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The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘I watched Bob Dylan play tennis with three of the Beatles': how we made the Isle of Wight festival
In 1968, when I was 22, my older brother Ronnie got a job as a fundraiser for a swimming pool on the island. I'd done a concert for CND [the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament], so we started talking about doing some sort of festival to raise the money. My younger brother Bill suggested it had to be pop. An agency in London gave Ronnie a list of acts including the Pretty Things, the Move, Fairport Convention, Tyrannosaurus Rex and an American act, Jefferson Airplane. We only had a £750 investment from the Isle of Wight Indoor Swimming Pool Association, but after a friend lent us his £1,000 army pay-off, we managed to book all those bands, sell 10,000 tickets and break even. In the interim, the pool association pulled out because it didn't like the publicity about hippies, drugs and sex, but they allowed us to use their investment and we were able to pay them back. That first event in 1968 was pretty shabby – the stage was a couple of flatbed trucks and the caterer ripped us off. We decided to do it again the following year, but properly. Ronnie had got Bob Dylan's John Wesley Harding album for Christmas and argued that someone like Dylan would draw people to the island. He got Dylan's manager Albert Grossman's number from an underground magazine and called him. Dylan hadn't performed since his motorbike crash in 1966 so we didn't get far, but we kept calling. Grossman wanted Dylan to make a big comeback at the Woodstock festival, but the two had fallen out and weren't speaking. Meanwhile, I'd been getting on well with Grossman's partner, Bert Block, and one Wednesday night he sent a telegram saying Dylan had agreed to play the Isle of Wight. It felt like winning the lottery. But he wanted me to fly to New York to sign contracts, and said: 'Don't forget the dollars.' We didn't have any money, so we approached various monied people. The head of Screen Gems Europe understood how big Dylan was and agreed to invest in us. Suddenly we had a massive event that pulled in 150,000 people. George Harrison and Patti Boyd came to stay. John Lennon and Ringo arrived on the day. I'll never forget watching Dylan playing tennis with three Beatles. By 1970, us three kids were big-time promoters who could book a raft of stars, and that year's event attracted over half a million people. The Who were phenomenal, Joni Mitchell triumphant. The Doors' Jim Morrison was out on bail and they played a moody, oddly moving set in near-darkness. Murray Lerner's [1996] film about the 1970 event created a false narrative that it was a disaster. Yes, Kris Kristofferson was booed and there were flare-ups with radicals who wanted it to be a free festival like Woodstock, but most people loved it. It's a myth that Jimi Hendrix played with the stage on fire – it was a firework. That was his last UK performance – 18 days later he was dead. We had always battled councillors and the like moaning about 'kids fucking in the bushes', drugs and such, and after 1970 new restrictions made it impossible for us to put the festival on again. Still, we'd created a blueprint for the modern festival with camping. In 2002, John Giddings – who had attended in 1970 as a teenager – brought the event back. Today's Isle of Wight festival is a well-organised entertainment spectacular. In the 60s it was a pilgrimage to see countercultural artists who were singing about making the world a better place. In 1968 we'd just been at No 1 with Fire when we were booked to headline a new festival. But then Jefferson Airplane said they would bring a phenomenal PA system from the US if they could top the bill, so we were bumped to headlining the 'Great British groups'. In those days, crowds loved it if performers were drunk or doing extreme things. I would arrive on stage wearing a helmet with a pie dish on top filled with petrol and our lighting man would throw lit things at it until – whoosh – it went up in flames. At the Windsor jazz and blues festival the summer before, I'd been lowered on to the stage by crane but caught fire from my burning helmet. People poured pints of Newcastle Brown over my head to put me out, so I arrived on stage more like a drowned raccoon than 'the God of hell fire'. At the Isle of Wight, I'd planned to fly in by hot air balloon from Portsmouth, but on the day strong winds in the opposite direction scuppered that. I went on wearing face paint and a crazy costume, which was unusual then – and still is! In the rain I just couldn't get the helmet to light, so I ended up swearing over the microphone. I was a God of hell fire without any flames, but people loved us. This year's Isle of Wight festival is on 19-22 June. Ray Foulk's books Stealing Dylan from Woodstock and The Last Great Event are published by Medina. The Crazy World of Arthur Brown play Glastonbury festival at midnight on 28 June, and then tour.