effort was also a cover - but of a slightly different nature. The couple hooked up with Sheeran and Sir Elton to rework their new Christmas tune, Merry Christmas, which was only released three weeks ago. The pop superstars even appeared in the video, while Sheeran teamed up with the Hoyles to help distribute meal parcels at the Waveney Foodbank in Suffolk earlier this week.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-59762286

[Dave]

Tributes have been paid to comedian and writer Barry Cryer, who has died at the age of 86.

Cryer wrote for comedy giants including The Two Ronnies, Tommy Cooper and Morecambe and Wise, as well as starring on the airwaves and on stage himself.

The world of comedy has been remembering him, with Fawlty Towers star John Cleese saying: "I never met a nicer, kinder, more cheerful man."

Dame Esther Rantzen described Cryer as an "encyclopaedia of humour". The TV presenter, who first worked with him in the 1960s, told the PA news agency: "In a way, Barry was a genius, but so unassuming that he would be astonished, I think, to be called a genius - but he was."

[muzzy]

BBC to move CBBC and BBC Four online

The BBC has announced that it plans to stop airing CBBC and BBC Four as traditional broadcast channels. Director-general Tim Davie announced the content of these networks will continue to be produced and made available for online platforms. This means they would only be available on BBC iPlayer, with Radio 4 Extra moving to BBC Sounds, rather than via their traditional broadcast outlets. He added that the corporation's two news channels will be merged into one. The corporation currently has two different news networks for UK and World audiences, and the changes are part of cost-saving measures, which the BBC said are part of a plan to create a "modern, digital-led and streamlined organisation".

The changes announced on Thursday would mean cuts of £200m a year and the reorganisation of services which prioritise digital platforms. But CBBC, BBC Four and Radio 4 Extra will stay on linear TV and radio for at least three years. Mr Davie also announced changes to local radio and regional news, which will see TV news programmes in Oxford and Cambridge merged with the BBC's Southampton and Norwich operations.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-61591674

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The Railway Children sequel gets premiere at original Yorkshire station

Stars of The Railway Children sequel have taken the trip to the station from the original film, where the follow-up's world premiere was held on Sunday. Fifty-two years after the classic came out, Jenny Agutter reprises her role as Bobbie in The Railway Children Return. She said returning to Oakworth station in West Yorkshire for the new film was like "going right back in time". Agutter was joined by her new co-stars Sheridan Smith, Sir Tom Courtenay and John Bradley at the station. The sequel is set almost 40 years after the first film, with Roberta, known as Bobbie, now a grandmother who takes in a new set of children who arrive on the railway - evacuees fleeing World War Two bombs in Salford.

"It's really lovely when something comes around again, and in a different way," said Agutter, 69, who played Bobbie in the beloved 1970 family film and a 1968 TV series. They were both based on E Nesbit's novel, which was set in 1905 and followed a family who were forced to move from their wealthy life in London to a run-down cottage in Yorkshire when the children's father went to prison. For the sequel, Agutter and the writers filled in the story of what her character had gone on to do, given the changes in British life. "She would have been definitely a suffragette," Agutter said, speaking at the station, which was also a filming location for the follow-up. "Probably a magistrate. Very involved with young people and social issues and making these changes. The feminism through it is really interesting from 1905 to 1944." Agutter, who is also known for playing Sister Julienne in the BBC's Call the Midwife, added: "I think Nesbit would have approved. I think she would she would love to see it carry on and the story carry on."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-62014506

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A one-off Bob Dylan recording could sell for £1m

A one-off Bob Dylan record is expected to fetch up to £1m when it is auctioned at Christie's on Thursday. The disc features a new version of the star's classic song Blowin' In The Wind, made in March 2021 with his long-time collaborator T Bone Burnett. "It felt holy," he tells BBC News. "It always feels holy for me, playing with Bob - and I think we did it in one take, if I'm not mistaken." It is the first new studio recording of the song since Dylan wrote it in 1962.

The one-off release also showcases a new type of record that combines some of the materials used in CDs and vinyl, and promises better sound quality and durability than vinyl. Playable on any regular turntable, the new format is described as "the pinnacle of sound" by Burnett, who helped develop it. Ultimately, only one deep-pocketed Dylan fan will get to own the new version of Blowin' In The Wind. However, fans can go to Christie's in London to hear the record before it is sold.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-62054616

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The Eagles: Three men charged with plot to sell stolen Hotel California lyrics

Three men have been charged with plotting to sell the handwritten lyrics from the Eagles album Hotel California, knowing they had been stolen. The lyrics and notes from the band's hit 1976 LP had belonged to musician Don Henley and are valued at more than $1m (£840,000). Prosecutors said the men had lied to auction houses, potential buyers and police about the material's origins. Glenn Horowitz, Craig Inciardi and Edward Kosinski deny the charges.

