time

Richard O'Sullivan is 78 today

I watched the Marvel films (the MCU ones) in timeline-order (rather than release order) for precisely this reason, over Christmas & New Year, on Disney+. Enjoyed them, and I'm probably not the key demographic either! However, because Disney doesn't own the rights to The Incredible Hulk, it wasn't included. It's now on Amazon Prime, so I gave it a viewing last night, but that didn't really seem to fit into the chronology - William Hurt is still General Ross, Robert Downey Jr is still Tony Stark/Iron Man (& Stan Lee still has a cameo), which implies it is part of the chronology, but it very much feels a stand-alone movie., possibly because Ed Norton was replaced by Mark Ruffalo for subsequent MCU appearances. The Spiderman (rev 3) films weren't on Disney+ either (same reason, distribution rights), but Homecoming has appeared on Netflix, so I'm tempted to watch that tonight. At least Tom Holland isn't replaced by anyone.

Seven years since Errol Brown, lead singer of Hot Chocolate, couldn't be put together again, dying aged 71, from liver cancer.

Judy Henske, "The Queen of the Beatniks" who began singing in folk clubs in the 50s, but whose music encompassed other styles, died 27 April aged 85.

Oh no!

Guardian obit for Yvonne Blenkinsop.

The sole surviving Beverley Sister, Teddie is 95 today. Twin sister Babs died in 2018 and older sister Joy in 2015. They styled themselves on the Andrews Sisters, and were popular in the post-war years into the 50s. They had a resurgence of popularity in the 80s, thanks to an appearance with their daughters (The Foxes) at the London Hippodrome. They appeared in the Guinness Book of Records as the singing group with the longest time with the same line-up.

Ivica Osim gets a guardian obit.

Manuel Benítez Pérez, more commonly known as El Cordobés is 86 today. One of Spain's most celebrated bullfighters.

Cassetteboy, hot of the press

Revealed to be suicide.

If you have a spare half-hour or so, this is a wild story. Truth is stranger than fiction, or perhaps truth is fiction, fiction is truth, but not as we know it.

It's 8 years since tennis player Elana Baltacha died from liver cancer, at the age of 30. Born in Kyiv, she moved to the UK as a child when her father, a professional footballer signed for Ipswich Town. She was diagnosed with the liver disease primary sclerosing cholangitis at the age of 19. In December 2013, shortly after retiring from tennis, she married her coach Niño Severino; the following month she was diagnosed with liver cancer, dying 4 months later. Her last ITF tour victory was the 2013 Nottingham Open, - the trophy was named the Elena Baltacha Trophy in her memory.

Crosby having a "rough time" with Covid...

Actress Lynn Redgrave died 12 years ago, aged 67, from breast cancer. The daughter of Rachel Kempson & Michael Redgrave and younger sister of Vanessa, she appeared in many stage (including The West End and Broadway) and film roles, as well as TV programmes and commercials. She has the unenviable distinction of being the only person to be nominated for all 4 of the EGOT's without winning any. Her two Oscar nominations were in 1967, for Georgy Girl and 1999 for Gods and Monsters.

Snooker's Jimmy White is 60 today. While he never managed to win the World Snooker Championship, he did win the only televised series of Tenball.

If by "turns 46" you mean turns from 46 to 47, you're correct. Born in 1975

It appears as if Tracy Kashi died a couple of days ago.

Rita Coolidge is 77 today. Chiefly known a recording artist she also wrote, but was never credited with, the coda of Layla, which later also appeared on a recording by her sister Priscilla & her husband Booker T. Jones (yes, that Booker T.) as Time (no relation). Earlier she had collaborated on the composition of Superstar (with Delany & Bonnie and Leon Russell), later a hit by The Carpenters, but also received no credit. She had relationships with both Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, leaving the former for the latter, which, it is alleged, triggered the break-up of CSN&Y. She had a volatile marriage to Kris Kristofferson, for 7 years, until they divorced. She was in a relationship with Jim Gordon of Derek & the Dominoes, when he physically assaulted her, causing her never to speak to him again (he was diagnosed schizophrenic and later was convicted of murdering his mother). In 2014, sister Priscilla would be murdered by her husband (not Booker T, they divorced in 79) in a murder/suicide - she had to arrange his funeral and his ashes of the murderer were delivered to her to take care of, as his family wanted nothing to do with him.

Actress Grace Lee Whitney died 7 years ago, aged 85. She's best remembered as Yeoman Rand in the original Star Trek series & movies, but began her life as a singer in her teens, at one time touring with Spike Jones (see above). Her acting career began with a Broadway production of Top Banana, starring Phil Silvers, and she appeared on many of the top shows of the 50s & 60s. She also appeared in Some Like it Hot, with Lemmon, Curtis & Monroe. She also released a single...

I'm guessing that's an ex-firehouse.

Joanna Barnes, writer and actress, most remembered for her role of Gloria Upson in Auntie Mame, in TV & film a career lasting over 40 years, has died aged 87. She appeared in both the original The Parent Trap (1961) and the 1998 remake. She also played Jane opposite Denny Miller's Tarzan in Tarzan, The Ape Man (1959), the 13th actress to take the role. On TV she appeared in many programmes - Maverick, HAve Gun Will Travel, Alias Smith * Jones, Cheers, Hart to Hart - from 1956 until 2000. As well as acting, she wrote several novels and a book about home decorating.

Twenty three years since 3 were killed in the Admiral Duncan bombing. Andrea Dykes, Nik Moore and John Light were celebrating Andrea's pregnancy, with her husband Julian, who was seriously injured. It was the third of three nail bombs planted in London over successive weekends, resulting in 140 injured as well as the three deaths. The perpetrator, a neo-nazi, was given six life sentences.

Naomi Judd, of The Judds fame, has died aged 76.

Peter Moore, designer of the original Air Jordan, and creator of the 'Jumpman' logo died yesterday.