Singer and songwriter Shane MacGowan has died at the age of 65. He was best known as the frontman of The Pogues, whose single Fairytale of New York has become a Christmas staple across Ireland and the UK.
Passings
Henry Kissinger Is Dead at 100; Shaped Nation’s Cold War History
Henry A. Kissinger, the scholar-turned-diplomat who engineered the United States’ opening to China, negotiated its exit from Vietnam, and used cunning, ambition and intellect to remake American power relationships with the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War, sometimes trampling on democratic values to do so, died on Wednesday, according to a statement that was released by his consulting firm. He was 100.
He died at his home in Connecticut.
h/t SDMatt
Matthew Perry, ‘Friends’ actor, dies of apparent drowning at 54
LOS ANGELES — Matthew Perry died Saturday of an apparent drowning at his Pacific Palisades home, a representative for the actor and a law enforcement source say.
h/t Sweetpea
Suzanne Somers dead at 76 following cancer battle
Suzanne Somers lost her years-long battle with cancer just one day before her 77th birthday, Page Six can sadly confirm.
The actress died early Sunday morning at the age of 76, the star’s longtime publicist, R. Couri Hay, told us.
Feinstein dies at 90
California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein has died at age 90.
The trail-blazing Feinstein had faced mounting health problems in recent years; her replacement will be selected by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.). Feinstein already announced she would not run for reelection in 2024, and the race for her seat is already underway.
Gary Wright, Who Had a ’70s Hit With ‘Dream Weaver,’ Dies at 80
Gary Wright, the spiritually minded singer-songwriter who helped modernize the sound of pop music with his pioneering use of synthesizers while crafting infectious and seemingly inescapable hits of the 1970s, notably “Dream Weaver” and “Love Is Alive,” died on Monday at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. He was 80.
Who doesn’t remember this tune.
Peter C. Newman dead at age 94
Journalist Peter C. Newman went from Czech refugee to chronicler of Canada
In September, 1940, on the night before he and his parents landed at Halifax’s Pier 21, the 11-yr-old Czech war refugee Petă Neumann stayed up late to gaze out at the Atlantic and imagine the land where they were about to make their new home. It had been a harrowing months-long run from the Nazis, he later wrote: The family had secured visas mere days before they would have been deported from Venice to certain death in Czechoslovakia; lain helpless on the beach at Biarritz, France, as a Luftwaffe gunner rained death from above; and survived the U-boat torpedoing of their convoy to Canada. Ahead of them now, young Petă envisioned more adventure in the mysterious “land of eternal snow” he had seen in newsreels.
h/t AL
Jimmy Buffett dead at 76
Jimmy Buffett, the legendary musician and songwriter, died peacefully surrounded by his loved ones on Friday.
Robbie Robertson has died at age 80
Robbie Robertson, the driving force behind the pioneering rock ’n’ roll group the Band, died on Wednesday. He was 80.
Sinéad O’Connor: a true rebel
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, Champion of the Great American Songbook, Is Dead at 96
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.
‘French icon’ actress Jane Birkin dies aged 76
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