The RIP Famous Person Thread

[harrybarracuda]

Gary Rossington, Last Original Member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dies at 71



Gary Rossington, the legendary guitarist who became the last surviving original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, died on Sunday. He was 71.
“It is with our deepest sympathy and sadness that we have to advise, that we lost our brother, friend, family member, songwriter and guitarist, Gary Rossington, today,” the band wrote on Facebook. “Gary is now with his Skynyrd brothers and family in heaven and playing it pretty, like he always does.”

A cause of death was not immediately given, though Rossington had been hospitalized multiple times in recent years over heart problems and took his leave from the band in 2021, citing the strenuous impact of touring on his blood oxygen levels. He had emergency heart surgery the same year, but eventually recovered and rejoined the band.
“The last of the Free Birds has flown home,” the Twitter account run by the estate of Charlie Daniels, the country singer and Rossington’s late friend, tweeted.

A long-haired cat from Jacksonville, Florida, Rossington was undoubtedly living out his ninth life in his final years. Tragedy dogged Lynyrd Skynyrd, most notably in the form of the 1977 plane crash that killed six people, including three of the band’s members—frontman Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and backup singer Cassie Gaines—and devastated the 20 survivors.

Rossington was left with two broken arms, a broken leg, a punctured stomach and liver, injuries grave enough that the news of his bandmates’ deaths was initially kept from him. “When I woke up after a few days, there was just a priest and my mama standing there,” he told music journalist Lee Ballinger for his oral history of the band. “I went ‘What happened?’ I was in shock and they said, ‘Don’t tell him anything, it’ll freak him out.’ And I went ‘Mama?’ And she told me.”

Three days before the crash, Lynyrd Skynyrd had released Street Survivors, their fifth studio album. On it was the single “That Smell,” a darkly finger-wagging song that Van Zant had been inspired to write after Rossington had narrowly escaped death the year prior, drunkenly crashing his Ford Torino into an oak tree. “I had a creepy feeling things were going against us, so I thought I’d blow lines, slam some H and write a morbid song,” Van Zant said, according to author Tim Morse.

The band was able to reform for a reunion tour in 1987 with Van Zant’s brother Johnny leading them (and Rossington playing with steel rods in his arm and leg). Skynyrd would soldier on in the years to come, eventually chewing through more than 25 members. During “Free Bird,” the band’s iconic nine-minute opus defined by Rossington’s slide guitar solo, a screen overhead would flash through the names of all its deceased members.

At the time of Rossington’s death, the band was gearing up for a 22-city summer tour with ZZ Top. “It’s a tribute band right now, and everybody knows it’s not the original,” he told Rolling Stone last year. “Everybody who comes to see us is told that during the show, and probably knows before they even get there. But people still come to hear it live.”

The band’s original lineup was Rossington, Van Zant, drummer Bob Burns, guitarist Allen Collins, and bassist Larry Junstrom. Growing up playing baseball together in Jacksonville, Rossington, Van Zant, and Burns decided to try jamming together after Burns was smacked in the shoulder by a ball hit by Van Zant. It was 1964; they began calling themselves My Backyard, and spent the next five years gigging around the area. They switched the name of the group to The Noble Five, then to The One Percent, then finally to Lynyrd Skynyrd, paying “tongue-in-cheek homage” to a gym teacher who had tortured Rossington for his shaggy hair.

As the real Leonard Skinner would later observe to The Times-Union of Jacksonville, “They were good, talented, hard-working boys. They worked hard, lived hard and boozed hard.” Their self-titled 1973 debut LP, subtitled Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd, went double platinum and hit No. 27 on the Billboard 200. Four more studio albums and a live album would follow before the plane crash brought it all to a screeching halt.

“I’ve talked about it here and there, but I don’t like to,” Rossington told Rolling Stone of the crash in 2006, the same year the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “It was a devastating thing. You can’t just talk about it real casual and not have feelings about it.”

