Joe Cocker dies at age 70

Singer Joe Cocker, best known for his cover of the Beatles' With A Little Help From My Friends, has died aged 70.

The singer song-writer from Sheffield had a career lasting more than 40 years with hits including You Are So Beautiful and Up Where We Belong.

His agent Barrie Marshall confirmed that he had died of an undisclosed illness.

He said he was "simply unique" and "it will be impossible to fill the space he leaves in our hearts."

Known for his gritty voice, Cocker began his singing career in the pubs and clubs of Sheffield in the 1960s before hitting the big time.

He was propelled to pop stardom when his version of The Beatles' With A Little Help from My Friends reached number one.

His duet with Jennifer Warnes, Up Where We Belong - from An Officer And A Gentleman - hit number one and went on to win both a Grammy and an Academy Award.

He was honoured with an OBE in 2007.


As the article mentioned, he had a lot of hits but this was personal favorite. Probably because it got almost no airplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyTzBnk3ilg

Leonard Nimoy passes away at 83:http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/27/arts/television/leonard-nimoy-spock-of-star-trek-dies-at-83.html

gaijinmark wrote:

Leonard Nimoy passes away at 83:http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/27/arts/television/leonard-nimoy-spock-of-star-trek-dies-at-83.html

RIP, Mr. Nimoy.

Cynthia Lennon dead at 75

Cynthia Lennon, the late John Lennon's wife from 1962-1968, has died at age 75 from cancer. According to a rep, her sole child with the former Beatle -- Julian Lennon -- was with her at the time of her death.

Here's the statement:

"Cynthia Lennon passed away today at her home in Mallorca, Spain following a short but brave battle with cancer. Her son Julian Lennon was at her bedside throughout. The family are thankful for your prayers. Please respect their privacy at this difficult time."

Cynthia met John when she was 18 and he was on the cusp of fame with the Beatles. They married in 1962 after she became pregnant with their only child, Julian Lennon, who was born in 1963. Their marriage was notoriously rocky, with Cynthia claiming her former husband struck her on one occasion.

"He was a very jealous young man at the time, and he had a lot of pain inside," she said in later years. "He wanted to trust me and he thought by seeing me dancing with a friend of his that I was being disloyal or messing around. So he smacked me, but that was the only time."

John divorced Cynthia in 1968 and married Yoko Ono in 1969, who he remained with until he was shot and killed in 1980. Cynthia wrote two books about their life together: A Twist of Lennon in 1980 and John in 2005.

B.B. King 'King of the Blues' dead at 89

LAS VEGAS — B.B. King, whose scorching guitar licks and heartfelt vocals made him the idol of generations of musicians and fans while earning him the nickname "King of the Blues," died late Thursday. He was 89.

Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg confirmed the death to NBC News. Earlier, attorney Brent Bryson told The Associated Press that King died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Las Vegas.

Although he had continued to perform well into his 80s, the 15-time Grammy winner suffered from diabetes and had been in declining health during the past year. He collapsed during a concert in Chicago last October, later blaming dehydration and exhaustion. He had been in hospice care at his Las Vegas home.

Born Riley B. King on Sept. 16, 1925, on a tenant farm near Itta Bena, Mississippi, he was raised by his grandmother after his parents separated and his mother died. He worked as a sharecropper for five years.

For most of a career spanning nearly 70 years, King was not only the undisputed king of the blues but a mentor to scores of guitarists, who included Eric Clapton, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, John Mayall and Keith Richards. He recorded more than 50 albums and toured the world well into his 80s, often performing 250 or more concerts a year.

King played a Gibson guitar he affectionately called Lucille with a style that included beautifully crafted single-string runs punctuated by loud chords, subtle vibratos and bent notes.

The result could bring chills to an audience, no more so than when King used it to full effect on his signature song, "The Thrill is Gone." He would make his guitar shout and cry in anguish as he told the tale of forsaken love, then end with a guttural shouting of the final lines: "Now that it's all over, all I can do is wish you well."

King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and received the Songwriters Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush, gave a guitar to Pope John Paul II and had President Barack Obama sing along to his "Sweet Home Chicago."

gaijinmark wrote:

B.B. King 'King of the Blues' dead at 89

Sad news. Over the decades I've seen B.B. King perform more times than I've seen any other performer.

His place as an American musical icon is commensurate with that of Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Woody Guthrie, Louis Armstrong, or Johnny Cash.

And he was unique, or at least exceedingly rare in one respect: a select few artists are great musicians, a select few are great singers--B.B. King was great at both.