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘70s Rock Legend, 86, Stuns Fans With His Ageless Voice
'70s Rock Legend, 86, Stuns Fans With His Ageless Voice originally appeared on Parade. David Freiberg, 86, has a singing voice that defies time. A founding member of '70s rock sensations Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship, Freiberg co-wrote one of the band's biggest hits, Jane. At a recent Jefferson Starship performance celebrating the band's 50th anniversary, the 86-year-old showcased his ageless voice, which left fans stunned and in of the performance shows Freiberg effortlessly moving about the stage, belting out the famous lyrics to Jane, which were originally sung by Mickey Thomas. The 1979 rock hit is filled with high-energy riffs, sung in a high register that channels the song's emotion and intensity. Freiberg hits every note, his voice scaling to the top of his register, with flawless ease. Freiberg's vocals left fans in awe (honestly, us too). He sounds like he's back in 1979, with the voice of a much younger man. It's a stunning performance worth watching over and over quickly got to work, complimenting Freiberg's vocals. One wrote, 'To sing like that at his age is truly rare and fabulous,' while another shared, 'Wow.' 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 '70s Rock Legend, 86, Stuns Fans With His Ageless Voice first appeared on Parade on Jun 3, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A$AP Rocky, Movie Star: The Rapper on Method Acting With Denzel Washington, Planning a Film With Rihanna and Being ‘Blessed to Work' After Assault Trial
It's after midnight in a suite at the W hotel, overlooking New York City's Union Square, and I'm sitting across from A$AP Rocky as he toys with a half-smoked blunt. There's a fresh one in the ashtray beside it that one of his assistants recently rolled for him. The armchair I'm perched on is made of stuffed Mickey Mouse toys, a 'Tom and Jerry' cartoon is playing on mute in the background and Jefferson Airplane's psychedelic music is blaring from the stereo. 'Can you guys bring that chair closer?' Rocky says to one of his crew about my seat, then turns to me. 'It's heavier than it looks.' More from Variety Rihanna Is Pregnant With Third Child, Reveals Baby Bump at Met Gala A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti, Peso Pluma to Headline Rolling Loud California 2025 A$AP Rocky Charged for Alleged Assault With a Firearm by L.A. District Attorney It's a gentlemanly gesture from the sweet, Grammy-nominated hip-hop star, who is now as well known for his evolution into subversive fashion icon as he is for his A-list coupling with Rihanna. Tonight, he's rocking a pink-and-black tartan kilt with Ray-Bans from his new creative partnership with the sunglasses brand and a camo bomber jacket designed by his AWGE collective. The jacket has a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, license plate emblazoned on the front; that's where the Harlem-born Rakim Mayers lived for a stint as a kid, beginning right around the time he started rapping at age 8. As an artist, Rocky dabbles in a little of everything: In addition to the fashion collaborations and his latest gig as co-chair of this year's Met Gala, his long-awaited fourth album, 'Don't Be Dumb,' is expected to drop sometime this year. But we're here to talk about Rocky's Cannes-bound film 'Highest 2 Lowest,' Spike Lee's remake of the Akira Kurosawa crime drama 'High and Low' that will see him face off against Denzel Washington. (It will be released by A24 in select theaters Aug. 22 before streaming on Apple TV+ two weeks later.) First, however, Rocky wants to tell me about that time when he was 5 years old and his favorite movie was the 1973 Blaxploitation film 'The Mack.' 