Still, Rossington, who’d grown up imitating Elvis in front of the mirror and was inspired to buy his first guitar at 13 after seeing The Rolling Stones perform on television, remained grateful for it all. “I thank God every day and night that I can keep playing and spreading the name of Skynyrd and our brand…” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2014.

“We had a dream back in the day to be in a big band and make it and then it was taken away from them real quick,” he continued. “They didn’t get a chance to see how Skynyrd developed, how ‘Free Bird’ became an anthem. So I get to tell their story.”



https://www.thedailybeast.com/gary-r...yrd-dies-at-71

[harrybarracuda]

I wonder if she knew?

Mystic Meg, one of Britain's most famous astrologers, dies aged 80



Margaret Lake, known as Mystic Meg, has died aged 80.

The astrologer had written daily horoscopes for the Sun for almost 23 years.

The paper reported that she was admitted to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London last month suffering from flu. She died at 3.45am this morning.

Her agent of 34 years Dave Shapland told the Sun: "Without any question, she was Britain's most famous astrologer by a million miles.

"Nobody came close to Meg in that respect. She was followed by millions in this country and also around the world.

"She even became part of the English language - if a politician, somebody from showbiz or ordinary people in the street are asked a tricky question they will say 'Who do you think I am, Mystic Meg?'

"It shows what an impact she made."

Victoria Newton, the editor of the Sun, said: "This is devastating news. We have lost an icon.

"Our brilliant and incomparable Meg was synonymous with The Sun - she was a total legend. We loved her and so did our readers. For more than two decades Mystic Meg has been a must read column and cemented her as Britain's most famous astrologer. She was a true professional whose guidance helped our readers daily - our postbag bears testament to this".

"One of my favourite memories of Meg is when all the Spice Girls came to the office, just as they were riding high at number one.

"We planned a tour for them but all they wanted to do was meet Mystic Meg!

"You know you're a true icon when the only person Victoria Beckham is interested in is you.

"Farewell Meg. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Our thoughts are with her family and friends."

Mystic Meg was born on 27 July 1942 in Accrington, Lancashire.

She received a teacher's diploma from the university of Leeds.

She did not go into teaching and instead worked as a sub editor on a women's magazine.

She also wrote erotic stories and worked as a journalist at the now-defunct News of the World magazine.

She started her phone-line horoscope readings in 1989 and soon became a household name.

She was also a feature on the National Lottery TV show in the 1990s when she would appear on stage and with her crystal ball to predict who would win the weekly jackpot.

Her horoscopes and clairvoyant messages captured the imagination of the public and she received huge amounts of correspondence - particularly from angry Manchester United fans who were angry Mystic Meg predicted their team would lose to Everton in the FA Cup final in 1995.

Mystic Meg, one of Britain's most famous astrologers, dies aged 80 | Ents & Arts News | Sky News

[david44]

Manchester United fans who were angry Mystic Meg predicted their team would lose to Everton in the FA Cup final in 1995

[harrybarracuda]

Topol, Fiddler on the Roof Star, Dies At 87



Chaim Topol, star of Fiddler on the Roof, has died at 87. Known mononymously as Topol, the legendary Israeli actor is best known for starring as Tevye in the stage and screen versions of Fiddler on the Roof. Though he has many stage and screen credits to his name over the years, including Flash Gordon and For Your Eyes Only, Topol had been mostly absent from the public eye in recent years due to Alzheimer’s disease.
Now, after a long battle with the illness, Topol has passed away in Israel at the age of 87, his representative confirmed to CNN. Shortly after his death, a number of notable Israeli figures paid tribute to Topol and conveyed condolences, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who called the actor a “multi-faceted artist with great charisma and energy" whose "contribution to Israeli culture will live on for generations.” Israel’s president Isaac Herzog honored Topol as a “gifted actor who conquered many stages in Israel and overseas, filled the cinema screens with his presence and especially entered deep into our hearts.”
Topol, Fiddler on the Roof Star, Dies At 87

[Happy As Larry]