Everybody always talks about actors like Karloff and Lugosi, but this guy could scare the living bejabbers out of you too.

Christopher Lee passes away at 93

June 11 2015; 8:46 AM EDT

Christopher Lee, the prolific actor best known for playing some of the cinema�fs biggest villains in a career that spanned more than 65 years, has died at the age of 93. His family had no comment on the death when contacted by EW. The Guardian reported Lee died on Sunday due to respiratory problems and heart failure.

Born in England in 1922, Lee served in the Royal Air Force during World War II as an intelligence officer. Tall and classically handsome with a deep, richly resonant voice, Lee quickly took to acting after the war, but he didn�ft find his place in the film industry until he was cast as the monster in 1957�fs The Curse of Frankenstein. The project would begin a long and fruitful relationship for Lee with the U.K. company Hammer Film Productions, best known for its series of gothic horror movies. Indeed, in 1958, he was cast as the title vampire in Dracula, a role that would become practically synonymous with Lee�fs face for horror fans. Lee would revisit the infamous blood-sucker in at least eight more movies over the next 20 years.

But Dracula was far from Lee�fs only iconic character. The actor played Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Fu Manchu several times, as well as the rogue Rochefort in 1973�fs The Three Musketeers and its 1974 sequel The Four Musketeers. He also portrayed the villain Francisco Scaramanga in the 1974 James Bond film The Man With the Golden Gun and the nefarious Lord Summerisle in the 1975 cult hit The Wicker Man.

�gI haven�ft spent my entire career playing the guy in the bad hat, although I have to say that the bad guy is frequently much more interesting than the good guy,�h Lee said of his career.

Lee experienced a career renaissance in the 2000s thanks to key roles in two massive Hollywood trilogies: He played the wizard Saruman in The Lord of the Rings saga (and played the role again in Peter Jackson�fs Rings prequel trilogy, The Hobbit), and the Sith lord Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequels. In 2009, Lee received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. At the time, the actor noted, �gTo be a legend, you�fve either got to be dead, or excessively old.�h

Lee�fs last major onscreen appearance came in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. He was cast alongside Uma Thurman in the forthcoming The 11th, but that film is not scheduled for release until next year. In his later years, he also expressed an interest in heavy metal, even releasing a Christmas album of songs in the genre.

�gAt my age, the most important thing for me is to keep active by doing things that I truly enjoy,�h Lee said in an interview about his musical passions last year. �gI do not know how long I am going to be around, so every day is a celebration and I want to share it with my fans.�h

John Steed is dead: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33279566

Omar Sharif dead at 83:http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-33483877

About a month ago they were showing another Peter O'Toole/Omar Sharif movie that I put in the class of "good movies nobody talks about", "Night of the Generals."

gaijinmark wrote:

Omar Sharif dead at 83:http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-33483877 About a month ago they were showing another Peter O'Toole/Omar Sharif movie that I put in the class of "good movies nobody talks about", "Night of the Generals."

Oh yeah... I caught some of that...Digital 5.3, wasn't it?

Broken Valentine�es lead vocalist Van (Kim Kyung Mi, 33) drowned last week. He was a good singer.

http://omonatheydidnt.livejournal.com/16325417.html#ixzz3iWtqNJZN

Kevin Corcoran passes away at 66

Kevin Corcoran, who played the youngest son in the 1957 Disney kids classic Old Yeller, then became a producer on such TV series as The Shield and Sons of Anarchy, has died. He was 66.

Corcoran, who worked on many Disney movies and TV shows behind and in front of the camera, died Tuesday at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank after a five-year battle with colorectal cancer, his wife, Laura, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Corcoran portrayed Arliss Coates, the youngest son of Jim (Fess Parker) and Katie (Dorothy McGuire) and the brother of Travis (Tommy Kirk), in the post-Civil War tear-jerker Old Yeller, which revolved around the family�fs heroic mastiff.

He and Kirk returned for the 1963 sequel Savage Sam, a tale about another courageous dog — Old Yeller�fs son.

Corcoran and Kirk made quite the team, also playing brothers in The Shaggy Dog (1959), Swiss Family Robinson (1960) and Bon Voyage! (1962), all at Disney. And he appeared in the studio's Pollyanna (1960) and Babes in Toyland (1961).

He also had the lead as a kid who runs away from home in Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus (1960).

RIP Moochie

Natalie Cole dies at 65

Natalie Cole, the American singer who overcame battles with substance abuse and the long shadow of her famous father to earn worldwide success of her own, has died. She was 65.

