Ra Ra Rasputin

The 1969 Eurovision winner who wasn't Lenny Kuhr, Salome, or Lulu died on this day in 1996. Seeing as Frida Boccara was only 55 at the time of her death, the Curse Of Eurovision strikes (struck?) again.

Always a shame to see a young life wasted, irrespective of whether you like her music or not (which I didn't. In fairness I wouldn't know more than one of her songs if it bit me on the posterior). And seeing as I took her off my DDP list, I am very saddened by the news. Anyways, The Guardian are saying that "sources" are stating it was a drugs overdose. Not very surprising.

That well-known, first with the news and would have been 50 last week, Diana In Heaven is reporting the death of Anna Massey. Can't find anything more about it yet other than noticing that Wikipedia is referring to her in the past tense. ETA: BBC obit here

1965. "I Belong" a great song and good performance, but for once the UK actually deserved to come 2nd as France Gall's "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" was even better IMHO. Bugger about Kathy Kirby though. I was just thinking yesterday how I should put her down on my 2012 Death List...

The words "hospice" and "Bill Hunter" in the same sentence do not bode well for one of those Australian actors who seems to have been in everything... Gravely ill apparently

Germ Free Adolescents is the greatest punk album of all, bar none. Every song (and the singles) an absolute classic in its own right, and the lyrics still so relevant 30+ years later. RIP Poly - a true original I wouldn't go as far as that. It's certainly one of the best. One should never make a definitive statement as what is the best of such and such genre. Indeed it could be described as a post-punk album as the tone shifts towards open ways of expression, more than in attitude than in music (although the sax also does this musically)... *is tempted to put something about the sax on 'Suburban Relapse' and 'Switch' and therefore whether Siouxsie And The Banshees' "The Scream" can be described as post-punk, but can't really be bothered* ... I can see Poly Styrene being my "most missed" of 2011

Looks like the cancer has spread to the spine and lungs according to the Guardian.

Awww, she was my favourite painter. I shall pay my own special tribute to her tomorrow by creating something purple using a butter knife.

Looks like Chrissy Amphlett has beaten at least one of her illnesses. Glad I didn't put her on my DDP now.

Bit of a cross-over from the linguist list, but I'd be tempted to go for Randolph Quirk (although he's never struck me as arrogant at all) simply due to him pushing 90.

Oooh! Mij ook, mij ook! Ik wil spelen! 1. Johannes Heesters 2. Dick Bruna 3. Corry Brokken 4. Geert Wilders 5. Jetty Paerl 6. Greetje Kauffeld 7. Sylvia Kristel 8. Ayaan Hirsi Ali 9. Piet de Jong 10. Heintje

An early start to the "Curse of Eurovision"...

Possibilities for 2012? Anyone on my 2011 DDP list as from past DDP experience my list seems to be its own little elixir of eternal life.

Cher and Siouxsie?!!! A POX on you, Sir.

I note he died in St. Petersburg. Oh, those Russians...

Apart from already battling with MS, Divinyls singer Chrissy Amphlett has now been diagnosed with breast cancer. In fairness, she looked in fine fettle the other week on "Spicks And Specks", but a combination of the two diseases isn't the best recipe for life. (Edited to correct info and not look such a twit. Thanks Honez).

Perhaps I'm just being pedantic, but I fail to see how someone can be "unresponsive" and "clearly in distress" at the same time. Anyway, I suspect that Zsa Zsa might keep us waiting a little while longer, so I'm going to plump for 26th October.

The Age newspaper in Australia has a photo of Zsa Zsa looking decidedly not well ...it's under the 'Red Carpet' banner, first line, next to Hilary Duff - hopefully here (sorry, work computer's playing up).

Rumours and the like abound that Jennifer Capriati has been rushed to a Florida hospital for a "possible" overdose though no exact details have been given regarding the hospitalisation. Apparently recovering well, but it'll be interesting to see 1) which drugs were involved; was it accidental; c) was it a suicide bid.

So it is he who makes up the recent Eurovision death trilogy then... (he co-hosted in 1994) The trilogy becomes a quadrilogy (?) as Brita Borg (Sweden 1959) has just died. Obituary here (in Swedish).

Which makes me wonder why they were all travelling together. On one plane. Which was designed about 25 years ago. Which then crashed. I'd have thought that, like the Royal Family, they'd have spread out the notables over a few aircraft.

Apologies if this has been posted already (I did do a search, but it's not the most reliable of things)... President of Poland Lech Kaczynski among the dead in Russian plane crash. Story here. *sits back and waits for the conspiracy theories to begin*

It was diagnosed and she underwent a lumpectomy in February and radiation treatment begins in May according to various newspapers. Far from out of the woods, but the trees can be seen individually shall we say. As to any further comments from me on the subject - what exactly Vinegar Tits said. I couldn't put it any better.

I was surprised to find out that presenter Stuart Hall turned 80 a couple of months back. Still going strong on the radio, still waffling away in his irritating unique style. Plenty of years left in him, I'd say.

Not. Good. But will she die soon? regards, Hein The ABC has kindly put up some footage now, so judge for yourself: http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/02/23/2827688.htm I know nothing about music, but Dutch newssite nu.nl quotes a disappointed fan, who complained that Whitney Houston didn't even seem capable of entertaining a 'dead rat'. Ouch... They paid 100 euros for a ticket, maybe it's me but isn't that a bit much for someone who hasn't had a hit in years. According to The Age newspaper, Whitney redeemed herself at last night's Sydney concert. Disappointing. On a more positive note as far as Death Pooling goes, the concert was still described by some as "bizarre and weird" and Whitney herself as sometimes "incoherent", so there's hope yet.