Traute Lafrenz, the last of the White Rose anti-Nazi resistance, dies aged 103

The last surviving member of the White Rose resistance movement, which urged Germans to stand up against Nazi tyranny during the second world war, has died, according to the group’s historical foundation.
Traute Lafrenz died at her home in South Carolina on Monday at the age of 103, the group said in a statement on Thursday, paying tribute to her “courageous resistance and lasting testimony”.
One of the most famous groups to resist the Nazis in Germany, the White Rose distributed anti-war pamphlets at Munich university in 1942-3, calling on people to rise up against the regime.
According to the foundation, Lafrenz met Hans Scholl, one of the founders of the group along with his sister Sophie Scholl and Christoph Probst, in the summer of 1941.
A year later, Lafrenz, a medical student, came across a flyer and realised Hans Scholl’s involvement from the literary quotations used in the text.

She carried flyers to Hamburg where they were distributed by friends.
When Hans and Sophie Scholl were arrested in February 1943, Lafrenz drove to the city of Ulm to inform their family.

Following a summary trial, the original White Rose leaders – the Scholl siblings and Probst – were beheaded at the Stadelheim prison in Bavaria, along with others including their philosophy professor Kurt Huber.
In April 1943, Lafrenz also fell into the hands of the Gestapo, the Nazi secret police, and was sentenced to a year in prison for “complicity”.

Shortly after her release, she was arrested again by the Gestapo in Hamburg. Lafrenz spent time in four Nazi prisons before her liberation from the one in Bayreuth in April 1945.
She emigrated to the US in 1947, where she completed her medical studies.

On her 100th birthday in 2019, the German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, praised her as a “hero of freedom and humanity”.
Lafrenz was one of few people who, “faced with the crimes of the Nazis, had the courage to listen to the voice of her conscience and to rebel against the dictatorship and the genocide of the Jews”, he said at the time.

Lafrenz’s contemporary Sophie Scholl, born on 9 May 1921, has become the most famous face of the resistance movement, with surviving photos showing her distinctive cropped hair and determined smile.
Hundreds of schools and streets now bear her name, and in 2003 she was named the nation’s fourth favourite German behind Konrad Adenauer, Martin Luther and Karl Marx.


tps://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/09/traute-lafrenz-the-last-of-the-white-rose-anti-nazi-resistance-dies-aged-103

[Loy Toy]

^ An absolute once in a lifetime person and should be lauded as one of the greatest Human Beings ever.

I've never heard of her before but respect her and love her as a fellow Human Being.

Thank you and RIP!

[harrybarracuda]

Robert Blake, actor who was tried over wife’s killing, dies at 89




Robert Blake, the Emmy award-winning performer who was tried and acquitted in the killing of his wife, has died age 89.

A statement released on behalf of his niece, Noreen Austin, said Blake died from heart disease, surrounded by family at home in Los Angeles.

Blake’s career never recovered from the long ordeal that began with the shooting death of his wife Bonny Lee Bakley outside a Studio City restaurant on 4 May 2001.

He was adamant that he had not killed his wife, and a jury ultimately acquitted him. But a civil jury would find him liable for her death and order him to pay Bakley’s family $30m, a judgment that sent him into bankruptcy.

The daughter he and Bakley had together, Rose Lenore, was raised by other relatives and went for years without seeing Blake, until they spoke in 2019. She would tell People magazine that she called him Robert, not Dad.

In his youth, Blake starred in the Our Gang comedies and acted in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, a movie classic. As an adult, he was praised for his portrayal of the murderer Perry Smith in the movie of Truman Capote’s true crime bestseller In Cold Blood.

His career peaked with the 1975-78 TV cop series Baretta. He starred as a detective who carried a pet cockatoo on his shoulder and was fond of disguises. It was typical of his specialty, portraying tough guys with soft hearts, and its signature line “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time” was often quoted.

