Barry McIlheney was joyously rock ‘n' roll, memorial service told
The service at St Mark's in Dundela, Belfast, allowed former friends and colleagues to gather and celebrate the life of the journalist, broadcaster and publisher, who also launched Heat magazine.
Mr McIlheney, originally from Belfast, died in May at the age of 65.
Among those paying tribute at the service on Monday was Mike Edgar, formerly a BBC producer, who said Mr McIlheney had been a 'very special man'.
He said: 'Barry had an unstoppable passion for music and everyone you could think of in the world of music had respect for him, and rightly so.
'Without Barry I would never have encountered the crazy worlds of Vince Power or The Pogues.
'They all loved him.'
He added: 'Barry was a true journalist, someone who exuded confidence at the right time and never missed a good opportunity if it presented itself.
'On one occasion he was live on the radio with me doing a report from a phone box on Carnaby Street in London and as ever feeding in the 10 pence pieces and entertaining us royally.
'Whilst chatting live on-air, Barry looks out the phone box window and spots Depeche Mode walking down Carnaby Street.
'As quick as anything Baz kicks the door of the phone box open and shouts: 'Hey lads, come and talk to the good people of Northern Ireland on the radio!' – which unbelievably, they dutifully did.
'There then followed a Guinness Book of Records-style moment with three members of Depeche Mode and Barry stuffed into a phone box for what turned into a great moment of showbiz madness
'Only Barry McIlheney would have the brass neck to carry off same!'
Mr Edgar said McIlheney, despite his success, had always remained passionate about Belfast.
He said: 'Like his contemporaries David Hepworth, Mark Ellen or Niall Stokes, Barry might have worn a suit on occasion but no one could ever call him 'a suit'!
'Barry was a leader, but he was also joyously rock 'n' roll and punk rock.'
He added: 'He was well read, brave in his work, always curious, never boring, always kind and always impressive.
'Barry was larger than life, he always greeted us with a smile on his face, wearing his big coat with an upturned collar, a cheeky glint in his eye, a smart one-liner up his sleeve, and a well-earned loveable Belfast swagger.'
Delivering the homily at the service, Archbishop of Armagh Rev John McDowell said 'the good that Barry did will not be interred with his bones but will live on in your memories forever'.
He said: 'Barry never forgot where he came from, but he didn't talk nonsense about it either.
'It wasn't everything and it wasn't nothing.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
19 minutes ago
- Washington Post
If Charmaine Lee loses focus during a concert ‘this whole thing can collapse'
Think of all the things a musician can produce by contorting their vocal cords, from operatic wallops and birdsong trills to percussive raps and wordless scats. Now think of the voice as a tool used to express the gasps, gurgles, glottal stops, murmurs and mumbles that fill the space between words, like a Foley artist for the spoken word. As an artist, Charmaine Lee is closer to the latter, speaking through a musical language of her own creation and using her voice in a way she says has been compared to 'Charlie Parker with a bunch of broken keys.' While sonically reminiscent of experimental electronics and noise music, Lee's practice is actually an extension of her training as a modern jazz vocalist, growing out of a formal approach to free improvisation that she studied at the New England Conservatory. 'I'd always had this yearning for something weirder, a context that was stranger than I had previously had any real life experience in,' Lee says over Zoom. 'A lot of that lived in free improvisation … in the very few experiences I had, it was incredibly liberating and the most authentic way that I could express myself.' Lee has spent a decade chasing that feeling, approaching composition and improvisation as creating obstacle courses to conquer in real-time and bringing herself to 'the edge of nowhere.' Her process has reached its apotheosis on her most expansive record to date, 'Tulpa,' which is due out on Oct. 31 via her new label Kou Records. 'Tulpa' is the result of four days in the studio with her partner, Randall Dunn, a producer known for his work in the worlds of black and drone metal that Lee describes as 'a master of amplification and feedback and tone.' Dunn set up an array of vintage tube amplifiers around Lee, splitting her signal through the amps to create different colors and shifts of feedback. The album takes its title from a term in Tibetan Buddhism that refers to the conjuring of an alternate being. 