Cole died Thursday night at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles "due to complications from ongoing health issues," according to a statement from her family.

"It is with heavy hearts that we bring to you all the news of our Mother and sister's passing. Natalie fought a fierce, courageous battle, dying how she lived ... with dignity, strength and honor," her sisters, Timolin and Casey Cole, and son, Robert Yancy, said in the statement. "Our beloved Mother and sister will be greatly missed and remain unforgettable in our hearts forever."

The daughter of Nat "King" Cole built a chart-topping career with hits such as "This Will Be," "Inseparable" and "Our Love." She fought health problems for years and received a kidney transplant in 2009 after developing hepatitis, which she blamed on past intravenous drug use.

Cole recently had to cancel planned tour stops, including one in Louisville and one in New York due to illness, according to multiple reports.

Cole won nine Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year in 1992 for "Unforgettable ... With Love," a virtual duet made with the recordings of her late father.

David Bowie dead at 69


CNN)—David Bowie, whose incomparable sound and chameleon-like ability to reinvent himself made him a pop music fixture for more than four decades, has died. He was 69.

Bowie died Sunday after an 18-month battle with cancer, his publicist Steve Martin told CNN.

"David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family's privacy during their time of grief," said a statement posted on his official social media accounts.

Neither his publicist nor the statement elaborated on what kind of cancer the singer was fighting.

Bowie's death has been the regular subject of internet hoaxes for the last several years. So the news came as a shock to fans and industry insiders when it was confirmed.

"Very sorry and sad to say it's true. I'll be offline for a while. Love to all," his son, Duncan Jones, tweeted.

From a mop-topped unknown singer called David Jones, to his space alien alter ego "Ziggy Stardust," to his dapper departure as the Thin White Duke, Bowie married music and fashion in a way few artists have been able to master.

He was theatrical, he was flamboyant, he was without parallel in his showmanship.

With a voice that soared from a baritone to a falsetto, he spoke of carrying on against the odds. Of the terror in knowing what the world is about. Of turning and facing the strange.

Bowie had just released his latest album, 'Blackstar,' on Friday, his 69th birthday. It shot to no. 1 on the iTunes chart in the U.K. and no. 2 in the U.S., underscoring his appeal even after decades in the music business.

First Natalie Cole, now David Bowie... Sad.

bmwracer wrote:

First Natalie Cole, now David Bowie... Sad.

Bowie was a huge crush of mine.
_________________

Trade or Distro
It's all good!

Check out my drama trade list: http://www.freewebs.com/evendrama/

This thread has been way too active lately.

Glenn Frey passes away at 67


(CNN)—Glenn Frey, a founding member of the rock band the Eagles, has died at 67, a publicist for the band has confirmed.

"Glenn fought a courageous battle for the past several weeks but, sadly, succumbed to complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia," reads a post on the band's official website.

Frey had been suffering from intestinal issues, which caused the postponement of the band's inclusion in the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors.

Frey and the other original members of the Eagles — Don Henley, Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon -- came together to form singer Linda Ronstadt's backup band in the early 1970s.

They were all experienced musicians who brought their expertise to the country-tinged rock sound that the Eagles would eventually make famous.

Going on to form their own band, the Eagles found wild success. Throughout the 1970s the band released hit after hit, including "One of These Nights," "Best of My Love" and "Life in the Fast Lane,"

Frey played guitar and keyboard and took lead vocal duties for the band on tunes like "Take it Easy" and "Tequila Sunrise."

With "Hotel California" in 1976, the band reached the pinnacle of its success, selling 16 million copies. They released four number one albums consecutively between 1975 and 1979: "One of These Nights," "Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975," "Hotel California" and "The Long Run."

"Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975," was the first album certified platinum and has sold 29 million copies in the United States, second only to Michael Jackson's "Thriller," according to Rolling Stone.

The band has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

The band succumbed to internal squabbles and broke up in 1980. Frey, Henley and other band members were famously contentious.

"He was like a brother to me," Henley said in a statement Monday. "We were family, and like most families, there was some dysfunction. But, the bond we forged 45 years ago was never broken, even during the 14 years that the Eagles were dissolved."

Frey and Henley co-wrote many of the band's biggest hits, including "Best of My Love." "Lyin' Eyes," "One of These Nights" and "Hotel California."

Yikes...they're all dying in their 60s...
_________________

Beatles' producer George Martin dead at 90:http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beatles-producer-george-martin-dead-at-90-20160309?page=3

Honestly, I wasn't a fan of his, but still surprising news. Prince dead at 57:http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/prince-dead-at-57-20160421