Carrie Fisher, American actress, writer and Space Princess passed today.
The daughter of Burt Reynolds and Isla Fisher, she is most famous for her role in Star Wars. She famously portrayed Princess Leia as a no-nonsense independent woman, and the first woman in the galaxy to run a successful combination hairdresser/patisserie.
During the filming of Star Wars, Fisher admitted to having an affair with Han Solo, the man from UNCLE, in reality actor Harrison Ford. Ford explained his monochrome wardrobe in that film saying, "I could have any colour I wanted, as long as it was black."
Fisher also appeared in cult hit The Blues Brothers, which chronicled the struggle against depression experienced by two of the Reservoir Dogs.
Fisher battled throughout her life with the twin demons of addiction and bipolar disorder. The former caused her to smoke pot plants from the age of 13 onwards, the second rendered her unable to approach magnets. In her desperation to recover, she underwent numerous treatments, including the controversial electrofunk therapy, alienating many jazz funk purists.
It was these troubles that fuelled much of her work as a writer, as which she enjoyed something of a renaissance. Her first foray into writing was actually a collection of missives from U2's 1987 tour, Postcards from the Edge.
Other writings included Surrender the Pink, and Delusions of Grandma neither of which is advisable to Google for yourself. Her final book, The Princess Diarist was published this year, and detailed Fisher's early life as a shy San Francisco teenager who is thrown for a loop when, from out of the blue, she learns the astonishing news that she's a real-life princess!
Fisher was also known for her relationships, including years spent with musician Paul Simon, during which she was known as Al Fisher. The song Heart and Bones is about the relationship, although the title is widely considered a bit TMI.
She also dated comedian Dan Ackroyd, but the relationship couldn't survive his spending long periods of time away with the answer to the question 'Who ya gonna call' never being 'Carrie Fisher'.
Most recently, Fisher was seen on-screen reprising her role as Leia in Star Wars: Episode VII, proving to the world that her buns had not yet gone stale.
She described herself as an, "enthusiastic agnostic who would be happy to be shown that there is a God". So presumably that's been cleared up for her one way or another.
For someone who was part of so many childhoods, in a sense, Carrie Fisher cannot really die. As Princess Leia, she lives on, in a gold bikini and the imaginations millions of once-teenage boys.
Farewell Princess, you will be missed.
Tuesday, 27 December 2016
Sunday, 25 December 2016
George Michael 1963 - 2016
George Michael died today.
The son of a Greek Cypriot restaurant owner and an English dancer, his real name was Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, which he changed to George Michael in order to fit onto album covers, at a stroke wiping out his chance to become the highest scoring scrabble name in pop.
Inspired whilst eating a candy bar at school, George Michael teamed up with Andrew Ridgeley to form pop duo Wham!
Wham!'s success was extraordinary. Hits included the ballad of a man nodding off in a strip bar, Wake Me Up, Before You Go-Go, Club Tropicana a tribute to George's favourite juice brand, and Careless Whisper, suspected by many to be about about accidentally farting during a job interview.
In addition to his work with Wham! George performed with Band Aid on the hit Do They Know It's Christmas? to raise awareness of the chronic shortage of calendars in Africa. Although the song raised a great deal of money, critics complained that it was little more than a sticking plaster for the problem.
In 1986 George Michael left Wham! and began a solo career releasing the Album Faith, followed by Listen Without Prejudice, which everyone assumed was going to be rubbish. Meanwhile Ridgeley went on to marry Keren Woodward who was, interestingly, the Andrew Ridgeley of Bananarama.
It was also in 1986 that Michael was arrested in a public restroom for 'engaging in a lewd act', with a policeman who just happened to be passing, with his penis out, at the time. It was about this time that Michael came out as gay, after briefly considering the alternative, of coming out as a toilet attendant.
The penis-wrangling incident did little to dent Michael's popularity, so he tried again, getting arrested in London for possession of drugs in 2006 and again in 2008, although presumably not the same drugs. As a result of a conviction for driving under the influence of David Cassidy, he spent four weeks in Highpoint Prison, plenty of time to consider the irony of the name.
Despite the arrests, the scandal and Andrew Ridgeley, Michael managed to become one of the must successful British artists of all time, selling more than 100 million records worldwide and bringing joy to millions with his music.
So long George, I hope you got further than the edge of Heaven.
The son of a Greek Cypriot restaurant owner and an English dancer, his real name was Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, which he changed to George Michael in order to fit onto album covers, at a stroke wiping out his chance to become the highest scoring scrabble name in pop.
Inspired whilst eating a candy bar at school, George Michael teamed up with Andrew Ridgeley to form pop duo Wham!
Wham!'s success was extraordinary. Hits included the ballad of a man nodding off in a strip bar, Wake Me Up, Before You Go-Go, Club Tropicana a tribute to George's favourite juice brand, and Careless Whisper, suspected by many to be about about accidentally farting during a job interview.
