Latest news with #RockAndRoll
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Co Hoedeman, Oscar-Winning Canadian Animator, Dies at 84
Co Hoedeman, the Canadian animator and director best known for winning an Oscar for best animated short in 1977, has died. He was 84. Hoedeman died Monday in Montreal, the National Film Board of Canada, for whom he directed 27 films during his career, said. No cause of death was specified. More from The Hollywood Reporter Rick Derringer, Singer-Songwriter Known For 'Hang On Sloopy' and 'Rock And Roll, Hoochie Coo' Dead at 77 Marilyn Howard Ellman, Daughter of The Three Stooges' Curly Howard, Dies at 86 Taina Elg, Actress in 'Les Girls' and 'The 39 Steps,' Dies at 95 'Co Hoedeman was a master animator whose long career at the NFB was distinguished by innovative filmmaking and powerful humanitarian themes,' Suzanne Guèvremont, government film commissioner and NFB chairperson, said in a statement. 'He cared deeply for the well-being of children and was also a fierce defender of the importance of public filmmaking. The NFB and the Canadian animation community have lost a dear friend and colleague. Fortunately for us, we have his legacy of beloved works, which embody so much of his unique spirit.' A master of stop-motion animation, Hoedeman earned his Academy Award statuette for Le Chateau de Sable (The Sand Castle), a 13-minute puppet animation short for the NFB. The film features a sandman and the creatures he sculpted out of sand. The creations then build a castle and cheer the completion of their new home, only to be interrupted by an uninvited guest. Born in Amsterdam on Aug. 1, 1940, Hoedeman as a child enjoyed using his hands to make puppets, kites and other figures. In his 2021 biography, Frame by Frame: An Animator's Journey, he wrote: 'At a time when there was no television and little access to any kind of entertainment, puppet shows were the most brilliant experience imaginable. Puppet theatre and puppet animation have a lot in common. The animator and his team, just like the puppet master in a puppet show, are in control of everything: the storyline, the movements, the sets, the puppets, the animation and the emotions of the audience.' Hoedeman started his career working in TV commercial production in Holland. But after seeing the films of NFB pioneer Norman McLaren at an animation festival, he came to Montreal in 1965 with not much more than a film reel in hand to possibly work for Canada's publicly funded film producer in its animation unit. 'I fell in love with [NFB films]. I was fascinated by the making of experimental films. We decided to emigrate to Canada,' Hoedeman recalled in the 2013 short documentary Making Movie History: Co Hoedeman. In the film, he recalled not being especially fazed by the Oscar nomination for The Sand Castle: 'So what? Perhaps it's my Dutch character, being overly pragmatic, perhaps. I don't know.' His reticence extended to the Oscars when Hoedeman thought another nominated NFB film in that year's competition, Ishu Patel's Bead Game, had been announced as the winner. 'So I got up to congratulate him. But no, no, no. It wasn't him. It was me!' Hoedeman recalled of that dramatic moment he became an Oscar winner. After directing his early films with the NFB, well before the age of computer-generated animation, including his award-winning Oddball (1969), Hoedeman traveled to then-Czechoslovakia in 1970 to study puppet animation. Returning to the NFB, he began a series of iconic stop-motion films for the Canadian producer, using old-school techniques like a 35mm camera on a tripod and a film set. Those included the 1972 film Tchou-tchou, which was created with wooden blocks and received a BAFTA for best animated film. During the 1970s, Hoedeman created a series of animated films based on Inuit traditional stories, working closely with artists from Nunavut and Nunavik. Following The Sand Castle, Hoedeman continued to experiment with a range of filmmaking techniques and themes. In 1992, he worked with Indigenous inmates at the La Macaza Institution to create The Sniffing Bear, a cautionary tale about substance abuse. In 1998, he began work on a beloved children's series about Ludovic, a young teddy bear, available in the NFB collection as Four Seasons in the Life of Ludovic. His final film for the NFB was Marianne's Theatre in 2011. That was followed by collaborations between the NFB and Hoedeman, now an indie filmmaker, including the 2011 film 55 Socks. That project drew on his childhood memories in Holland during World War II and especially during the Hunger Winter of 1944–45. He would also adapt his Ludovic character into a popular children's TV series. In 2003, the Cinémathèque Québécoise and the NFB paid tribute to Hoedeman with the exhibition Exposition Co Hoedeman – Les Jardins de l'Enfance in Montreal. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sass to Sobs, Diddy's Ex-Assistant Testifies About Gunpoint Kidnapping But Changes Some Details
