Chas Newkey-Burden's Blog, page 31

'No more Chassidic reggae superstar'

Changes are afoot for Matisyahu. He has Tweeted two photographs of himself without his beard and released an accompanying statement in which he announces: "No more Chassidic reggae superstar. Sorry folks, all you get is me…no alias." He recalls how he had once "felt the need to submit to a higher level of religiosity", because [...]

Hamas 'no-fans-of-health-and-safety' shocker

Hamas described it as 'a violent act which amounts to a declaration of religious war on the Muslim holy places', and evidence of 'the Zionist scheme of aggression'. Jeez, I wondered, what has Israel done now? Well, it's only gone and closed a dangerous wooden ramp that non-Muslims use to gain access to the Temple [...]

Oh Sami's, you're so fine

When we discussed our favourite shawarma outlets, Sami's on Brent Street got a lot of votes. I had never been to Sami's at that stage but I gave it a go yesterday. I have to agree – their shawarma in laffa is exceptional. The laffa itself was nice and thick, almost like a naan bread. [...]

The legacy of Amy Winehouse, Z"L

On Sunday evening I'm due to appear in a television documentary about Amy Winehouse. Called Amy Winehouse: Her Life and Legacy, it begins at 10.45pm on ITV2. I donate a portion of the royalties from sales of my biography of Amy to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, the charity her family set-up in her memory. You [...]

Buy a signed book and support OyVaGoy

I was excited when my Simon Cowell biography became the number two bestseller in WHSmiths last year, but it really made me hunger for the top spot. Now I've achieved that with my new biography of Adele, which is currently riding high in many stores and number one in HMV. I'm very proud. You can [...]

The bomb should bring us together

Like most people, I did some odd things when I was a teenager. I'll cut straight to the most embarrassing of all: I actually used to go on CND marches. I blame the BBC drama Threads, a ghastly portrayal  of a nuclear attack on Sheffield of all places. It scared the life out of me [...]

Amy Winehouse Lioness: Hidden Treasures

A collection of unheard Amy Winehouse songs are released today as a posthumous album called Lioness: Hidden Treasures. It's a fascinating and moving body of work. To be clear this is not what Amy's third album would have been, nor anywhere near that. Rather, it is two new songs together with an assortment of lost [...]

Happy birthday Hayley

They said it couldn't happen. Well, I'm not sure 'they' always know everything. Today is the 14th birthday of Hayley Okines. You can find out why this is such a magnificent achievement on her website here. Happy birthday Hayley, you little minx! Congratulations to your wonderful mother Kerry, too. As I wrote on Hayley's birthday [...]

Paul Flynn and Matthew Gould

As you might have read, a Labour MP called Paul Flynn has caused offence by suggesting that Matthew Gould, Britain's first Jewish Ambassador to Israel, might have divided loyalties. Flynn, 76, kicked all this off last Wednesday, when he told a Select Committee discussing the Adam Werritty saga: "I do not normally fall for conspiracy [...]

Must-watch: Chief Rabbi Sacks on the Rebbe

I never met the Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, though as I wrote in the Jewish Chronicle in June, I would love to have done. I've read and heard so many stories from those who encountered him. They fascinate me. This superb speech, by Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, at the international Chabad conference in [...]