Sad news today, as we learn that Olivia Newton-John's sister Rona has lost her battle with brain cancer.
About Rona:
7She was married to the late Grease star Jeff Conaway ("Kenickie") from 1980 to 1985.
She appeared in several TV series including The Benny Hill Show and Gerry Anderson’s UFO, and played "Ty"'s therapist in the movie Sordid Lives.
In 1972 Olivia and Rona recorded a duet together Just Us Two.
Here's ONJ singing an appropriate song - the Bacharach & David number Reach Out For Me (followed by what I can only assume is an odd Japanese version of Loose Women):
I may have been away from the grindstone all this week (but I was actually studying for an exam, which I took yesterday morning) - however, we still look forward to le weekend with glitter in our hearts...
To that end, on this, Miss Patti LaBelle's birthday, let's try and emulate the "Space Age Tinfoil Outfit" look as best we can in the estimable company of Patti, Nona and Sarah. Are You Lonely? Not with these girls around, you're not!
Proving that the adage "where there's life, there's hope" is certainly true - in their cases, at least - here are a few more of this week's birthday girls, each of whom carried on performing (and knocking many a much younger "artiste" into a cocked hat in the process) well into their later years...
George's auntie and star of stage, screen and record charts, Rosemary Clooney (23rd May 1928 - 29th June 2002) - Sophisticated Lady:
Puerto Rican superstar (and senator) Ruth Fernandez (23rd May 1919 – 9th January 2012) - Bomba Puertoriquena:
Veteran of the original Big Band era Helen O'Connell (23rd May 1920 – 9th September 1993) - All of Me and Tangerine:
Greek legend (and the only one still with us) Marinella (born 20th May 1938) - Giati Fovase:
More diva birthday madness! Not only is is the not-yet Dame Joan Collins's 80th birthday today, it is also the birthday of one of our own treasured musical favourites - the Spanish superstar Mónica Naranjo!
Here, for a change is "Señorita Orange Tree"* in a more restrained mood than usual (even if her hair isn't) - from way back in 1994, it's Sola:
Here she is back in full throttle, surrounded by her safety gays, with (a song that reminds me a helluva lot of Anastacia's I'm Outta Love) Sacrificio:
But of course, no celebration of Miss Naranjo would be complete without featuring this one (again)... With probably my favourite video ever, it's the magnificent Amor Y Lujo !
Madam Arcati and I celebrate fifteen years together this month! (We don't mark a single date, that much detail is forgotten by both of us...)
When we first met in May 1998, we were both (through complicated circumstances) residents of his home town Plymouth, and both were desperate to get out (he to return to London, me to leave a city whose original novelty when I moved there two years earlier had faded to boredom) - which we did, of course. The world back then was very different - Tony Blair was still "the golden boy" Prime Minister, President Clinton faced shame and scandal, Diana's death was still causing ripples and accusations of conspiracy (mainly from Mohammed Al-Fayed), the Good Friday Agreement on Northern Ireland was signed (yet atrocities still went on), and Posh and Becks were merely engaged.
To mark this significant achievement, here is a selection of the music that was around at that time when everything was new and uncertain (both of us were wary of commitment at the time, and neither expected this to amount to a "relationship"), and our life in Plymouth was a whorl of nights out, pubbing and clubbing...
At Number 1 in the charts was the "bouncing song" (for that is exactly how our then friend Billy used to dance to it) - Run-DMC vs. Jason Nevins - It's Like That:
The Spice Girls - Stop had gone straight in at Number 2:
Our Glorious Leader Madonna had just dropped from the Top 3 with Frozen:
Still holding on in the Top 10 was Cornershop and the brilliant Brimful of Asha:
The Ballad of Tom Jones by Space featuring Cerys from Catatonia was just dropping down the charts - a song that remains high on our playlist, even today:
And, finally... just arrived in the charts, but one we'd been dancing to for a while - Kylie and Breathe (Sash! Club Mix):