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' former assistant, Capricorn Clark, launched the third week of testimony in the rap mogul's sex-trafficking and racketeering trial in New York, dramatically recounting — and then, through tears, walking back or changing details on cross-examination — an alleged kidnapping at gunpoint that led to her calling her boss' girlfriend to warn her of a break-in and imminent danger. Clark has an extensive professional music and entertainment industry background, having worked for Def Jam and BET Films and, for years, as a personal assistant to Combs. Her testimony on Tuesday, as the trial resumed after four days off for Memorial Day weekend, included her version of the alleged break-in at rapper and Combs' onetime romantic rival, the rapper Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi and who dated star witness for the prosecution, Cassie Ventura. Mescudi testified last week that he received a call from Clark in December 2011 that his home had been broken into by Combs and another man. Clark told her version of that night to the jury on Tuesday, explaining how she was kidnapped at gunpoint by Combs, her boss at the time. More from The Hollywood Reporter Rick Derringer, Singer-Songwriter Known For 'Hang On Sloopy' and 'Rock And Roll, Hoochie Coo' Dead at 77 Shaboozey Responds to Viral AMAs Side Eye Moment With Megan Maroney Morgan Wallen Dominates Hot 100 With Six of Top 10 Spots, Tops Chart With Tate McRae on 'What I Want' Combs 'got me with a gun and brought me to Mescudi's house to kill him,' Clark told the court. New details of what allegedly occurred that morning in December 2011 emerged with Clark's testimony of events, mostly surrounding what she claims happened after she and Combs left Mescudi's Hollywood Hills home. Clark told the court that as they drove off from the house in Combs' Escalade, they saw Mescudi's Porsche headed toward the house; they turned around and gave chase, Clark said, but split the scene when police sirens were noticed. Combs then drove to a nearby nightclub parking lot and then home. Clark said she went to pick up Ventura at the hotel where she'd been with Mescudi; Combs, she testified, then mercilessly beat Ventura outside his home, with the then-26-year-old curled into a fetal position in the street as Combs allegedly repeatedly kicked her. Combs, the 55-year-old Bad Boy Records chief and fashion mogul, was charged with sex-trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution in September in what has expanded to a five-count indictment. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges; if convicted he could face 15 years to life in prison. As the defense hammered Clark on cross-examination, it was questioned who she called first and why that December 2011 moaning while she was inside the Escalade, looking on as Combs and a staffer entered Mescudi's house. Whether she'd called another woman prior to phoning Ventura and Mescudi was a main point of contention. Combs, upon arriving home, told those with him that they had to convince his romantic rival that 'it wasn't me.' 'If you don't convince him of that I'll kill all you,' he said, punctuating his threat with an expletive, according to Clark. Clark said she and Cassie then went to Mescudi's home, telling jurors: 'We needed to talk to him. We needed to make sure he wasn't going to make a police report about Puff.' Clark's relationship with Combs and Ventura over the years took up the entire day's worth of testimony, and on cross-examination, her demeanor shifted sharply over the course of the day from curt and sometimes sassy answers to the defense's questions to sobbing and choking back tears, apologizing to the judge, telling him she was determined to 'get through' her time on the stand. Following the alleged Mescudi break-in and her alleged kidnapping, Clark was fired from her Bad Boy Records position for, as she claims, not informing Combs about Ventura dating Mescudi. 'I lost everything,' she told the court. 'He said I would never work again, and all these people weren't my friends, and he would make me kill myself.' But as the defense pointed out throughout its questioning — which often involved repeatedly asking Clark if she was sure about things she said or did at the time — in 2016, she went back to work for him. Emails that she sent to Combs asking if he'd forgiven her yet were read aloud; Clark told jurors she had no choice but to seek employment with Combs again, and needed to tell her that she 'was valuable and not disposable.' 'He holds all the power as it relates to me,' she told the court, at a point evoking her son, who she said has autism, 'I just want to work and provide for my son.' Clark's middling opinion of Ventura's talent was also drawn out before the court. Clark discussed how from 2007-2010, the lion's share of Bad Boy's resources went into promoting Cassie. This dwindled over time; as the singer's relationship with Combs grew stronger, Ventura was no longer a sweet young artist and more of a 'demanding girlfriend.' The two worked on her image and a short film upon Clark's eventual return to working for Combs as a creative director. 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Washington Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Rick Derringer, who had a hit with 'Hang On Sloopy' and produced 'Weird Al,' dies at 77
Guitarist and singer Rick Derringer, who shot to fame at 17 when his band The McCoys recorded 'Hang On Sloopy,' had a hit with 'Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo' and earned a Grammy Award for producing 'Weird Al ' Yankovic's debut album, has died. He was 77. Derringer died Monday in Ormond Beach, Florida, according to a Facebook announcement from his caregiver, Tony Wilson. No cause of death was announced.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Rick Derringer, ‘Hang On Sloopy' and ‘Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo' rock guitarist, dies at 77
