WWE's R-Truth opens up on fan support following his release and return
WATCH BELOW: On the latest episode of No Holds Barred, Postmedia wrestling writer Jan Murphy and Postmedia's Rob Wong speak with WWE Superstar Ron 'R-Truth' Killings about the fan support he received when he announced he was being released by WWE, what John Cena means to him, how he keeps himself in shape and his new country music album.
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Toronto Sun
2 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Ozzy Osbourne, who led Black Sabbath to became the godfather of heavy metal, dies at 76
Ozzy Osbourne, who led Black Sabbath to became the godfather of heavy metal, dies at 76 Ozzy Osbourne, the gloomy, demon-invoking lead singer of the pioneering band Black Sabbath who became the throaty, growling voice — and drug-and-alcohol ravaged id — of heavy metal, died Tuesday, just weeks after his farewell show. He was 76. Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. 'It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time,' a family statement said. In 2020, he revealed he had Parkinson's disease after suffering a fall. Ozzy Osbourne, who led Black Sabbath to became the godfather of heavy metal, dies at 76 Black Sabbath's 1969 self-titled debut LP has been likened to the Big Bang of heavy metal. It came during the height of the Vietnam War and crashed the hippie party, dripping menace and foreboding. The cover of the record was of a spooky figure against a stark landscape. The music was loud, dense and angry, and marked a shift in Rock 'n' Roll. Either clad in black or bare-chested, the singer was often the target of parents' groups for his imagery and once caused an uproar for biting the head off a bat. Later, he would reveal himself to be a doddering and sweet father on the reality TV show, The Osbournes. Please try again The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The band's second album, Paranoid, included such classic metal tunes as War Pigs, Iron Man and Fairies Wear Boots. The song Paranoid only reached No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 but became in many ways the band's signature song. Both albums were voted among the top 10 greatest heavy metal albums of all time by readers of Rolling Stone magazine. 'Black Sabbath are the Beatles of heavy metal. Anybody who's serious about metal will tell you it all comes down to Sabbath,' Dave Navarro, of the band, Jane's Addiction, wrote in a 2010 tribute in Rolling Stone. 'There's a direct line you can draw back from today's metal, through Eighties bands like Iron Maiden, back to Sabbath.' Recommended video tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Play Video Sabbath fired Osbourne in 1979 for his legendary excesses, like showing up late for rehearsals and missing gigs. 'We knew we didn't really have a choice but to sack him because he was just so out of control. But we were all very down about the situation,' wrote bassist Terry 'Geezer' Butler in his memoir, Into the Void. Osbourne reemerged the next year as a solo artist with Blizzard of Ozz and the following year's Diary of a Madman, both hard rock classics that went multi-platinum and spawned enduring favorites such as Crazy Train, Goodbye to Romance, Flying High Again and You Can't Kill Rock and Roll. Osbourne was twice inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — once with Sabbath in 2006 and again in 2024 as a solo artist.
Vancouver Sun
3 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
This Vancouver music store is a go-to for celebrity musicians
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. If you caught one of two The Weeknd concerts at B.C. Place last week, you saw opening act Mike Dean shredding on a custom Dean 'Dimebag' Darrell Razorback V Pantera Signature model guitar. That axe came to the musician, who is also The Weeknd's band guitarist, courtesy of Vancouver's Rufus Guitar and Drum Shop . Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Dean liked the guitar because it had his name on the V-shaped headstock. Both he and the late Pantera guitarist Dimebag hail from Texas. Other recent celebrity purchasers at the East Van outlet include Jack White, who recently dropped in to stock-up on some of the local store's extensive offering of collector instruments and gear. 'While Fender brand instruments are by far our biggest sellers, we also sell a lot of hard-to-get vintage instruments and gear, and that's what brings people like Jack White and Mike Dean into the store' said Rufus owner Blaine McNamee. 'Jack bought a rare 1960s-era Davoli amp from Italy and a Roland Acetone tape echo, which is one of the first tape delay machines. Mike grabbed a 1965 Fender Jazzmaster and the Dean Dimebag model, which he played at B.C. Place .' McNamee says the reason these stars stop at the shop is because of its reputation among collectors for doing thorough due diligence in checking every last detail of the provenance of the vintage items on the store floor. It's a time-consuming process the store has been known for since opening in 1972. 'We've been doing this kind of stuff for years, so we are a destination for any kind of vintage and always stock it,' he said. 'The reason is that we have the expertise to go through the time-consuming process of authentication down to whether the screws, the finish, the pickups, the case, everything is original. 'The more genuine it is, the higher the price it fetches.' As for how long celebrities, collectors or regular buyers spend in the shop trying to decide on a purchase, McNamee says it depends. If there was a mission statement for the store it is to make the whole vibe of the space be one where people want to hang out. That is typically what happens too. Given the number of well-known musicians who work there and on the teaching faculty, there is a steady flow of visitors that come to shoot the breeze as much as buy. 