In my day, teens stuck Athena posters of pop idols on their bedroom walls. Nowadays, most young people are too busy basking in the blue light of tablets and phones to get the Blu Tack out. But if today’s young people are searching for someone new on YouTube to ‘share’, ‘like’ and ‘follow’, they could do worse than Sinéad O’Connor.
Well she was rebellious, unfortunately self destructively so. Such a sad end for her and us all. 56. Far too soon.
Tony Bennett, a singer whose melodic clarity, jazz-influenced phrasing, audience-embracing persona and warm, deceptively simple interpretations of musical standards helped spread the American songbook around the world and won him generations of fans, died on Friday in New York City. He was 96.
His publicist, Sylvia Weiner, announced his death.
The singer, actress and fashion icon Jane Birkin has died at the age of 76.
The English-French star was known for her personal and artistic relationship with songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, recording the iconic track “Je T’aime…moi non plus” with him.
She also inspired Hermès’ Birkin handbag, which is popular around the world.
h/t Shasta
Actor Alan Arkin, who earned an Oscar for his performance in 2007’s “Little Miss Sunshine” among dozens of other accolades, has died.
The acclaimed stage and screen veteran was 89.
Fellow actor Jason Alexander first shared the news on Twitter, calling the actor a “wonderful, original voice for comedy.”
I didn’t always ‘get him’ but he was always watchable.
Jerry Springer, the legendary talk show host and daytime TV star, has died aged 79.
The broadcaster, journalist, and former Cincinnati Mayor passed away peacefully at his home in Chicago, according to a statement.
I’m gonna go out on a limb and state all of us watched his show at least once.
Tarek Fatah was courageous in his defence of human rights
Fearless. That’s the one word that, for me, best described Tarek Fatah.
As one of the editors of the immensely popular political columns he wrote for the Toronto Sun starting in 2012, I always marvelled at his fearlessness.
Sad news. I met him on a couple of occasions at events around town, fun to chat with, not everyone’s cup of tea I know but always interesting.
Award-winning American cartoonist Al Jaffee, renowned for his work on satirical magazine Mad, has died at the age of 102.
Jaffee, who was still working up until three years ago, set a Guinness World Record for his 77-year career.
MAD Magazine was a staple in our home of 7 kids.
Nora Forster, the wife of singer John Lydon, has died aged 80 after living with Alzheimer’s disease for several years.
The 67-year-old former Sex Pistols frontman, also known by his stage name Johnny Rotten, was his wife’s full-time carer following the diagnosis and raised awareness of the condition through his recent attempt to represent Ireland at Eurovision 2023 with a song he dedicated to Forster.
The meaning of Keith Reid’s lyrics to A Whiter Shade of Pale remains one of the big mysteries in rock music. From its opening line: “We skipped the light fandango/ Turned cartwheels ’cross the floor”, Reid’s words have fascinated and confounded.
Last survivor of the White Rose movement who was twice arrested by the Gestapo but liberated three days before her trial for treason
On February 18, 1943, Traute Lafrenz was walking to a neurology lecture at Munich University with her friend Willi Graf when she spotted Sophie and Hans Scholl hurrying through the empty courtyard. The siblings looked purposeful, if a little frazzled, but it was the leather suitcase that caught Lafrenz’s attention.
