Latest news with #BANG
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Chart-topping popstar Connie Francis dead at 87
Connie Francis, the wholesome pop star of the 1950s and 1960s whose hits include Pretty Little Baby and who would later serve as an ironic title for a personal life filled with heartbreak and tragedy, has died at age 87. Her death was announced on Thursday by her friend and publicist, Ron Roberts, who did not immediately provide additional details. Francis was a top performer of the pre-Beatles era, rarely off the charts from 1957 to 1964. Able to appeal to both young people and adults, she had more than a dozen top 20 hits, starting with Who's Sorry Now? and including the No. 1 songs Don't Break the Heart That Loves You and The Heart Has a Mind of Its Own. Like other teen favourites of her time, she also starred in several films, including Where the Boys Are and Follow the Boys. The dark-haired singer was just 17 when she signed a contract with MGM Records following appearances on several TV variety shows. Her earliest recordings attracted little attention, but then she released her version of Who's Sorry Now? an old ballad by Ted Snyder, Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. It, too, had little success initially until Dick Clark played it on his American Bandstand show in 1958. Francis followed with such teen hits as Stupid Cupid, Everybody's Somebody's Fool, and Lipstick on Your Collar. Her records became hits worldwide as she re-recorded versions of her original songs in Italian and Spanish among other languages. Meanwhile, a romance bloomed with fellow teen idol Bobby Darin, who had volunteered to write songs for her. Connie Francis. Credit: BANG - Entertainment News But when her father heard rumours that the pair were planning a wedding he stormed into a rehearsal and pulled a gun on Darin, ending their relationship and seeming to set on Francis on a pained and traumatic path. She chronicled some of it in her autobiography, Who's Sorry Now? 'My personal life is a regret from A to Z,' she told The Associated Press in 1984, the year the book came out. 'I realised I had allowed my father to exert too much influence over me.' Her father, George Franconero, was a roofing contractor from New Jersey who played the accordion, and he had his daughter learn the instrument as soon as she began to show an aptitude for music. When she was four, he began booking singing dates for her, going on to become her manager. Although her acting career had faded by the mid-1960s, Francis was still popular on the concert circuit when she appeared at the Westbury Music Center in Westbury, New York, in 1974. She had returned to her hotel room and was asleep when a man broke in and raped her at knifepoint. He was never captured. Francis sued the hotel, alleging its security was faulty, and a jury awarded her $US2.5 million in 1976. The two sides then settled out of court for $US1,475,000 as an appeal was pending. She said the attack destroyed her marriage and put her through years of emotional turmoil. She suffered tragedy in 1981 when her brother George was shot to death as he was leaving his New Jersey home. Later in the decade, her father had her committed to a mental hospital, where she was diagnosed as manic-depressive. At one point she attempted suicide by swallowing dozens of sleeping tablets. After three days in a coma, she recovered. She was married four times and would say that only her third husband, Joseph Garzilli, was worth the trouble. The other marriages each lasted less than a year. Concetta Rosemarie Franconero was born on December 12, 1937, in Newark, New Jersey. She was just three when her father presented her with a child-size accordion. The next year she began singing and playing the instrument at various public events. At age nine she began appearing on television programs, including Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts and The Perry Como Show. It was Godfrey who suggested she shorten her last name. Clark featured her repeatedly on American Bandstand, and she said in later years that without his support she would have abandoned her music career. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Perth Now
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
UK pop star announces Aussie tour after two-year hiatus
Scottish singing sensation Lewis Capaldi has announced he'll be returning to Australian shores this December for his first national performances since 2020. Keeping a relatively low profile over last two years, the 28-year-old has returned to the scene with his new single Survive, complimenting his special appearance at Glastonbury Festival in late June. In true Capaldi style, the singer declared, 'My name's Lewis Capaldi and I'm f**king back, baby.' Lewis Capaldi will return to Australia in December. Credit: BANG - Entertainment News The star will travel to New Zealand in November, before touching down in Brisbane in early December where he will continue a string of singular performances in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide, before playing his final tour show at Perth's RAC Arena on December 17. Aussies last saw Capaldi in action during Falls Festival in the summer of 2019/2020. Following his recent pause on live performances, the Before You Go singer returned to the stage in his home country as a guest of mental health charity CALM in celebration of Mental Health Awareness Week. The self-deprecating singer has historically proven he doesn't take himself too seriously, but in 2023 was forced to address his mental health concerns while on stage at Glastonbury as symptoms of his Tourette's Syndrome overcame him. 'I feel like I'll be taking another wee break over the next couple of weeks,' he told fans at the time. 