In addition to his work with Wham! George performed with Band Aid on the hit Do They Know It's Christmas? to raise awareness of the chronic shortage of calendars in Africa. Although the song raised a great deal of money, critics complained that it was little more than a sticking plaster for the problem.
In 1986 George Michael left Wham! and began a solo career releasing the Album Faith, followed by Listen Without Prejudice, which everyone assumed was going to be rubbish. Meanwhile Ridgeley went on to marry Keren Woodward who was, interestingly, the Andrew Ridgeley of Bananarama.
It was also in 1986 that Michael was arrested in a public restroom for 'engaging in a lewd act', with a policeman who just happened to be passing, with his penis out, at the time. It was about this time that Michael came out as gay, after briefly considering the alternative, of coming out as a toilet attendant.
The penis-wrangling incident did little to dent Michael's popularity, so he tried again, getting arrested in London for possession of drugs in 2006 and again in 2008, although presumably not the same drugs. As a result of a conviction for driving under the influence of David Cassidy, he spent four weeks in Highpoint Prison, plenty of time to consider the irony of the name.
Despite the arrests, the scandal and Andrew Ridgeley, Michael managed to become one of the must successful British artists of all time, selling more than 100 million records worldwide and bringing joy to millions with his music.
So long George, I hope you got further than the edge of Heaven.
Saturday, 24 December 2016
Rick Parfitt 1948 - 2016
English musician Rick Parfitt died today.
Parfitt was best known as a member of the rock band Status Quo (latin for 'unchanging chords) with motorcyclist Velantino Rossi.
Parfitt first met Rossi at Butlins in Minehead, where Rossi was playing in a band called The Spectres, later renamed as Traffic Jam, after the least tasty of all the jams.
In 1967 Traffic Jam found themselves going nowhere so they changed their name to The Status Quo, which didn't suggest much more in the way of progress. Nevertheless, it was a The Status Quo that Parfitt had his first hit, with the song Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs by Brian and Michael.
After this, the band dropped the definite article, making them indefinite, appropriate as that is how long many of their songs seemed to go on for. But the hits kept coming, including 1977's Rockin' All Over The World, Whatever You Want (As Long As It's These Three Chords), and the ever-popular Down Down, written by Parfitt whilst on walkies with an excitable Jack Russell.
In 1976 the band signed a pioneering sponsorship deal with French Anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss, promoting his book Structural Anthropology on all their tours. The band also became known for their distinctive denim-clad appearance, inspired by Irish pop moppets B*witched.
In addition to their foot-tapping tunes, the Quo were also known for their hard partying, regularly spending thousands a week on Vodka and Coke. And coke.
In 2005, Parfitt and Rossi played Cameo in an episode of Coronation Street singing Word Up and sporting red codpieces. In 2010 both men were awarded oboes by the Queen.
Over his long career with the Quo, Parfitt had over 60 chart hits in the UK.
And now, after bringing joy to millions, he's Rockin' All Over the Afterworld.
Goodbye Rick.
Parfitt was best known as a member of the rock band Status Quo (latin for 'unchanging chords) with motorcyclist Velantino Rossi.
Parfitt first met Rossi at Butlins in Minehead, where Rossi was playing in a band called The Spectres, later renamed as Traffic Jam, after the least tasty of all the jams.
In 1967 Traffic Jam found themselves going nowhere so they changed their name to The Status Quo, which didn't suggest much more in the way of progress. Nevertheless, it was a The Status Quo that Parfitt had his first hit, with the song Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs by Brian and Michael.
After this, the band dropped the definite article, making them indefinite, appropriate as that is how long many of their songs seemed to go on for. But the hits kept coming, including 1977's Rockin' All Over The World, Whatever You Want (As Long As It's These Three Chords), and the ever-popular Down Down, written by Parfitt whilst on walkies with an excitable Jack Russell.
In 1976 the band signed a pioneering sponsorship deal with French Anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss, promoting his book Structural Anthropology on all their tours. The band also became known for their distinctive denim-clad appearance, inspired by Irish pop moppets B*witched.
In addition to their foot-tapping tunes, the Quo were also known for their hard partying, regularly spending thousands a week on Vodka and Coke. And coke.
In 2005, Parfitt and Rossi played Cameo in an episode of Coronation Street singing Word Up and sporting red codpieces. In 2010 both men were awarded oboes by the Queen.
Over his long career with the Quo, Parfitt had over 60 chart hits in the UK.
And now, after bringing joy to millions, he's Rockin' All Over the Afterworld.
Goodbye Rick.
Thursday, 21 April 2016
Prince 1958 - 2016
Prince died today.