'At an assembly on Halloween, I told my teacher that I wanted to be a pimp,' he recalls, diamonds gleaming from the corners of his wide grin. 'She took back the microphone and said, 'Pick another one.' I said, 'Uhhh — a ninja?'' In 'Highest 2 Lowest,' Rocky isn't a pimp or a ninja, but instead plays Yung Felon, an aspiring rapper who will stop at nothing to be noticed by Washington's music mogul. And Rocky's big moment on the Cannes red carpet will come after he's fought and won a legal battle that nearly derailed his career and that could have left him in jail for a quarter century. The situation stemmed from a 2021 incident in which Rocky was accused of firing a gun at and grazing the knuckle of his former friend and collaborator Terell Ephron, known as A$AP Relli. Rocky worked on the film as the trial loomed, finding a welcome distraction in acting. 'That's my only escape. That's why I do it,' he says. But there were moments when art and life intersected. In one scene, Yung Felon faces his own courtroom reckoning, which was 'surreal' for Rocky, who knew he'd be in a similar situation in a few months. 'That's why I was able to embody the character so well,' he says, his voice gravelly from weed. 'I was able to act like a piece of shit who was going away for a long time but didn't realize the consequences, because in real life, I knew exactly what the consequences felt like.' Rocky's highly publicized trial lasted three weeks before a jury found him not guilty in February. The world watched as a joyful Rocky leapt over a barrier to hug Rihanna and then enfolded his mother and sister in his arms. Rocky and Rihanna started making music together in 2012, when she was already a mega-star and he was the hot new rapper on the scene. A decade later, they welcomed their first child, RZA Athelston Mayers. His little brother, Riot Rose Mayers, followed in August 2023. Rihanna revealed their third child is on the way just before arriving at the Met Gala. Professionally, the 36-year-old is living out his childhood dream. He'd been a fan of Lee and Washington since watching 'Malcolm X' as a kid, so when the director reached out after spotting him in 2018's 'Monster' (which was produced by Lee's wife, Tonya), Rocky jumped at the opportunity to work with two of his idols. 'I was stuck between greatness and greatness.' Nah, I was born for this. I'm not gonna waste nobody's time. This is what I do — this is the same approach you would take to making an album or to directing or designing anything: You've got to give it your all. People judge you by integrity; that's how you can measure someone's principles and morals. If somebody don't got integrity, and they're just doing it for the check or the look or the next opportunity, it never works out for them. I promise you. That's where the phrase 'Cheaters never win' comes from. When you cheat yourself in life, you never win in the end. I read it. Spike was open to me creating my character. I'm a Method actor — I've gotta embody this person. So wearing different hats — like fatherhood and all that other stuff — there's only so much time you've got, right? So I needed this guy to be realistic. His name was MC Microphone Checka — like microphone check, 1, 2, 1, 2 — and I said, 'No, he's Yung Felon.' Spike is OK with allowing collective ideas. It was a blessing for him to be so receptive and open-minded to my ideas. He shut down a lot, and he fucked with a lot. It's being alone in your trailer, looking in the mirror, embodying that person. When you're not on the set, or when you clock out, you're still embodying that character. Around the beginning of shooting, my family was still in California, so I got to really be this guy and go home [as him]. When my family finally came to New York in late May, we were almost wrapped, and I had to be in daddy mode. I had to shift back and forth. It was like a fucking dream come true. But trust me, it was difficult to not fan the fuck out every millisecond of the fucking duration. It was crazy — it's fucking Denzel, man. I don't give a fuck how successful [I am]: I'm always gonna be a student and a fan of certain people, and I'm always going to give them their flowers. I'm never going to be too big to be able to say that I had to hold my composure from not fanning out. The first movies I really loved were 'Juice,' 'Malcolm X' and 'Michael Jackson: Moonwalker.' The first time I saw him, I was watching 'Malcolm X.' I didn't know what to expect. I remember showing up and them telling us, like, 