The last of the "crooners" or the "saloon singers" as they were once called. But Bennett managed to stay relevant and active to generations that don't even recognize the names of his peers, let alone listen to their music, thanks to his late life collaborations with Gaga.

It's so sad that he couldn't perform right till the end, but he leaves behind a body of work that is the greatest of the greats, so what more can you say? My grandfather listened to Tony Bennett records. It feels like history. RIP.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
The last of the "crooners" or the "saloon singers" as they were once called. But Bennett managed to stay relevant and active to generations that don't even recognize the names of his peers, let alone listen to their music, thanks to his late life collaborations with Gaga.

It's so sad that he couldn't perform right till the end, but he leaves behind a body of work that is the greatest of the greats, so what more can you say? My grandfather listened to Tony Bennett records. It feels like history. RIP.

As ever, the dear old BBC have posted a nice obituary article about him that makes interesting reading:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ent...inment-arts-66271090

1966-2023

I don't know what happened, but she had mental health issues her whole life and the passing of her son was devasting. She had a beautiful voice. I hope she is at peace.

There was a TV special with Lady Gaga and him last year. He still sounded great. He had a style that made singing seem effortless.

Yeah, he was the last one. He was one of the younger guys when Sinatra was big.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
The last of the "crooners" or the "saloon singers" as they were once called. But Bennett managed to stay relevant and active to generations that don't even recognize the names of his peers, let alone listen to their music, thanks to his late life collaborations with Gaga.

It's so sad that he couldn't perform right till the end, but he leaves behind a body of work that is the greatest of the greats, so what more can you say? My grandfather listened to Tony Bennett records. It feels like history. RIP.

Is that O'Connor or actually Jan Hooks as O'Connor? Hooks played her in a "The Sinatra Group" skit (spoofing the political round table at the time, "The McLaughlin Group"). The card shows lines from the skit on the back.

quote:

Originally posted by mykdude:
1966-2023

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:
Is that O'Connor or actually Jan Hooks as O'Connor?

It's Jan Hooks.

Sinéad O'Connor sung the latest season 7 of Outlander's theme song. They do a different version of it each season. However, it's bloody awful. You would never guess it was her singing it. It's funny what the tragedy of death does. Prior to her death people absolutely hated her version, but now it is a 'haunting rendition' and the 'spirit of the show'. Nope, it's still bad...really bad. Great singer but terrible performance on that one.

Unless, I am mistaken "Nothing Compares 2U" was her only Top 40 hit in the U.S. She did much better in Europe.

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy C:
Unless, I am mistaken "Nothing Compares 2U" was her only Top 40 hit in the U.S. She did much better in Europe.

After her success with that song, and when she was just breaking big in the US, she made her SNL appearance. Her unannounced protest of the Pope on live TV destroyed her career over here. Nowadays everybody uses their "platform", but in 1992 it wasn't accepted, and that subject was still off limits anyway. So she paid a price she couldn't afford.

I think she was always a fragile person and the last thing she needed to do was to stir up that firestorm. The impact of that SNL show is prominently discussed in both O'Connor's own memoir "Rememberings" and in a Showtime documentary called "Nothing Compares", which will probably have to be rerun now.

Here's the real McCoy on a Tarot card insert in a foreign magazine, better than nothing:



I remember on "SNL", the late Phil Hartman was playing Sinatra hosting a "McLaughlin Group" style roundtable discussion. When he called on Jan Hooks as Sinead, he referred to her as "Sinbad O'Connor" which always stuck with me.
People were in such an uproar from the SNL incident although time sure proved her point.
Despite being constant SNL viewers, we never got to see the actual incident. The episode was already censored by the time it aired on the West Coast three hours after the live show it happened on.

Sad for the reason, but always happy to showcase my mastery of the proper use of the apostrophe, here's the Eagles' Randy Meisner's cardboard goodbye:



Guy took it to the limit, all right.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: chesspieceface,

Yes, Hartman was great in that skit. He also called her, "Sine-Aid O'Connor, referencing the medicine, Sine-Aid. I believe he also called her Uncle Fester.

I didn't hear about Randy Meisner. Two Eagles gone now. Sad day. You probably know the story...Meisner left Poco and became a founding member of the Eagles. Timothy B. Schmidt joined Poco to be their bass player. Meisner left the Eagles a few years later and Schmidt was hired to be their bass player for "The Long Run" album (1979) and tour.

I found this image but it's not a real card. It's an unprinted custom card somebody did in the style of a 1972 Topps baseball card:

Really saddened by this one -- I've been a fan since his early Letterman appearances.

Paul Reubens/Pee Wee Herman, age 70. Per his instagram page, died last night.

Wasn't expecting that one.

Yeah, Reubens kept his condition to himself. I remember the time after his arrest years ago, he appeared at an awards show and asked if anyone had heard a good joke lately. Wow. He kept his sense of humor - still able to laugh at himself when others would've tried to act like nothing had happened.

1939-2023 The first thing I recall seeing him in was Scarface.

"Yes, Satan?", I remember Ace Ventura saying to his angry landlord, played by Margolis, who had just called out to him from over Ace's shoulder.

Terrific character actor he was. I picked up his autograph from a random Star Trek set some time ago, so he signed for Rittenhouse, too.

Rest in peace.

As mentioned in another thread, director William
Friedkin has died.

Friedkin was one of the big players in the "new" Hollywood of the 1970's. As was Bogdanovich, I kept getting them mixed up, and now they are both dead. The important movie people of that era are really starting to leave us, and I think it must be hard on the remaining folks like Beatty and Nicholson, and even Polanski, to watch.