Mr Inciardi is an "employee with curator responsibilities" at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, the museum told the AFP news agency. The New York District Attorney's office said the trio had engaged in a "years-long campaign to prevent Henley from recovering the manuscripts". The lyrics to tracks likes Hotel California, Life in the Fast Lane and New Kid In Town were originally stolen in the late 1970s by someone hired to write a biography of the group, according to the district attorney.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-62140092

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Big Brother will return next year on ITV2 and online

Big Brother, one of the original UK reality TV shows, will return to screens in 2023, years after being axed by both Channel 4 and later Channel 5. The show, which launched careers of ITV presenter Alison Hammond and Radio 1 DJ Adele Roberts, will be revived by ITV2 and new streaming platform ITVX. A promotional video aired during the Love Island series finale on Monday evening. Officials said the famous house will return with a "contemporary new look". The returning programme - which was originally on for 18 years - will see a cast of "carefully selected housemates from all walks of life" live together under strict surveillance for up to six weeks. Similar to previous editions, the public will regularly vote contestants off in live evictions, as well as deciding on an overall cash prize winner.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-62389219

[boatbuilder]

Judith Durham: Former Seekers lead singer dies aged 79

Australian musician Judith Durham, best known as the lead singer of folk music group The Seekers, has died aged 79.

Her band sold more than 50 million records and had hits including I'll Never Find Another You, I Am Australian and Georgy Girl.

She left the group to go solo in 1968 and went on to release a number of studio albums.

Anthony Albanese, Australia's prime minister, paid tribute to Durham, calling her "a national treasure".

"Judith Durham gave voice to a new strand of our identity and helped blaze a trail for a new generation of Aussie artists," he wrote on social media. "Her kindness will be missed by many, the anthems she gave to our nation will never be forgotten."

Durham was honoured multiple times during her lengthy career, including being awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to music in 1995 and the Centenary Medal in 2003.

She was also named the Victorian of the Year in 2015.

Born in Melbourne, Durham rose to international fame after joining The Seekers in 1962 alongside Athol Guy, Keith Potger and Bruce Woodley. She became the band's lead singer the following year, aged 20.

A year after becoming joint recipients of the Australian of the Year award in 1967, the group officially disbanded, but reunited to perform on multiple occasions - the last time being 2014.

Durham married the British pianist and musical director Ron Edgeworth in 1969, who died less than 30 years later after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-62447650

She was one of the great singers of her era. R.I.P. Judith

[boatbuilder]

Sadly, another great Australian entertainer has died.

Olivia Newton-John: Grease star and singer dies aged 73

Olivia Newton-John, best known for playing Sandy in smash-hit musical Grease, has died aged 73, her family says.

The star died from cancer, her manager told the BBC.

Her husband John Easterling said she "passed away peacefully" at her ranch in California on Monday morning.

An actress and musician, Newton-John achieved commercial success as a country singer and sold millions of records globally.

But it was her role as Sandy in the film adaption of Grease that catapulted her to worldwide fame.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer in the early 1990s, Newton-John became a leading advocate for cancer research and her charity, the Olivia Newton John Foundation, has raised millions of pounds to support research.

Her efforts in the field were recognised by Queen Elizabeth, who honoured her with a Dame in 2020 New Year's Honours list.

In a statement posted to her social media channels, Newton-John's husband hailed her as "a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer".

"Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer."

John Travolta, who starred opposite Newton-John in Grease, wrote on Instagram that she "made all of our lives so much better".

"Your impact was incredible. I love you so much," he wrote.

"We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever!"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-62472100

R.I.P Olivia.

[Dave]

Somehow the death of Bernard Cribbins on 28th July didn't get reported here. I think he falls into the 'National Treasure' category and shouldn't be forgotten.

Bernard Cribbins: Doctor Who and Wombles star dies aged 93.

Doctor Who and Wombles actor Bernard Cribbins has died aged 93, his agent has confirmed. During a career that spanned seven decades, Cribbins narrated the 1970s children's programme The Wombles. He also played the Doctor's companion Tom Campbell in the 1966 film Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 AD returning 41 years later in the revived TV series.

To add to his many talents he also tried his hand at singing and produced two classic comedy songs, 'Right Said Fred' and 'Hole In The Ground'. They certainly don't make songs like these anymore.

[Dave]

The musician, songwriter and producer Tom Springfield, has died aged 88.

He became massively successful in the 1960s but hated being in the public eye. Best known as the elder brother of Dusty Springfield, the finest and most soulful female British singer to emerge during the decade, he joined her in the Springfields, a trio who enjoyed commercial success in Britain, the US and Australia from 1961 to 1963.

[muzzy]

Grange Hill's Mrs McClusky actress Gwyneth Powell dies aged 76

Actress Gwyneth Powell, who played head teacher Mrs McClusky in teen soap opera Grange Hill, has died aged 76. The Manchester-born actress loomed over the series for 10 years from 1981, as the stern-but-fair headmistress. She also played Greg Davies' mother Polly in the Channel 4 sitcom Man Down, and appeared in shows like Holby City, A Touch Of Frost and Heartbeat. Her representative Matthew Lacey said Powell had died "of complications following a major operation". He said she "passed away peacefully" with her husband, actor Alan Leith, and niece at her bedside last Thursday. "Gwyneth will be greatly missed by her adoring family and friends along with her many fans from multiple TV appearances," he added. Appropriately, given her most famous role, Powell initially trained as a teacher before throwing herself into repertory theatre in the late 1960s.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-62879845