Blake won an Emmy in 1975 for his portrayal of Tony Baretta, although behind the scenes the show was racked by disputes involving the temperamental star. He gained a reputation as one of Hollywood’s finest actors but also one of the most difficult to work with. He later admitted to struggles with alcohol and drug addiction in his early life.

In 1993, Blake won another Emmy for the title role in Judgment Day: the John List Story, portraying a soft-spoken, churchgoing man who murdered his wife and three children.

Blake’s career had slowed down well before the trial. He made only a handful of screen appearances after the mid-1980s; his last project was in David Lynch’s Lost Highway, released in 1997.

According to his niece, Blake spent his recent years “enjoying jazz music, playing his guitar, reading poetry and watching many Hollywood classic films.”

Blake married the actor Sondra Kerr married in 1961 and they had two children, Noah and Delinah. They divorced in 1983.

His fateful meeting with Bakley came in 1999 at a jazz club where he went to escape loneliness. “Here I was, 67 or 68 years old. My life was on hold. My career was stalled out,” he said in a 2002 interview. “I’d been alone for a long time.”

He said he had no reason to dislike Bakley: “She took me out of the stands and put me back in the arena. I had something to live for.”

When Bakley gave birth to a baby girl, she named Christian Brando – son of Marlon – as the father. But DNA tests pointed to Blake.

Blake first saw the little girl, named Rosie, when she was two months old and she became the focus of his life. He married Bakley because of the child. “Rosie is my blood. Rosie is calling to me,” he said. “I have no doubt that Rosie and I are going to walk off into the sunset together.”

Prosecutors would claim that he planned to kill Bakley to get sole custody of the baby and tried to hire hitmen for the job. But evidence was muddled and a jury rejected that theory.

On her last night alive, the couple dined out. He claimed she was shot when he left her in the car and returned to the restaurant to retrieve a handgun he had inadvertently left behind. Police were initially baffled and Blake was not arrested until a year later.

Robert Blake, actor who was tried over wife’s killing, dies at 89 | US news | The Guardian

[Happy As Larry]

Robert Blake, actor who was tried over wife’s killing, dies at 89

Robert Blake, the Emmy award-winning performer who was tried and acquitted in the killing of his wife, has died age 89.

A statement released on behalf of his niece, Noreen Austin, said Blake died from heart disease, surrounded by family at home in Los Angeles.

Blake’s career never recovered from the long ordeal that began with the shooting death of his wife Bonny Lee Bakley outside a Studio City restaurant on 4 May 2001.
He was adamant that he had not killed his wife, and a jury ultimately acquitted him. But a civil jury would find him liable for her death and order him to pay Bakley’s family $30m, a judgment that sent him into bankruptcy.

The daughter he and Bakley had together, Rose Lenore, was raised by other relatives and went for years without seeing Blake, until they spoke in 2019. She would tell People magazine that she called him Robert, not Dad.
In his youth, Blake starred in the Our Gang comedies and acted in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, a movie classic. As an adult, he was praised for his portrayal of the murderer Perry Smith in the movie of Truman Capote’s true crime bestseller In Cold Blood.
His career peaked with the 1975-78 TV cop series Baretta. He starred as a detective who carried a pet cockatoo on his shoulder and was fond of disguises. It was typical of his specialty, portraying tough guys with soft hearts, and its signature line “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time” was often quoted…………………….

Robert Blake, actor who was tried over wife’s killing, dies at 89 | US news | The Guardian

[david44]

TIDY UP

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64932762

Bill Tidy: Cartoonist who appeared on Countdown and Countryfile dies aged 89





Image caption,Bill Tidy appeared on many television shows including The Chris Stuart Cha Cha Chat Show in 1985

By Rachel Russell
BBC News





Bill Tidy, the cartoonist who was known for his quick artistry on shows including Countdown and Countryfile, has died at the age of 89.


His family paid tribute to "the most brilliant cartoonist and the very best dad" after he died with his children, Sylvia and Rob, by his side.


Among Tidy's greatest works in a decades long career were The Fosdyke Saga and The Cloggies.