Born Prince Roger Admiral Lord Nelson, he was a singer, a songwriter, guitarist and famously big a big fan of The Color Purple starring Whoopie Goldberg, and the reverend Ian Paisley.
Prince was born in Minneapolis to John and Mattie Nelson, the former being the leader of a jazz trio using the stage name Prince Rogers. As a child, Prince was nicknamed Skipper, due to his resemblance to a bush kangaroo, largely because it was so confusing having two people known as Prince in the house, although that never stopped the Windsors.
Musical from an early age, Prince released his first album in 1978, on which he wrote all the songs, sang the songs and played all the the instruments. The eventual release was entitled For You, a clever ploy to keep all his many girlfriends happy.
Prince had a minor success from the album, a tribute to Mr Whippy entitled Soft and Wet, which reached #92 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. His breakthrough, though, came in 1979 with an album named after his father, Prince, from which he had a hit with I Wanna Be Your Lover, reaching the #11 spot. Prince followed this up with Dirty Mind, which featured songs such as Head, Uptown and Do It All Night, a trilogy telling of Prince's years in central Minneapolis working the nightshift. After this came 1999, released in 1982 due to a mix up in at Warner Brothers, which sold over 3 million copies.
Next came Controversy, followed by Purple Rain, a combination album and movie about pollution from the garment industry, winning Prince an Oscar for best original song score. This album scored Prince his first number one hit.
After this, Prince was a veritable fountain of hits, releasing memorable albums Around the World in Eighty Days, Parade, Razzle and Sign O' The Times.
Around this time, Prince became interested in conservation and green energy production, supporting new power generation methods and cleaning spraypaint from public structures.
In 1992 as part of a spat with his label, Prince changed his name to...
... which was pronounced 'Prince', 'The Love Symbol' or 'Twat' depending on context. It was also at this time that he took to writing the word SLAVE on his face, presumably to remind himself to work really, really hard.
Prince was married twice, once to Mayte Garcia, a relationship that lasted four years, and again for five years after he married Mario Testino in 2001.
Through it all, Prince released album after album and, over the course of his career releasing thirty nine studio albums.
Sadly, there will be no more. Sometimes it Snows in April.
Born Prince Roger Admiral Lord Nelson, he was a singer, a songwriter, guitarist and famously big a big fan of The Color Purple starring Whoopie Goldberg, and the reverend Ian Paisley.
Prince was born in Minneapolis to John and Mattie Nelson, the former being the leader of a jazz trio using the stage name Prince Rogers. As a child, Prince was nicknamed Skipper, due to his resemblance to a bush kangaroo, largely because it was so confusing having two people known as Prince in the house, although that never stopped the Windsors.
Musical from an early age, Prince released his first album in 1978, on which he wrote all the songs, sang the songs and played all the the instruments. The eventual release was entitled For You, a clever ploy to keep all his many girlfriends happy.
Prince had a minor success from the album, a tribute to Mr Whippy entitled Soft and Wet, which reached #92 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. His breakthrough, though, came in 1979 with an album named after his father, Prince, from which he had a hit with I Wanna Be Your Lover, reaching the #11 spot. Prince followed this up with Dirty Mind, which featured songs such as Head, Uptown and Do It All Night, a trilogy telling of Prince's years in central Minneapolis working the nightshift. After this came 1999, released in 1982 due to a mix up in at Warner Brothers, which sold over 3 million copies.
Next came Controversy, followed by Purple Rain, a combination album and movie about pollution from the garment industry, winning Prince an Oscar for best original song score. This album scored Prince his first number one hit.
After this, Prince was a veritable fountain of hits, releasing memorable albums Around the World in Eighty Days, Parade, Razzle and Sign O' The Times.
Around this time, Prince became interested in conservation and green energy production, supporting new power generation methods and cleaning spraypaint from public structures.
In 1992 as part of a spat with his label, Prince changed his name to...
Prince was married twice, once to Mayte Garcia, a relationship that lasted four years, and again for five years after he married Mario Testino in 2001.
Through it all, Prince released album after album and, over the course of his career releasing thirty nine studio albums.
Sadly, there will be no more. Sometimes it Snows in April.
Wednesday, 20 April 2016
Victoria Wood 1953 - 2016
Victoria Wood comedienne and antique dealer died today.
Daughter of Ronnie and Birnham, Victoria Wood was born in Prestwich, Lancashire but soon moved to Bury which back then was still in Lancashire, although the town has sinced moved into Manchester for the better schools.
Wood was sent to Bury School, where she was attended such courses as Digging 101, Filling In and Treasure, Bones, Acorns and More.
Wood was unhappy at school, developing eating disorders, but in 1968, her father gave her a piano for her 15th birthday. Finding herself unable to eat it all, let alone throw it up again, Wood decided to investigate her musical side.
This led Wood to go on to travel to Alabama to study drama at the University of Birmingham.