'A guy like Mike Dean or Jack White comes in and, if they like us, they are going to hang out and play different things and talk to staff,' said McNamee. 'A lot of times, these people are on a time schedule, but normally it would be one to two hours. Of course, we aren't even touching on the negotiating aspect of things, the back and forth, when you are getting into really serious stuff that can run up to $120,000.' In those cases, staff will often run collectors through a number of authentication methods including putting an instrument under black light to look at finishes, run over components and so on. This can run an additional 30 minutes. 'There area a lot of people who come in, play some stuff, ask some questions and you know they aren't going to buy,' he said. 'But then they keep coming back and, sooner or later, they may buy something. Keep in mind that the landscape is constantly changing and, if you see something online that you might want, you aren't the only one looking. Next time you come by, it may be gone and we won't see that particular instrument again.' To collectors, the issue isn't whether these vintage instruments are better sounding than new models. While vintage gear does often have a distinct sound, it can be recreated using today's technology. Instead, dropping $10,000-plus on an original Fender guitar is about owning a piece of music history. And the global market for such items is very competitive. 'It's not a question of 'Is it better?,' it's a handmade instrument and technology is totally different now,' McNamee explains. 'There are custom-shop instruments available today with the same sort of build range, but it's still quite different. A 1965 Jazzmaster was built by the company founder Leo Fender, with materials like Brazilian rosewood, which has been illegal to harvest since 1968, and came with hand-wound pickups and other older production techniques.' McNamee started working at the store in 2010, purchasing it from the founders in 2014. A separate drum shop opened in 2015. In 2019, the stores consolidated at the present location. Like many music retailers, McNamee is also a musician. He is a member of local pop punk band Precursor whose members include musicians from local favourites such as Daggermouth, Carpenter, and Gob. The store's hand-picked teaching staff comprises a who's who of the local indie music scene. Sometimes, members of local rock and pop royalty sell back some of their past purchases. A case in point is Marianas Trench lead singer, songwriter and producer Josh Ramsay. The Call Me Maybe co-writer is pictured on the Rufus Guitar and Drum Shop website surrounded by a number of unique guitars as part of a special individual artist sale. Ramsay has nine of his choicest axes on the market. 'We get artist sales of individual pieces, but this is one of the first times that we have had one this large for a single artist,' said McNamee. 'There is a lot of demand for Josh's guitars. He has a very engaged fan base and a lot of really great instruments.' For his part, McNamee loves his 1981 Gibson Grabber base. While the market for vintage electric basses isn't as active as it is for electric or acoustic guitars, that doesn't mean there aren't buyers out there looking for vintage scores. Anyone with a taste for holding down the rhythm section with something collectible could consider the 1962 Fender VI bass in stock at the store. It will only set you back $14,999.99 . Payment plans are available. sderdeyn@ Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances.
Toronto Sun
4 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
At this West Virginia nudist resort, everyone has skin in the game
Christie Brinkley reveals exact moment she learned her husband was cheating with teen girl 'GLOVES ARE OFF: Stephen Colbert comes out swinging for Trump after 'Late Show' cancellation At this West Virginia nudist resort, everyone has skin in the game Avalon Resort, a self-styled 'clothing-optional' retreat, is located two hours west of D.C. Photo by Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post Article content Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. PAW PAW, West Virginia — The time was 2 p.m., the sun was scorching and a retiree named Dewey Butts III was reveling in his version of heaven: a swimming pool crowded with dozens of men and women – every last one of them naked, himself included. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account or Sign in without password View more offers Article content Here at the Avalon Resort, a self-styled 'clothing-optional' retreat two hours west of D.C., the dress code requires no type of dress (or shirt or pants) at all. Article content tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or At this West Virginia nudist resort, everyone has skin in the game Back to video tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Play Video Article content 'This is about finding a way to enjoy life and I enjoy being nude,' said Butts (yes, that's his real name), a widower who drove last weekend from Pennsylvania with his girlfriend for a gala celebrating Avalon's 30th anniversary. 'This is freedom,' he said, his smile befitting someone who had just won something akin to the jackpot. The regimented constraints of conventional life often inspire a deep yearning for liberation, the form of which can be as logistically challenging as, say, parachuting out of an airplane, or as prosaic as channeling your inner Pavarotti in the shower – neighbors be damned. Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content At Avalon, 250 rolling acres that include streets with names like 'Bare Buns Boulevard,' freedom means moseying about in nothing more than gobs of sunscreen and embracing a lifestyle that dates back nearly 100 years in the United States and longer in Europe. Feeling a tad self-conscious? Not to worry, say Avalon's members, largely an older crowd that includes people like the ever-sunny Linda Keesee, 74, a retired naval intelligence officer who bought a condo at the resort years ago with her husband, Bill, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who died in 2022. Photo by Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post On her kitchen wall is a framed photo of a happy moment – Bill at their outdoor grill, his middle-aged body covered only by a red apron. A second photo, this one on a side table, also captures Bill at the grill, this time without the apron. Travel Time Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Article content Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content 'I always tell people when they come to Avalon that Barbie and Ken don't live here,' said Keesee, in a sundress, at least for the moment, as she reclined in a comfortable chair in her condo. 'It is people of all shapes and sizes and colors just enjoying the freedom of it.' The resort draws patrons from various backgrounds and professions, as well as parents with children, willing to pay an annual year-round membership fee of as much as $800 (raising kids to accept nudity as natural and to not equate it with sex is a mainstay of the nudist ethos). On this particular weekend, the crowd seemed heavy on ex-military and government types. At one point at Keesee's place, Chris Morales, 63, a forensics expert who formerly worked for the Secret Service and Justice Department, dropped in, naked from head to sandal-covered toes. Advertisement 5 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content 'Join us! Get comfortable!' Keesee said, unfazed by her friend's choice of attire, or lack thereof. Robert Roy, 77, another Avalon condo owner, and his wife delved into nudism after he retired from the U.S. Navy, where he rose to master chief, among the service's highest enlisted ranks. 'We all got over it in the big showers at boot camp,' Roy said of his willingness to strip down in the company of others – many others. After years of wearing an Air Force uniform, Gary Gist, 59, said he relishes the chance to slip into nothing at all. 'I still can't grow hair on my ankles because I had to wear boots every day,' said the retired sergeant, who lives in a trailer at Avalon with his wife, Jessie. 'We can relax here. Your whole body is relieved of the restrictions.' Advertisement 6 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The Gists have two daughters, both in their 30s, neither of whom have visited them at Avalon, where they live full-time, though the couple plans to decamp to nudist-friendly Florida for the winter. The subject of how Mom and Dad like to spend their alone time is not something that anyone brings up, Jessie Gist said. 'It's a 'Don't ask, don't tell' situation,' she said. Photo by Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post 'Without clothes, everyone's the same' Avalon offers many of the staples found at any scenic retreat, including pickleball courts, pools, hot tubs, saunas, camp sites, and hiking and jogging trails. But there are differences – and not just that the pants-less far outnumber the pants. For one, the library has, along with a selection of fiction and nonfiction, a shelf devoted to 'nudism' and includes a handful of nude photo books (spare reading glasses, conveniently kept in a basket, are also available for anyone in need). Advertisement 7 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content For another, the resort offers what it refers to as the 'Nudsino,' a room featuring several slot machines, an amenity that Avalon's founders, Phyllis and Patrick Gaffney, himself a former Pentagon computer analyst, came up with years ago to lure visitors (Avalon's membership, after peaking at well over 500, sank to 100 during the pandemic and is now at just over 225). The Nudsino is in a building known as the Bare Barn, the main gathering place where volunteers were busy decorating for the celebration. The walls are lined with dozens of photos of current and former members, everyone au naturale. A preponderance are couples, including Nevin Paradise, 71, and his wife Lynne, 77, who have been vacationing at nudist spots for decades. Advertisement 8 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content 'Boy, does it cut down on the packing,' said Lynne, a former flight attendant. As she spoke, she was sitting in the back seat of their car, wearing only a baseball cap and a light colored see-through cover-up, while her husband, naked at the wheel, took a reporter and photographer on a tour. Over here was a verdant community garden that members tend by themselves; over there, a grove of apple and pear trees planted in memory of nudists come and gone. Up past Running Bare Boulevard was an RV where the owners – he, a federal IT guy; she, a retired State Department instructor – displayed a pair of nude garden gnomes. Nearby was another trailer, the placard out front declaring, 'Life is Short, Party Naked.' The Paradises (yes, also their actual name) own a sprawling home they built in Somerset, a development adjoining Avalon where a sign announces that it's a 'clothing optional community' and asks, 'Please Respect Our Privacy.' Just inside the Paradises' front door, on a living room wall, are his-and-her faux-bronze reliefs, formed from plaster casts of the couple's bare torsos. Advertisement 9 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Photo by Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post Nevin, a retired United Airlines maintenance manager, said one aspect of Avalon culture he appreciates is that people are not judgmental. No one feels obligated to ask the perfunctory get-acquainted standby, 'What do you do?,' a fact that he and others attribute to the absence of clothing and the status that a designer shirt or dress can convey. 