But his health declined in recent years after he suffered two serious strokes.


In a statement on his official Facebook page, Tidy's family said: "It is with huge sadness that I have to share with you the tragic news that we lost our dad, who is not only the most brilliant cartoonist but the very best dad two sons, a son-in-law and a daughter could ever wish for."


Tidy, who was born in Liverpool in 1933, did not receive any formal artistic training growing up and instead started his working life in the Royal Engineers branch of the Army.


His cartoonist career began when he sold a sketch to a Japanese newspaper in 1955.


Skip twitter post by David Quantick



End of twitter post by David Quantick



He went on to publish cartoon strips in a host of UK national newspapers, including The Fosdyke Saga for the Daily Mirror and The Cloggies for Private Eye.


The Fosdyke Saga became so popular it eventually became the subject of a 42-part radio series for the BBC from 1983.


Over the years he also appeared on television shows such as Watercolour Challenge, Countdown, Blankety Blank and Countryfile and he illustrated more than 70 books.


Tidy was awarded an MBE in 2000 for services to journalism and helped to set up the British Cartoonists' Association.

[david44]

[harrybarracuda]

Chinese military surgeon who blew the whistle on Sars cover-up dies at 91




Jiang Yanyong, the military surgeon who blew the whistle on a cover-up of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) outbreak in 2003, died in Beijing on Saturday. He was 91.


He died in the People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, where he worked for decades, from pneumonia and other illnesses at around 3.30pm on Saturday, according to sources.


It is not known if his death was related to Covid-19. But a source who knows the family said Jiang had tested positive for the virus in January, when it was sweeping across many parts of China after zero-Covid restrictions were lifted.


Jiang, who was the PLA hospital’s chief surgeon before he retired, became a national hero in 2003 when he revealed that the Chinese authorities had covered up the extent of the deadly Sars outbreak in Beijing.


In April of that year, Jiang told Time magazine he was angered and shocked by then-health minister Zhang Wenkang’s claim that there were only a dozen people being treated for Sars in Beijing at the time. He spoke to his colleagues and discovered at least 60 people being treated for the virus in the hospital where he worked, seven of whom had died.


Before he spoke to foreign media, Jiang had written to two mainland Chinese outlets – Phoenix Television and China Central Television – about his discovery but his letter was ignored. It was then obtained by foreign media.


It was a bombshell that saw Beijing come under intense international and domestic pressure, prompting an effort by the authorities to shift the narrative. About two weeks later Zhang and Beijing mayor Meng Xuenong were fired. The authorities also released a new tally of cases that was 10 times higher than the official figure given in early April – it said there were more than 300 confirmed cases and 400 suspected cases as of April 20.


A huge campaign was also rolled out to fight the epidemic, which ended up claiming nearly 800 lives worldwide.
Jiang – who was then 71 and had already stepped down as the hospital’s top surgeon – was recognised for his efforts by mainland media and intellectuals at the time. He rarely spoke to the media and maintained that he was a loyal Communist Party member.


But the following year, after writing to party leaders to condemn the deadly crackdown on the Tiananmen pro-democracy protesters in 1989, he was detained for nearly seven weeks, when his family said he was subjected to interrogation and indoctrination.


In the letter, in which Jiang called for redress for the Tiananmen movement, he described how his head “buzzed” and he almost fainted as he saw young student protesters who had been killed and injured in the crackdown.


He was later held under intermittent house arrest, and became largely a taboo subject for mainland media. Most of the posts about Jiang’s death and tributes have been censored on Chinese social media in the last two days.


Jiang was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in August 2004, but was unable to accept it because he was banned from leaving China and his daughter received it in Manila on his behalf.


Chinese military surgeon who blew the whistle on Sars cover-up dies at 91 | South China Morning Post

[KWAN]

[harrybarracuda]

Masatoshi Ito, Japanese billionaire behind the rise of 7-Eleven, dies at 98




Hong Kong/TokyoCNN —
Masatoshi Ito, the Japanese billionaire who turned 7-Eleven convenience stores into a global empire, has died aged 98, closing the chapter on one of Asia’s most storied retail entrepreneurs.