'This music feels like its own organism … and stretches me into new directions in ways that I've never done prior to that,' Lee says. 'To bring myself to that place where, if I lapse in focus or commitment, this whole thing can collapse … I find that very thrilling, life affirming and exciting.' In concert, that experience is heightened by the existence and participation of an audience. Lee describes her performances as a 'wasabi shot' that wakes both artist and attendee to something that requires presence and invokes psychedelia. And after years at day jobs that never left much room for touring, Lee is hitting the road for a daunting schedule that will take her to all 50 states for more than 60 shows and nearly 100 days on the road. Lee sees the tour as a durational performance that will evolve over the course of the tour, an opportunity to collaborate with like-minded artists in far-flung cities and a chance to learn about the country beyond the reductive conclusions driven by digital algorithms. 'This music, for me, is such a social practice. It's live, it's risk-taking, it requires a level of energetic participation and it's very specific to that exact context,' she explains. 'I want this tour to be larger than the act itself.' Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. at Rhizome DC. $15-$25.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'Brian Potter' kicks off over three-month wait to get a sinkhole repaired
Brian Potter's voice is even higher than usual. The Bolton nightclub owner is fuming about a hole in the road. The sinkhole appeared on May 4 and despite dozens of phone calls to Bury Council and United Utilities it has still not been fixed. Now Potter - alias Connor O'Brien, a resident of Wingate Drive in Whitefield - has made a video demanding action. Trained as an actor he has the Peter Kay character's squeaky tones down to a tee. But his message and those of fellow residents in the cul-de-sac is serious. They believe the hole is dangerous and delivery vans to the long road have been unable to get access due to the cavity being surrounded by barriers. READ MORE: LIVE Police descend on Manchester street after body found in alleyway - latest updates READ MORE: 'I never thought for one minute the fire service could do that to my house' Never miss a story with the MEN's daily Catch Up newsletter - get it in your inbox by signing up here In the video Connor is seen in a wheelchair like the Kay character and declares: "We've had this for three months - cars can't get in and out, causing a nightmare. I don't care who's to blame, right, we want a response now". In the clip he is then seen in the hole on top of his wheelchair, and says "Christ almighty look what's happened. I was driving my chair and fell in - get it sorted." Connor said: "What motivated me to do it was how much upset it has caused my neighbours in the street. Residents were getting wound up and no one seemed to be taking responsibility for it. I am not very academic, so instead of writing emails I thought the only way I can help is injecting a bit of light hearted banter on social media. "I was given a wheelchair through a theatre company. I think Potter's message to Bury Council and United Utilities would be 'get my hole filled in. Potter's barmy army, you have got to be on it.' "It is a bit of comedy but there is a serious message. The cavity is falling in and it is a danger to pedestrians and drivers. I have and agent and went to drama school in London but actually worked in stage management in the West End. Then I went on the cruise ships as a host and thought I would never work backstage again." Resident Sue Stott has kept a diary of the "farce" involving the hole. It was discovered by children on May 4th and reported to Bury council the next day. Bury council sent out a team on June 3rd who said it was a "sewer" problem. The council did replace a bollard placed around the hole after it was clipped and damaged by a lorry trying to get past. Sue's diary records numerous phone calls from several neighbours to both the council and United Utilitiesover the last three months. In one entry for July 1st a member of staff from United Utilities said they had been given no notice of the work by the council. A team from United Utilities did come out on July 18th but the hole has still not been repaired. Three local councillors and MP Christian Wakeford have contacted both the council and United Utilities in a bid to get the job done. Sue said: "People in the street did think of stopping paying their council tax and United Utilities bills. But although they are not helping us, we didn't want to break the law. "I spoke to United Utilities this week. I said I wanted to put in a complaint and he said he would ring me back by Thursday (this