'Yo, you know how hard it is to get your shit submitted out here?' And I'm like, 'How the fuck do we know if we won or not?' [Laughs] Now I'm more excited because I know the significance. I look forward to seeing the film for the first time with everybody else. I don't want to see it till then. Get the fuck outta here! Yo, Denzel plays more Memphis rap than anybody I know. He's just like, 'Alright, so what you fuck with, kid?' [I'm like,] 'Pardon me?' I tried to sound all old school and shit like, 'I like Slick Rick…' and he's like, 'Oh, I fuck with Rick, of course. Rick the Ruler.' Then, he started saying Nas lyrics out of nowhere. Then Pac, then DMX, and then he starts talking about the young cats — Moneybagg Yo, NLE Choppa, NBA YoungBoy and these guys. I'm like, 'What is this man doing?!' But I'm here for it, like I fuck with it. I was shocked. He's an OG. You would expect him to listen to Miles Davis all day. Nah, he said, 'Throw on NLE Choppa,' [then Washington rapped] 'I don't do drive-bys no more, I walk 'em down.' That's verbatim. I was like, 'This is gonna be lit. It's on now.' I did. I thought it was lit. I had some bungee wires on, so it was safe. It was action packed, and I was on my Black Tom Cruise shit. I'm down for whatever. I think I need to be the new Black James Bond. Like, why not? If we hit the gym, I'ma be aight. Right now I'm in dad mode; you're gonna have to give me a couple months. I want to do something for my children. Everybody's doing 'Despicable Me' and 'SpongeBob' and shit like that. I want to do an original DreamWorks/Pixar-ass film, like 'Soul.' I like the internet stuff too, like 'Gracie's Corner.' I hate 'Cocomelon.' 'Cocomelon' is bad for the kids, man, but 'Gracie's' is hittin'. I just hope my kids don't grow up and think that shit was lame. So, whatever I do, it's gonna be cool and timeless. That's gangster. Yo, this shit is jokes though. We both got movies coming out the same year. I didn't even realize that. Wow! Shout-outs to us — we've been working! Hell, yeah. You saw her acting in my film [the 2022 music video] 'D.M.B.' You saw her acting in [my 2013 music video] 'Fashion Killa.' See, I can't give that away. More than likely. It's odd because as I get older, I'm more conscious about how I view myself. Describing my life sounds very braggadocious, and I want to figure out how to say it to where it feels more humble, relatable and sincere, as opposed to just shitting on the next person or making the next person feel down — or just evoking negative shit out of people. I'm writing about these past four or five years that I had this over me, and it's been kind of handicapping me. For sure, it's a lesson learned. I think I had trust issues for a while now. I can't necessarily blame it on my last situation. But what I did learn is you've gotta accept that everybody's not good people; you're not gonna run into a solid person every time. Not everybody's gonna handle situations like you. Once you accept that you're not responsible for nobody's actions but yours … That's where I'm at — like, yo, focus on your own actions. Because I ain't perfect. I'm human too, and we all fuck up. Being happy and wanting to get the fuck out that building. You got to stop yourself from thinking like that. Because that could get the best of you, and you can manifest that energy by mistake. I tried to stay positive at all times. But it was definitely gut-wrenching and nerve-racking, and I was definitely scared for my freedom. I was so thankful that the jury made that decision. I was really thankful for how the judge was respectful and treated me like a first-class citizen. And I was thankful for my team and my lawyer, my family and my mom for being there with me the whole time. But I could say my mom, the jury, my girl and everybody, but all praises and credit has to go to God. I'm a firm believer in prayer, and I was praying the whole time he was reading off the verdict. And my prayers were answered. I pray to God for a lot of the things in my life. But I'm not really a religious man; I'm more spiritual. It's a traumatic situation, but I can't dwell on it. I got Cannes to go to. I got an album to make. I got fashion shows to do. I got music to make. I got videos. I got sneakers to drop. I got glasses to be the new creative director of. I got children. I got all type of shit. Like, nah, why would I dwell on that dark-ass shit? I talk about it from time to time, but for the