'Here, without the clothes, everyone is the same,' Nevin said. 'We're all in this together. Everyone is accepted.' Well, not everyone, actually. Those who don't follow a certain code of nudist conduct can find themselves hearing from management. 'You can look, but you can't stare,' said Sharon Leipfert, 72, a nurse and frequent visitor from Winchester, Virginia, reciting one main rule. Advertisement 10 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Another: You can hug but your hands better not roam, as was the case after a man once asked Leipfert to dance. 'The first thing he said was, 'I hope this is okay,'' she said, demonstrating how the man's hand landed and lingered on her breast. 'I said, 'No it is not!' He was asked to leave. It's usually the new people who get in trouble.' Public sex is a no-no at Avalon, as is the taking of photos in common areas. In the event that anyone becomes, say, a little too happy to be there, Avalon's website recommends rolling over on one's stomach or covering up with a towel 'until the 'situation' subsides.' 'A true nudist will only look you in the eye,' said Steve Snyder, 74, a retired maintenance mechanic who cooks and tends bar at Avalon. But human nature is what it is, he acknowledged, and eyes have been known to stray. Advertisement 11 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content 'I mean, how can you stop from looking?' he asked. Photo by Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post Back to nature Linda Weber, president of an organization called the American Association of Nude Recreation, is on the phone from California where she acknowledged, in response to a reporter's question, that she was naked, as she always is when she's home and not circulating in what she refers to as the 'textile world.' 'It's hard to get me into clothes,' said the retired insurance company sales manager. 'I was born nude, and I wish I could have stayed that way. Then they threw that diaper on me and the indoctrination began.' As AANR's leader, Weber is trying to ensure that future generations embrace nudism, a lifestyle historians trace to Germany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 'It was a reaction to industrialization and urbanization,' said Brian Hoffman, the author of 'Naked: A Cultural History of American Nudism.' 'It was a back-to-nature thing.' Advertisement 12 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Around 1930, a man named Kurt Barthal brought the movement to the United States, where it grew in popularity, surging in the 1960s and 1970s, when youth culture revolted against the materialism and conformity embraced by their parents' generation. At its peak in the 1990s, Weber said, AANR's membership roll exceeded 50,000 and it was affiliated with more than 200 organizations, including nude resorts, nude cruises and nude clubs. More recently, membership has fallen to 28,000, a decline that seems predictable in an age of TMI, when 'the internet and TV is so saturated with nakedness, it's not a big deal anymore,' Hoffman said. 'We're seeing that people are aging out,' Weber said. 'It's a boomer crowd and we're trying to attract younger people to take our place.' Advertisement 13 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content AANR has turned to TikTok and Instagram to promote what Weber refers to as 'body camaraderie,' although she also hopes activities like nude hiking and nude bowling will spark interest. 'It's very wholesome,' she said. 'There's nothing where your mom would say, 'Whoa, what are you doing here?'' Photo by Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post Toasting 30 years The time was now 7 p.m. and the Bare Barn was filling up with people in various states of undress, everyone here to celebrate Avalon's 30 years. The crowd cheered as the Gaffneys, both now 78, stood beneath a disco ball holding glasses of champagne as they toasted their early investors, employees and members. 'This is very emotional for me,' said Patrick, his attire limited to a pair of sandals, as he stood alongside his wife, who wore just a skirt. Advertisement 14 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content A woman dressed only in a light-up tiara applauded, as did the man wearing next to nothing between his cowboy hat and shoes, along with another in formal tails, a white collar and no pants. And here was Butts, 71, who used to work as a quality assurance professional, positively aglow in a top hat, white gloves, black bow tie and bottomless underwear he bought specially for the occasion. As a (fully clothed) band played a rich blend of blues, country and gospel, and everyone danced, Butts recalled one of his last conversations with Marlene, his wife who died a few years ago and who was not into the nudist thing. 'She said, 'I want you to be happy, I want you find someone and be happy,'' he said. Not only has Butts found that someone, but they're planning to get married and host their wedding celebration at the Avalon. Clothing optional, naturally. Article content Share this article in your social network Read Next