'So you probably won't see much of me for the rest of year, maybe even. But when I do come back and when I do see you, I hope you're still up for watching us.' If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. On June 27, Capaldi closed the loop and reassured supporters at the festival he hadn't forgotten about them in a powerful 30-minute set. 'Second time's a charm on this one,' he said. 'I just wanted to come and finish what I couldn't finish last time.' Fans who purchased tickets to the singer-songwriter's cancelled 2023 tour in Australia will be eligible for a Past Ticket Holders Presale on July 10. Tickets will be made available to the public from Monday, July 14. December 4 — Brisbane (Entertainment Centre) December 6 — Sydney (Qudos Bank Arena) December 12 — Melbourne (Rod Laver Arena) December 15 — Adelaide (Entertainment Centre) December 17 — Perth (RAC Arena)
Perth Now
19-06-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Busy social life during 50s can signify Alzheimer's disease
Old people socialising Credit: BANG - Entertainment News BANG - Entertainment News Bang Showbiz A busy social life in your 50s could be an indicator of Alzheimer's disease. A massive study of almost half a million Brits aged 40 and older found that people with a higher genetic risk for Alzheimer's tended to report two per cent more social activity and three per cent less isolation in their 50s. Dr. Ashwin Kotwal, lead researcher at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), said: "We don't know if they're chasing more chatter or if others are rallying around them. Their social lives may expand in these early stages." Traditional wisdom suggests friendships and family time protect brain health by boosting "cognitive reserve". But this study highlights a reversal to the trend and suggests that alarm bells should ring if a person's schedule becomes jam packed for no obvious reason.
Sinar Daily
19-06-2025
- Business
- Sinar Daily
SST on imported goods including fruits maybe reviewed
He said the fruits are not produced locally but are instead imported entirely from foreign countries, hence it should be reconsidered before imposing SST of between five and 10 per cent. 19 Jun 2025 05:28pm Zahid said the fruits are not produced locally but are instead imported entirely from foreign countries, hence it should be reconsidered before imposing SST of between five and 10 per cent. - Bernama photo BANG - The government will review the implementation of the revision and expansion of the Sales and Services Tax (SST) on several selected imported goods including fruits such as apples and mandarin oranges, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He said the fruits are not produced locally but are instead imported entirely from foreign countries, hence it should be reconsidered before imposing SST of between five and 10 per cent. Earlier, Mydin Holdings Bhd managing director Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin Mohamed described the move to impose SST on imported fruit as unreasonable because it also affects low-income consumers. - Photo illustrated by Sinar Daily via Canva "I believe it is reasonable for (the new SST rate on certain goods) to be reviewed and I think there will be an adjustment for certain materials to be categorised for tax at five to 10 per cent. "(But) don't take that conclusively," he told reporters after officiating the Community Development Department (KEMAS) Teachers' Day Celebration, here today. Earlier, Mydin Holdings Bhd managing director Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin Mohamed described the move to impose SST on imported fruit as unreasonable because it also affects low-income consumers. Commenting further, Ahmad Zahid said the views put forward by Ameer Ali should be brought to the Cabinet meeting as it touches on the people's needs for imported fruits. "The revenue from fruit tax to the country is not that high. So if SST is imposed, the price will increase. "I know the purpose (of imposing SST on imported fruits) is to protect local fruits but we do not produce apples and mandarin oranges. I am sure the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economy are also looking into the matter,' he said. On June 9, the government announced a targeted review of the SST rate which will take effect from July 1, 2025. The sales tax rate will remain the same for essential goods, while a rate of five or 10 per cent will be imposed on non-essential or discretionary goods. At the same time, the scope of service tax has also been expanded to cover six new services such as rental or leasing, construction, finance, private healthcare, education and beauty. - BERNAMA
Perth Now
16-06-2025
- Science
- Perth Now
Ancient Romans ate fried chicken
Fried chicken Credit: BANG - Entertainment News BANG - Entertainment News Bang Showbiz Ancient Romans loved eating fried chicken. Scientists have discovered 2,000-year-old remains of songbirds that were deep-fried and eaten by Romans as a convenient snack. The leftovers were found at a rubbish pit near the ancient ruins of a fast food shop in the Roman city of Pollentia on the Spanish island Mallorca. The songbirds, a forerunner to today's chicken, are thought to have been flattened on-site and quick-fried for sale to customers. They were also eaten as a street food by the general population instead of an "elite" delicacy for the rich as previously thought. Dr. Alejandro Valenzuela, a researcher at the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, said: "Thrushes were commonly sold and consumed in Roman urban spaces. "(This challenges) the prevailing notion based on written sources that thrushes were exclusively a luxury food item for elite banquets."