most part, I don't really think about that shit. It's not tragic to the point where I can't talk about it, because I'm blessed enough to be here with you in the flesh talking about it. That within itself is the victory and blessing from God for real. I know I sound so religious, but when your back's against the wall, you tend to call two people: Mommy or God or Jesus. To keep it real with you, I have my mother in my corner and God. [Laughs] That film is for all the moms across the world. It's so hard for women. To be a mom, oh my God, the responsibility. Like being a dad, people always kind of look at you for, like, financial responsibility or to fix the sink and fix the car and do this and that. Honestly, man, the way that we look at roles, it's really traditional. But it's a bit different when you're in a position where you barely drive. I ain't gonna fix no cars, right? I don't go on my roof — shit, I don't even know if anything could get stuck on my roof. I haven't cleaned the gutters, none of that stuff. I'm busy creating some crazy master plans and shit. I'm trying to spend as much time with my little ones when I'm not on phone calls all day. I'm blessed to work. With all the circumstances that I've been going through, being able to just navigate through life and come out victoriously, I just want that to be an example for guys like me that 'Yo, it's light at the end of the tunnel. You could always take any negative and flip that shit to a positive for real.' I like to do things that don't make sense. Nobody would have thought to put [folk musician] Jessica Pratt on that, but I think her voice so angelic. She literally let me write the whole thing, and she just sung it beautifully. She makes me want to be like a secret songwriter; I should probably get into writing folk songs. She's sick. This fucking album, it represents who I am right now. It's just I hope that it's digestible. In one sitting. Because I would rewind that shit. I'd get to the middle of it, rewind it back to the middle of it, rewind it again and then watch it from the middle to the end. That's just another one of my loves and passions, man. I prefer to go to the cinema — the the-at-er. It's way better. Cinema is just a portal to an imagination, depicted by somebody else. You get to see somebody else's dream. It's almost like a filmmaker is a God in his own right. You get to dictate your world: you get to dictate the weather, the contrast, the color, the mood, the lighting, the people, the characters. You get to dictate the narration. You can dictate the ending, the plot, the twist, everything. It's a tool that allows grown-ups and adults to still imagine and pretend. It equates to hip-hop. You've got the war just ending and a whole nation of people that are suppressed and restricted. And nobody's fucking with them — not the States, not the allies —they're on their own. Out of all that tragedy — that pain and confusion and war — rose this new art form. There would be no Tim Burton if it wasn't for that. Film noir derived from German expressionism. And that's what I try to make: ghetto expressionism. I relate to that personally, because I'm just getting out of whatever the fuck I was going through. I was reaching out to my people for years — like, 'I need to meet Tim Burton.' But my current team made it happen. He was like, 'Yo, come through to Malibu.' I kicked it with him, played him some music. He was fucking with it. But his speakers was ass. He got the cinema speakers; he ain't got them A$AP Rocky 'Don't Be Dumb' hip-hop speakers. It's like getting the Oscar-Grammy-Emmy-Tony in one. It's like getting the fucking every music award you could think of at one time. I would be lying if I said no. That's always been a dream. The more that I do it and it doesn't happen, it's just motivation to keep trying and going harder. I don't think so. But that's what really determines great actors and actresses. If I'm being totally honest, to be a better actor overall, theater is the only way to do that. One of the best, wisest men told me that — Mr. Jeffrey Wright. During 'Highest 2 Lowest,' he was coaching me. I would do something, and he'd be like, 'Nah, man, you got to do it like this,' and 'Say your line like that.' We would just kick it in the trailer. He would tell me what books to read and show me the old-school shit he used to be in. He's just an OG like that. I don't think I'm ready. I gotta be in one place, and that's a lot