Rick Derringer, the guitarist and former McCoys rocker who gained popularity for songs including 'Hang On Sloopy' and 'Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo,' and produced albums for a range of artists including Cyndi Lauper and Weird Al Yankovic, has died. He was 77. The musician, who rose to prominence in the mid-1960s, died Monday in Ormond Beach, Fla., his caretaker Tony Wilson announced on Facebook. Derringer 'received his wings and passed on this Memorial Day,' Wilson said, adding that he and Derringer's wife and collaborator Jenda Derringer were both with the artist at the time of his death. Additional details, including the cause of death, were not revealed. Before his death, Derringer suffered 'several medical issues,' according to his social media pages. 'Derringer's legacy extends beyond his music, entertaining fans with his signature energy and talent,' Wilson wrote. 'His passing leaves a void in the music world, and he will be deeply missed by fans, colleagues, and loved ones.' Yankovic paid tribute to Derringer on Instagram, writing that Derringer 'had an enormous impact on my life, and will be missed greatly.' The musician, born Aug. 5, 1947, began his music career assembling the McCoys with brother Randy and broke out in his teens with the release of the group's 'Hang On Sloopy.' The song would become a No. 1 hit and give Derringer a taste of stardom at age 16 — let alone during the height of Beatlemania. 'What teenager could ask for more than to have the top record in the world, girls screaming and pulling your clothes off everywhere you go?' he said to The Times in 1993. 'It was the perfect time to be a kid and have a hit record. It was like Christmas every day.' Derringer, who performed with brothers Johnny and Edgar Winter after the 'Hang On Sloppy' hype, in 1973 released his debut solo album 'All American Boy,' which offered listeners another hit: 'Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo.' Through the 1970s and 1980s, Derringer turned his focus to performing as a session musician, collaborating with acts including Steely Dan, Todd Rundgren, Kiss and Barbra Streisand. During the '80s, he also worked with Lauper and toured with Ringo Starr and the All-Starr band. Derringer worked closely with 'Weird Al' Yankovic, producing several albums including the parody singer's Grammy-winning songs 'Eat It' and 'Fat,' which spoofed Michael Jackson hits 'Beat It' and 'Bad,' respectively. He also produced the World Wrestling Federation's 'The Wrestling Album,' which included Hulk Hogan's theme song 'Real American.' 'But people haven't looked at that in the most positive light. They look at novelty records and put a negative connotation on it for some reason. But we made great records together — we won two Grammys,' he told The Times of his work with Yankovic, before noting 'it really wasn't helping my career.' He added: 'A couple years ago, I figured I was working so much on other people's records that I was ignoring my own career, basically. I decided it was time to go out and do my own songs again.' He continued to release and tour, including with Starr from 2011 to 2014, through the aughts and into the 2010s. In 2023, Derringer and his wife Jenda Derringer released their eight-track album 'Rock the Yacht.' The Associated Press contributed to this report.
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Hang On Sloopy singer and guitarist Rick Derringer dies aged 77
Guitarist and singer Rick Derringer, who shot to fame at 17 when his band The McCoys recorded Hang On Sloopy, has died aged 77. He also had a hit with Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo and earned a Grammy Award for producing 'Weird Al' Yankovic's debut album. Advertisement Derringer died on Monday in in Ormond Beach, Florida, according to a Facebook announcement from his caretaker, Tony Wilson. No cause of death was announced. Derringer's decades in the music industry spanned teen stardom, session work for bands like Steely Dan, supplying the guitar solo on Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart and producing for Cyndi Lauper. Derringer toured as part of Ringo Starr's band (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA) 'Derringer's legacy extends beyond his music, entertaining fans with his signature energy and talent. His passing leaves a void in the music world, and he will be deeply missed by fans, colleagues, and loved ones,' Mr Wilson wrote. As a teenager, Derringer formed the McCoys with his brother, Randy, and found fame singing Hang On Sloopy, a No 26 hit about lovers from different socioeconomic circumstances in 1965. Advertisement Derringer enjoyed his first solo hit with Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo, which was used in the fourth season of Stranger Things. His best-charting album was All American Boy in 1973, which included the instrumentals Joy Ride and Time Warp. His sole Grammy was for Yankovic's Eat It, which had the Michael Jackson parodies Eat It and Who's Fat. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Derringer worked extensively as a session musician, playing on albums by Steely Dan – including Countdown to Ecstasy, Katy Lied and Gaucho — Todd Rundgren, Kiss and Barbra Streisand. Advertisement He played on Air Supply's Making Love Out of Nothing at All. In the mid-1980s he began working with Lauper, touring in her band and playing on three of her albums, including the hit True Colours. He toured with Ringo Starr and The All-Starr Band. In 1985, he produced the World Wrestling Federation's The Wrestling Album, which consisted primarily mostly of pro wrestlers' theme songs, many of which he co-wrote, including what would become Hulk Hogan's theme song Real American. Advertisement