Seven & I Holdings (SVNDF), operator of 7-Eleven, confirmed the death in a statement on Monday, adding that Ito died from old age on March 10.

“We would like to express our deepest gratitude for your kindness and friendship during his life and respectfully inform you of his passing,” the company said.

Ito transformed everyday retail in Japan, turning a US-born company into an international brand, particularly in Asia where 7-Eleven shops are rarely more than a few minutes’ walk away in many cities.

Seven & I Holdings now operates over 83,000 stores around the world, including 7-Eleven shops in 19 regions and countries as well as the Speedway convenience store chain in the United States.

Chief competitors include the Japanese-owned Lawson and Family Mart convenience store franchises, but neither has reached the sheer size or global reach of the 7-Eleven empire.

Ito’s business acumen was influenced by his friendship with the late management consultant Peter Drucker, who described Ito as “one of the world’s outstanding entrepreneurs and business builders.”

In a 1988 interview with The Journal of Japanese Trade and Industry, Ito said he traveled to the US in 1960 and “experienced a kind of cultural shock at how rich everybody seemed” at a time when Japan was recovering from the aftermath of World War II.

“I became particularly conscious of the sheer size of America’s consumer society and the distribution techniques that made it all possible,” he was quoted as saying.

“It then occurred to me that people in different cultures still have basically the same desires, assuming that they are at the same of development, and I thought that Japan’s distribution system would become more like America’s as the Japanese consumer society grew bigger.”

Masatoshi Ito, Japanese billionaire behind the rise of 7-Eleven, dies at 98 | CNN Business

[Loy Toy]

^ He influenced me with his innovation and as simple a concept that an average minded person can understand.

Proves one again keep it simple and stupid!

[malmomike77]

Fosbury has flopped

[david44]

Proves one again keep it simple and stupid!

Buckets full of advice

In addition to Sports bar with benfots (wash kids, meet crusty (pie) shoot your chicken in the basket fresh at the rifle range, beauty contest , gay friendly squish courts, tennis, puddle, karaoke , pie shop cum punters bar you might add a 7-11?

Apparently the funeral Music will be


DING DONG your welcome!!

A succinct ad would work for me with many paces offering hot chicks and cold beer

HOT PIES
COOL ATMOSPHERE
(so you can play jazz when aircon fails!)

[S Landreth]

Not yet, but……

Biden lets it slip that Jimmy Carter wants him to deliver Carter's eulogy

[harrybarracuda]

Jim Gordon, Drummer for Eric Clapton and ‘Layla’ Co-Writer Who Was Convicted of Murder, Dies at 77



Jim Gordon, a top drummer for Eric Clapton, George Harrison and countless others who was diagnosed with schizophrenia after murdering his mother in 1983, has died.

According to the announcement, he died Monday from natural causes at California Medical Facility in Vacavillle, Calif., after a long incarceration and lifelong battle with mental illness. He was 77.

Gordon was a member of Clapton’s group Derek and the Dominos and is the credited co-writer of the classic 1970 hit “Layla,” and played on literally hundreds of songs as part of the elite crew of session musicians known as the Wrecking Crew. He was also a member of Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen group and Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, and was one of the main drummers on George Harrison’s epochal 1970 album “All Things Must Pass.” His work on the Incredible Bongo Band’s 1972 song “Apache” is one of the most sampled drum breaks in hip-hop history.

Any casual fan of 1960s and ’70s rock has heard his playing on songs by the Beach Boys (including the “Pet Sounds” album), Steely Dan (“Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”), Carly Simon (“You’re So Vain”), Gordon Lightfoot, Harry Nilsson, Sonny and Cher, Nancy Sinatra, Glen Campbell, Leon Russell and even the Byrds — that whipcrack drum fill at the end of their 1967 cover of Carole King and Gerry Goffin’s “Goin’ Back” was played by him. He was indisputably one of the greatest rock drummers of his era, but his long, improperly treated mental illness resulted in the murder of his mother.