In 1974, whilst still an undergraduate, Wood appeared on New Faces, an early example of the makeover show, after which she joined fellow New Faces alumni Lenny Henry and Marti 'Michael' Caine in The Summer Show, which could have had a much longer run had they thought about the title before they started.
Her big break came in 1976 with an appearance on That's Life! a show which attempted to encapsulate the entirety of human existence through the medium of amusingly-shaped vegetables. It was here that Wood met her long-time collaborator, Julie 'Muddy' Walters.
In fact, when Wood was finally offered a sketch show of her own, she refused unless Walters agreed to equal billing - resulting in the pair splitting the cost of lighting, sound and catering 50/50. The resulting show was named Wood and Walters. At this time Wood also found herself appearing in numerous other television productions include presenting Insight, a show for hearing-impaired children, and appearing on the popular Radio 4 show set in a steak restaurant with a very limited menu, Just A Minute.
Wood's success continued through the eighties, when she also famously opened Acorn Antiques, although her decision to staff it with actors instead of experts led to commercial disaster.
Undeterred, Wood continued the comedy, becoming one of the best-loved entertainers in Britain. Speaking of her craft, Wood said, “Stand-up comedy is the ideal place for a shy person because you’re completely in control,” leaving the intriguing prospect of, if the comedy hadn't worked out, a possible second career as a dominatrix.
In the nineties and after, Wood's output included the sitcom Dinnerladies about the hi-jinks in a cannibal village, and Victoria Wood as Seen on TV, leading to the Queen acknowledging her contribution to the arts by appointing her a CBeebie.
In her personal life, Wood was married to Geoffrey Durham aka The Great Soprendo with whom she would attend Quaker meetings, mostly for the porridge. The couple had two children but, unfortunately, in October 2002, Durham made himself disappear.
In a career spanning decades, Victoria Wood blazed a trail for women in comedy, as well as making millions laugh. Over her career she was nominated for 14 BAFTAs along the way and winning four of them.
And now she's gone.
Let's hope they have a subscription to Woman's Weekly in heaven eh?
Goodbye Victoria, and thank you.
Daughter of Ronnie and Birnham, Victoria Wood was born in Prestwich, Lancashire but soon moved to Bury which back then was still in Lancashire, although the town has sinced moved into Manchester for the better schools.
Wood was sent to Bury School, where she was attended such courses as Digging 101, Filling In and Treasure, Bones, Acorns and More.
Wood was unhappy at school, developing eating disorders, but in 1968, her father gave her a piano for her 15th birthday. Finding herself unable to eat it all, let alone throw it up again, Wood decided to investigate her musical side.
This led Wood to go on to travel to Alabama to study drama at the University of Birmingham.
In 1974, whilst still an undergraduate, Wood appeared on New Faces, an early example of the makeover show, after which she joined fellow New Faces alumni Lenny Henry and Marti 'Michael' Caine in The Summer Show, which could have had a much longer run had they thought about the title before they started.
Her big break came in 1976 with an appearance on That's Life! a show which attempted to encapsulate the entirety of human existence through the medium of amusingly-shaped vegetables. It was here that Wood met her long-time collaborator, Julie 'Muddy' Walters.
In fact, when Wood was finally offered a sketch show of her own, she refused unless Walters agreed to equal billing - resulting in the pair splitting the cost of lighting, sound and catering 50/50. The resulting show was named Wood and Walters. At this time Wood also found herself appearing in numerous other television productions include presenting Insight, a show for hearing-impaired children, and appearing on the popular Radio 4 show set in a steak restaurant with a very limited menu, Just A Minute.
Wood's success continued through the eighties, when she also famously opened Acorn Antiques, although her decision to staff it with actors instead of experts led to commercial disaster.
Undeterred, Wood continued the comedy, becoming one of the best-loved entertainers in Britain. Speaking of her craft, Wood said, “Stand-up comedy is the ideal place for a shy person because you’re completely in control,” leaving the intriguing prospect of, if the comedy hadn't worked out, a possible second career as a dominatrix.
In the nineties and after, Wood's output included the sitcom Dinnerladies about the hi-jinks in a cannibal village, and Victoria Wood as Seen on TV, leading to the Queen acknowledging her contribution to the arts by appointing her a CBeebie.
In her personal life, Wood was married to Geoffrey Durham aka The Great Soprendo with whom she would attend Quaker meetings, mostly for the porridge. The couple had two children but, unfortunately, in October 2002, Durham made himself disappear.
In a career spanning decades, Victoria Wood blazed a trail for women in comedy, as well as making millions laugh. Over her career she was nominated for 14 BAFTAs along the way and winning four of them.
And now she's gone.
Let's hope they have a subscription to Woman's Weekly in heaven eh?
Goodbye Victoria, and thank you.
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