to commit to. If I had those deals or not, I would still be designing that stuff, still trying to put it out. I look at brands, at collaborations, at everything like manifestation. It's all about the timing and accepting that what's meant for you is meant for you, and when it's not, it's not. That's the hardest part. Because of how down or upset or disappointed I would be if something fell through or didn't go right. I'm passionate about projects, about deals, about any partnership. My name, integrity and reputation are on the line, so I want to be the same across all endeavors. I want people to say, 'That's an involved and creative brother, like, a creative young man. He has really good ideas.' I auditioned for 'Star Wars' — for Lando — and my audition was trash. I was trash that day. My man Childish Gambino [Donald Glover] was a way better Lando than I would've provided at that time. And I think he looked a little more like [Billy Dee Williams] than me. Hell, yeah. Best of Variety Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Associated Press
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Celebrity birthdays for the week of April 13-19
Celebrity birthdays for the week of April 13-19: April 13: Actor Edward Fox is 88. Singer Lester Chambers of The Chambers Brothers is 85. Composer Bill Conti ('Rocky' film theme) is 83. Musician Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane is 81. Musician Al Green is 79. Actor Ron Perlman is 75. Actor William Sadler ('Wonderfalls,' ″Roswell') is 75. Singer Peabo Bryson is 74. Drummer Max Weinberg of the E Street Band (and 'Late Night With Conan O'Brien') is 74. Keyboardist Jimmy Destri (Blondie) is 71. Comedian Gary Kroeger ('Saturday Night Live') is 68. Actor Saundra Santiago ('Miami Vice') is 68. Guitarist Joey Mazzola (Sponge) is 64. Actor Page Hannah (TV's 'Fame') is 61. Actor-comedian Caroline Rhea ('Sabrina the Teenage Witch,' ″The Biggest Loser') is 61. Bassist Lisa Umbarger (The Toadies) is 60. Guitarist Marc Ford (Black Crowes) is 59. Actor Ricky Schroder is 55. Singer Aaron Lewis of Staind is 53. Actor Bokeem Woodbine (TV's 'Fargo,' ″Saving Grace') is 52. Singer Lou Bega is 50. Actor Glenn Howerton ('It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia') is 49. Actor Kyle Howard ('Royal Pains') is 47. Actor Kelli Giddish ('Law & Order: SVU') is 45. Actor Courtney Peldon ('Boston Public') is 44. Singer Nellie McKay is 43. Rapper Ty Dolla $ign is 43. Actor Allison Williams ('Girls') is 37. Actor Hannah Marks ('Necessary Roughness') is 32. April 14: Actor Julie Christie is 85. Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore is 80. Actor John Shea ('Gossip Girl,' ″Lois and Clark') is 77. Actor Peter Capaldi ('Dr. Who,' ″The Musketeers') is 67. Actor-turned-racecar driver Brian Forster ('The Partridge Family') is 65. Actor Brad Garrett ('Everybody Loves Raymond') is 65. Actor Robert Carlyle ('Once Upon a Time') is 64. Singer-guitarist John Bell of Widespread Panic is 63. Actor Catherine Dent ('The Shield') is 60. Drummer Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees) is 58. Actor Anthony Michael Hall is 57. Actor Adrien Brody is 52. Singer David Miller of Il Divo is 52. Rapper Da Brat is 51. Actor Antwon Tanner ('One Tree Hill') is 50. Actor Sarah Michelle Gellar is 48. Actor Rob McElhenney ('It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia') is 48. Musician JD McPherson is 48. Singer Win Butler of Arcade Fire is 45. Actor Claire Coffee ('Grimm') is 45. Actor Nick Krause ('The Descendants') is 33. Actor Graham Phillips ('The Good Wife') is 32. Actor Vivien Cardone ('Everwood') is 32. Actor Skyler Samuels ('Scream Queens') is 31. Actor Abigail Breslin ('Little Miss Sunshine') is 29. April 15: Actor Claudia Cardinale ('Pink Panther' films) is 87. Singer-guitarist Dave Edmunds is 82. Actor Michael Tucci ('Diagnosis Murder,' 'It's Garry Shandling's Show') is 79. Actor Lois Chiles ('Austin Powers,' 'Moonraker') is 78. Actor Amy Wright is 75. Actor Sam McMurray ('The King of Queens,' 'The Tracey Ullman Show') is 73. Actor Emma Thompson is 66. Singer Samantha Fox is 59. Guitarist Ed O'Brien of Radiohead is 57. Actor Flex Alexander ('One on One') is 55. Actor Danny Pino ('Cold Case') is 51. Country singer Chris Stapleton is 47. Actor Luke Evans ('The Hobbit') is 46. Drummer Patrick Carney of The Black Keys is 45. Bassist Zach Carothers of Portugal. The Man is 44. Actor Seth Rogen is 43. Actor Alice Braga ('I Am Legend') is 42. Singer-songwriter Margo Price is 42. Drummer De'Mar Hamilton of Plain White T's is 41. Actor Samira Wiley ('Orange Is the New Black') is 38. Actor Leonie Elliott ('Call the Midwife') is 37. Actor Emma Watson ('Harry Potter' movies) is 35. Actor Maisie Williams ('Game of Thrones') is 28. April 16: Singer Bobby Vinton is 90. Midnight Oil singer-turned-politician Peter Garrett is 72. Actor Ellen Barkin is 71. Actor Michel Gill ('Mr. Robot,' 'House of Cards') is 65. Singer-bassist Jason Scheff (Chicago) is 63. Singer Jimmy Osmond is 62. Singer David Pirner of Soul Asylum is 61. Actor Jon Cryer is 60. Actor-comedian Martin Lawrence is 60. Actor Peter Billingsley ('A Christmas Story') is 54. Actor Lukas Haas is 49. Broadway actress Kelli O'Hara is 49. Actor Sadie Sink ('Stranger Things') is 23. April 17: Actor David Bradley ('Game of Thrones') is 83. Musician Jan Hammer is 77. Actor Clarke Peters ('Treme') is 73. Rapper Afrika Bambaataa is 68. Actor Sean Bean ('Lord of the Rings') is 66. Actor Joel Murray ('Dharma and Greg,' ″The Artist') is 63. Singer Maynard James Keenan of Tool and of Puscifer is 61. Actor Lela Rochon is 61. Actor William Mapother ('Lost') is 60. Actor Leslie Bega ('The Sopranos') is 58. Actor Henry Ian Cusick ('Scandal,' ″Lost') is 58. Actor Kimberly Elise is 58. Singer Liz Phair is 58. Rapper-actor Redman is 55. Actor Jennifer Garner is 53. Singer-designer Victoria Beckham of the Spice Girls is 51. Actor Lindsay Korman ('All My Children,' 'Passions') is 47. Actor Tate Ellington ('The Brave,' 'Quantico') is 46. Actor Charlie Hofheimer ('24: Legacy') is 44. Actor Rooney Mara ('The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo') is 40. Actor Dee Dee Davis ('The Bernie Mac Show') is 29. April 18: Actor Robert Hooks is 88. Actor Hayley Mills is 79. Actor Dorothy Lyman ('Mama's Family') is 78. Actor Cindy Pickett ('Ferris Bueller's Day Off') is 78. Keyboardist Walt Richmond of The Tractors is 78. Actor James Woods is 78. Bassist Jim Scholten of Sawyer Brown is 73. Actor Rick Moranis is 72. Actor Eric Roberts is 69. Actor Melody Thomas Scott ('The Young and the Restless') is 69. Actor John James ('Dynasty,' ″The Colbys') is 69. Bassist Les Pattinson of Echo and the Bunnymen is 67. Actor Jane Leeves ('Hot In Cleveland,' ″Frasier') is 64. Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham is 63. Actor Eric McCormack ('Will and Grace') is 62. Talk show host Conan O'Brien is 62. Actor Maria Bello is 58. Actor Mary Birdsong ('Reno 911!') is 57. Actor David Hewlett ('Stargate: SG-1') is 57. Actor-rapper Fredro Starr of Onyx ('Moesha') is 54. Actor David Tennant ('Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire') is 54. Guitarist Mark Tremonti of Creed and of Alter Bridge is 51. Singer Trina of Trina and Tamara is 51. Actor Melissa Joan Hart ('Sabrina the Teenage Witch') is 49. Actor Bryce Johnson ('Pretty Little Liars') is 48. TV personality Kourtney Kardashian is 46. Actor America Ferrera (film's 'Barbie,' TV's 'Ugly Betty') is 41. Actor Tom Hughes ('Victoria') is 40. Actor Ellen Woglom ('Marvel's Inhumans') is 38. Actor Vanessa Kirby ('The Crown') is 37. Actor Alia Shawkat ('Arrested Development') is 36. Actor Britt Robertson ('Under the Dome') is 35. Actor Chloe Bennet ('Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,' ″Nashville') is 33. Singer Nathan Sykes of The Wanted is 32. Actor Moises Arias ('Hannah Montana') is 31. April 19: Actor Elinor Donahue ('Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,' 'Father Knows Best') is 88. Keyboardist Alan Price of The Animals is 83. Actor Tim Curry is 79. Singer Mark 'Flo' Volman of The Turtles is 78. Actor Tony Plana ('Ugly Betty') is 73. Actor Tom Wood ('The Fugitive,' 'Ulee's Gold') is 62. Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight is 60. Country singer Bekka Bramlett of Bekka and Billy is 57. Actor Kim Hawthorne ('Greenleaf') is 57. Actor Ashley Judd is 57. Singer Luis Miguel is 55. Actor Jennifer Esposito ('Blue Bloods') is 53. Actor Jennifer Taylor ('Two and a Half Men') is 53. Singer Madeleine Peyroux is 51. Actor James Franco is 47. Actor Kate Hudson is 46. Actor Hayden Christensen ('Star Wars Episodes II and III') is 44. Actor Catalina Sandino Moreno ('Che,' ″Maria Full of Grace') is 44. Actor Ali Wong ('American Housewife') is 43. Actor Victoria Yeates ('Call the Midwife') is 42. Drummer Steve Johnson of Alabama Shakes is 40. Actor Courtland Mead ('Kirk') is 38.