Born in 1945, he was raised in California’s San Fernando Valley and began his professional career the day after he graduated high school in 1963, playing with the Everly Brothers. He cut his teeth as a session musician on hits by many of the above artists, occasionally touring with the likes of Delaney and Bonnie, Cocker and Derek and the Dominos.

However, he had a history of mental illness and his behavior became unstable in the late 1960s. While on tour with Cocker in 1970, he assaulted singer Rita Coolidge, his girlfriend at the time. Quoted in Bill Janovitz’s Leon Russell biography, Coolidge says, “Jim said very quietly, so only I could hear, ‘Can I talk to you for just a minute?’ He meant he wanted to talk alone. So we walked out of the room together … And then he hit me so hard that I was lifted off the floor and slammed against the wall on the other side of the hallway… It came from nowhere.”

While he had been treated for mental illness, Gordon previously had exhibited few if any signs of unstable behavior to his fellow musicians. “He was an amazing guy, just really so charismatic,” Coolidge continued. “[But] after everything happened, I started to recognize that look in his eye and knew that he was not playing with a full deck.”

However, the tour and Gordon’s busy career continued, peaking with Derek and the Dominos — Gordon is credited with the piano-driven, instrumental second half of “Layla” (although two of his bandmates insist that the composition was actually written by Coolidge). His career continued through the ‘70s via work with Alice Cooper, Steely Dan, Dave Mason, Helen Reddy, Frank Zappa, Johnny Rivers and many others.

In June of 1983, he bludgeoned and then stabbed his 72-year-old mother to death, claiming that voices told him to do so. He was then officially diagnosed with schizophrenia and in 1984 was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison. He was up for parole multiple times, which was denied.

Jim Gordon, Drummer and 'Layla' Cowriter Convicted of Murder, Dies - Variety

[Happy As Larry]

David Lindley obituary David Lindley obituary | Pop and rock | The Guardian

Sought-after session player best known for his collaborations with Ry Cooder and Jackson Browne
When Ry Cooder famously made his debut appearance at Glastonbury, playing on the Pyramid stage on a damp day in June 1990, he chose not to be backed by a band but by a second guitarist who came on sporting bright red trousers, and hair and sideburns that were very long, even by rock music standards. The duo perched on stools, surrounded by a dozen guitars, mandolins or bouzoukis, and proceeded to prove that they were both virtuoso players who could sound as thrilling as any amplified band as they switched from the atmospheric Paris, Texas to songs made famous by Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly or Jerry Lee Lewis.

Cooder’s companion, David Lindley, who has died aged 78, was a musicians’ musician. He may never have been as well known as those he played with, but he was one of the most sought-after session players in the US. Best known for his collaborations with Cooder and Jackson Browne, he also recorded with an astonishing list of musicians that included Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Iggy Pop, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, John Prine, David Crosbyy, Graham Nash, Ben Harper, Rickie Lee Jones and Bruce Springsteen.

They wanted to work with Lindley not just because he was a great musician who could play almost any stringed instrument, from guitar and fiddle to slide guitar and mandolin through to oud and bouzouki, but because he knew how to interpret the mood of a song, adding texture and emotion without ever dominating.

His own musical taste was far more varied than the rock or singer-songwriter styles of the stars for whom he acted as sideman. When leading his own band, El Rayo-X, he was able to branch out and demonstrate his sense of humour as he explored blues, funk and reggae.
Like Cooder, he was fascinated by musical styles from around the world, and some of his most original recordings were with musicians from Madagascar, Hawaii, Norway and Jordan. …………………................

[misskit]

'THE WIRE' STAR LANCE REDDICK
DEAD AT 60



Lance Reddick, famous for his work on HBO's "The Wire" and the "John Wick" movie franchise has died ... TMZ has learned.


Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Lance's body was discovered at his Studio City home Friday morning around 9:30 AM. His cause of death is currently unclear, but our law enforcement sources say it appears to be natural.

Lance had been doing a press tour for the fourth installment of the 'John Wick' franchise -- he plays Charon in the movie -- and had a guest appearance scheduled for next week on Kelly Clarkson's show.

Lance posted a selfie video on social media Wednesday morning, appearing to be at home with his dogs instead of attending the 'Wick 4' premiere in New York City ... though he never mentioned why he wasn't going to the premiere.

Before his work on 'Wick,' Lance was best known for playing fictional Baltimore Police Department officer Cedrick Daniels on the hit HBO series "The Wire" ... with his character appearing in all five seasons.


Lance also had recurring roles on a bunch of popular TV shows ... including "Fringe," "Bosch," "Oz" and "Lost."

In addition to his success on TV, Lance also acted on the big screen outside the 'Wick' franchise ... with credits in films like "Angel Has Fallen" and "Godzilla Vs. Kong."


Lance has some unreleased projects in the works ... he plays the Greek god Zeus in the upcoming Disney+ series, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians."

Born and raised in Baltimore, Lance earned a music degree from the University of Rochester and he got his MFA from Yale.


Lance was 60.


RIP

'The Wire' Star Lance Reddick Dead at 60

[TizMe]

NRL news 2023, John Sattler dead aged 80 after battle with dementia

Rugby league icon John Sattler has died at the age of 80.


Sattler had suffered from dementia for a number of years.


He played 195 games for South Sydney in the 1960s and 70s, and famously led the Rabbitohs to victory in the 1970 grand final despite breaking his jaw during the game.

That was one of four premierships he won with his beloved Bunnies, having been named captain of the team in 1967 and that season leading the club to its first title in 12 years.


He also captained South Sydney to titles in 1968 and 1971.


He was inducted into the National Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2008.

Following the 1967 grand final, Sattler was picked to represent Australia and toured with the Kangaroos to Great Britain and France.


He began his career at lock and later transitioned to the front row, and to this day is regarded as one of the toughest players to ever play the game.


This was never more evident than the 1970 premiership decider, when he broke his jaw in the first five minutes but played the rest of the game and led the Rabbitohs to a 23-12 victory over Manly.


The injury unfortunately robbed Sattler of the chance to represent Australia at the World Cup that year.


Sattler's son, Scott, played 203 first grade games and famously pulled off a grand final winning tackle for Penrith in 2003.

[Bob Mason]

Niccholas Webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber'''s son Nicholas dies aged 43 - BBC News

[harrybarracuda]

Entertainment legend Paul O'Grady has died "unexpectedly but peacefully" at the age of 67, his partner Andre Portasio has announced.



The star came to prominence in the 1980s with his drag alter-ego Lily Savage, who then broke into the mainstream as a presenter of shows including Blankety Blank, The Big Breakfast and The Lily Savage Show.
O'Grady went on to host his own hugely-popular daytime chat show, which ran for 15 series on ITV and Channel 4, the long-running Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs and a short-lived revival of Blind Date for Channel 5.

Portasio said in a statement: "It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening.
"We ask, at this difficult time, that whilst you celebrate his life you also respect our privacy as we come to terms with this loss.

"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."
O'Grady was not known to be in ill health prior to his death although he did have a history of heart problems, having suffered two heart attacks in 2002 and 2006, while in 2013 he underwent heart surgery following an angina attack.
Earlier this month he completed a short stint playing the role of Miss Hannigan in Annie in Newcastle and had been due to present a show on Boom Radio this Easter.
O'Grady is survived by daughter Sharon, a grandson and a granddaughter.

Paul O'Grady dies, aged 67 - Media Mole

[Bob Mason]

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Japanese electronic music maestro dies - BBC News

[Bob Mason]

Nigel Lawson: Reforming Chancellor dies aged 91 - BBC News

Nigel, Nigella's father, has died.