week). I said do you realise the hole is in-filling. It is coming from the sides and therefore the tarmac underneath on either side could be going down. This is a dangerous hole. He said he would upgrade it and be back to me by 8pm tonight." Yesterday one resident had to put the barriers back in place as they had been blown down by heavy winds. "But vehicles going past are nudging them into the hole to get through," said Sue. "There must be some conversation between them (the council and United Utilities) to ease getting it done. Why is there not a system in place for communication? Talk to each other." A couple of hours after the Manchester Evening News made inquiries about the fiasco workmen from United Utilities arrived at the hole and erected different yellow barriers with the notice "We're working on the sewer pipes". But no work commenced. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE A spokesperson for Bury Council said: "It is not for us to fix. United Utilities have accepted responsibility." In a message on social media United Utilities have told one resident in the street: "Hi, thank you for getting in touch. I have just been speaking with another resident in the area about the same issue. We're currently planning a date for us to carry out the repairs, and the job reference is 07899881. Thanks." But the resident replied:"You now appear to accept responsibility but give no timeline to repair, it's already been 3 months!!! This is an accident waiting to happen, photo taken today showing the barriers moved in the wind leaving open hole which could easily been missed in the dark!" A United Utilities spokesperson said: 'We apologise to residents of Wingate Drive for the delay in dealing with this and for any inconvenience caused. Our team has attended this afternoon to carry out further investigations and get our safety barriers in place to ensure the necessary repair work can be delivered as quickly as possible.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jussie Smollett Returning to Fox in Special Forces: World's Toughest Test — Full Season 4 Cast Revealed
Six years after he was fired from Fox's Empire for being charged with making a false police report and fabricating a homophobic attack, Jussie Smollett is returning to the network as a contestant on Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, TVLine has learned. More from TVLine Murder in a Small Town Season 2 Trailer Reveals First Look at Marcia Gay Harden's Arrival (Exclusive) Fox One Streaming Service Will Cost $19.99/Month - Will You Subscribe? Casting News: Buffy Reboot Adds Love Interest, Book of Mormon Reunion and More And Smollett isn't the only new Special Forces cast member who's used to having their name in headlines, for better or worse. Other Season 4 additions include Kody Brown (Sister Wives), Brittany Cartwright (The Valley), Jessie James and Eric Decker (Eric & Jessie: Game On), Gia Giudice (Next Gen NYC), Teresa Giudice (The Real Housewives of New Jersey), supermodel Chanel Iman, Eva Marcille (All the Queen's Men) and Ravi V. Patel (Animal Control). There are also several professional athletes on the roster, including Randall Cobb, Andrew East, Shawn Johnson East, Nick Young, Johnny Manziel and Christie Pearce Rampone, as well as influencers Mark Estes and Brianna LaPaglia. Season 4 will find the recruits training in Morocco, with one major twist being thrown into the mix: 'some recruits will arrive in pairs consisting of spouses and family members, but will compete individually,' reads the official logline. 'All recruits must learn the art of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable as they are faced with training challenges across the country's expansive desert terrain. … These celebrities, who are so used to being in the spotlight, will quickly learn the meaning of 'no guts, no glory' — and no glam.' Special Forces: Worlds Toughest Test Season 4 premieres Thursday, Sept. 25 at 9/8c. Are you surprised to see Smollett back on Fox? Which of the other 17 names grabbed your attention? And what do you think of that big twist? Drop a comment with your thoughts below. 1. Kody Brown 2. Brittany Cartwright 3. Randall Cobb 4. Eric Decker 5. Jessie James Decker 6. Andrew East 7. Shawn Johnson East 8. Mark Estes 9. Gia Giudice 10. Teresa Giudice 11. Chanel Iman 12. Brianna LaPaglia 13. Ravi V. Patel 14. Christie Pearce Rampone 15. Johnny Manziel 16. Eva Marcille 17. Jussie Smollett 18. Nick Young Best of TVLine Stars Who Almost Played Other TV Roles — on Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, Lost, Gilmore Girls, Friends and Other Shows TV Stars Almost Cast in Other Roles Fall TV Preview: Who's In? Who's Out? Your Guide to Every Casting Move! Solve the daily Crossword