The Guardian
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Grace Slick, female soldier pioneers, and a family's search for the son swapped at birth
Top of the weekend to you all. If, for whatever reason, you find yourself thinking humanity is cooked, here's a 105-year-old woman dancing to drum'n'bass on her birthday. Plenty to admire also in this week's selection, as well as one big, heart-breaking mystery. Read on. Jefferson Airplane's signature song is White Rabbit, but it's a track from a later era of the 60s psychedelic rock outfit that still rules the airwaves. Grace Slick is the voice behind the aforementioned and We Built This City, released in 1985 when the group had rebranded as Starship. 'I'd been this wild, crazy-ass drunk,' she says of why she agreed to sing a song she hated. 'So to make up for it, I was sober all through the 80s … which was a mistake.' It's just one example of a good line from Slick, who is incredibly forthright about her life as a 'spoiled' rock'n'roll brat and getting 'friendly' with the apparently quite well-proportioned Doors frontman Jim Morrison. Recollections of her night with the Lizard King: 'Like making love to a floating art form with eyes.' How long will it take to read: Five minutes. Here's a storyline fit for a film: a plucky outsider standing up to the relentless march of progress – in this case, the perceived obsolescence of public telephones now we have all that and much more in a small device in our pockets. Fewer than 10 phone calls were made last year from the K6 phone box in the English village of Sharrington, where Derek Harris lives. That makes it a prime candidate for decommissioning. Harris, 90, and a small band of villagers have other ideas. Heritage value: The K6 was designed to mark the silver jubilee of George V in 1935. How long will it take to read: Four minutes. Joan had always had a nagging suspicion that William, her son, was not hers. The doubts began at the hospital in 1951 when a group of four babies was brought into her ward, and the one that was accidentally dropped on her bed was handed to her. As the years passed and William developed much differently from their other children, Joan's husband was convinced: 'I think we brought the wrong one home.' A DNA test in early 2019 proved their fears correct. Now Joan and her son and daughter are racing to find her lost biological son before it's too late. 'When he said: 'You're not my mother,' it went through me.' – Joan on her last contact with William, who had done a DNA test of his own. How long will it take to read: Ten minutes. Sign up to Five Great Reads Each week our editors select five of the most interesting, entertaining and thoughtful reads published by Guardian Australia and our international colleagues. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Saturday morning after newsletter promotion Until 1985, women in the Australian Army worked as nurses or filled support roles. That all changed when 49 mostly teenage girls marched into the mess hall of the Blamey barracks at Kapooka in New South Wales to stunned silence from the thousand male recruits eating dinner. The recruits were there to undertake the same combat training as their male counterparts. Says Sonya Wheelahan of her platoon as members prepare to mark its 40th anniversary: 'We proved a lot of people wrong.' First step on a long journey: Despite the trailblazing work of 31 Platoon, Delta Company, Kapooka, it would be 30 years before Australian women fought on the frontline. How long will it take to read: Four minutes. Matthew Reum was on a road trip when his pickup truck barrelled into a ravine in the dead of night. For six days he heard cars crossing the bridge above him, none of their occupants spotting the silver vehicle below that looked like it belonged on a scrapheap. Reum was trapped inside the wreckage. So he waited, keeping a journal to document his mental health as he battled to keep hallucinations at bay. He awoke on day six to an unlikely pair of rescuers, who he wasn't convinced weren't hallucinations as well. Celebrating small victories: Reum whiled away the time by dismantling the insides of his car with a toolkit, piece by piece, to give himself more room. The sense of accomplishment helped keep his spirits up until salvation arrived. How long will it take to read: Four minutes. Enjoying the Five Great Reads email? Then you'll love our weekly culture and lifestyle newsletter, Saved for Later. Sign up here to catch up on the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture, trends and tips for the weekend. And check out the full list of our local and international newsletters.
