The Mourning Thread

[✿Claire✿]

I've just seen that Patti and was coming here to share. Still doesn't make it any better, especially with so many dying young.

[eastwood (do you feel lucky punk,well do ya)]

so never heard of "purple rain " then ?

[Will]

Good article, Patti. Thanks for posting it.

I think it's mostly right. More celebs are dying because there are more celebs, particularly as the baby boomer generation coincided with the growth of television and the creation of far more celebs than ever before.

But even allowing for that, I do think that 2016 is a freak year. There are so many more celeb deaths than in 2015 (more than double over the equivalent period) that we can't really explain it all by the argument that there are more celebs.

It's probably just a random cluster. The trend is almost certainly upwards but there is no obvious reason why 2016 should be that much higher than 2015. My guess is that the numbers will fall in coming months. It's just probability doing its thing.

[Jim]

eastwood (do you feel lucky punk,well do ya) wrote: "so never heard of "purple rain " then ?"

Heard of Purple Haze, but never heard of Purple Rain

[Rosemary (grooving with the Picts)]

Jim wrote: "M T wrote: "I could never get into Prince but I'm gutted about Victoria Wood."

I couldn't name a single track of his, but then I suspect we don't take a lot of notice of singers younger than we ar..."

What do you mean? I'm totes into GRIMES

[B J]

And I'm a big fan of lots of folk singers only half my age. I somehow failed to get to grips with Prince, but Victoria Wood is a real loss.

[Anita]

I couldn't either Jim till a few minutes ago when they mentioned one on the radio. I know a lot of people enjoyed his music, sad he died.

Tragic about Victoria Wood, it seems like she was a really lovely lady.

[Tim]

Jim wrote: "I couldn't name a single track of his, but then I suspect we don't take a lot of notice of singers younger than we ar..."

Manic Monday by The Bangles and Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinéad O'Connor are the two Prince authored songs that most readily spring to mind.

[Jim]

Prince's hits happened in the eighties, by which time I was married and was working a standard day that started at quarter to six in the morning and finished after six in the evening, seven days a week. If I listened to radio it was radio 4 so most eighties music just passed me by

[Jud]

Jim wrote: "Prince's hits happened in the eighties, by which time I was married and was working a standard day that started at quarter to six in the morning and finished after six in the evening, seven days a ..."

Most 80's music passed me by too but for a very different reason to yours Jim ;o)

[Tim]

I had a girlfriend at the time who was seriously into Sheena Easton and the like. Couldn't say I actually "listened", but it was definitely on.

[Lynne (Tigger's Mum)]

My husband and daughter were Prince fans, my husband used to travel a lot to meetings by car and has a surprising mixture of CDs and tapes.

[Patti (baconater)]

We'd have girly 'bubbles and Purple Rain parties.'

In the 90s, though.

[Lisa]

Prince and Victoria Wood in one week :( They weren't celebrities, they were genuine stars and Prince was only 57. Loved his music. I am starting to feel old and vulnerable now...

[Kath]

"Manic Monday by The Bangles and Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinéad O'Connor are the two Prince authored songs that most readily spring to mind."

Not to mine, Tim, although I know my two were great fans. Every man's death diminishes me, as the man said.

[Geoff (G. Robbins) (merda constat variat altitudo)]

I knew about Nothing Compares 2 U, but was unaware that Manic Mondays was written by Prince. Thanks Kath, every day is a school day with you around.

[Kath]

Geoff (G. Robbins) (The noisy passionfruit) wrote: "I knew about Nothing Compares 2 U, but was unaware that Manic Mondays was written by Prince. Thanks Kath, every day is a school day with you around."

I was quoting Tim, Geoff. I'd only heard of Purple Rain - and that's because Jenny used to play it ad inf when she was at home.

[eastwood (do you feel lucky punk,well do ya)]

thought those were well known facts, he did play guitar on Madonna's "like a prayer" but wasn't credited with it.

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

James Corden's tribute to Prince.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT7k_...

[David]

I'm a year younger than Prince. I can't say I was a great fan, but I've got three or four of his albums, I think.

A great musician who often played all the instruments on his albums.

Merle Haggard also died last week - I've got a few of his albums too. A bloke that actually lived the life other country singers only sing about.

[Geoff (G. Robbins) (merda constat variat altitudo)]

I think Prince appealed to a quite narrow age range, if you were outside of that range you just didn't get him.

I do think, however, that those people outside the range appreciated his talent.

[eastwood (do you feel lucky punk,well do ya)]

What age were you thinking Geoff ?

[Geoff (G. Robbins) (merda constat variat altitudo)]

Not sure, his main break was the 1999 that was released in 1982. I would suggest those that picked up on him around that time and were sort of 18-25. I might be wrong, but that's my guess. There's always be out lyers, but that's probably the core.

[Anita]

I was busy having babies in the early 80, and I can't say we listened to much music at home, it was usually woman's hour for me. Roy was just finishing doing discos so wasn't buying much stuff at all. I have heard his songs of course but couldn't have said who it was singing them.
What I have heard about him since he died certainly shows that he was very talented.

[eastwood (do you feel lucky punk,well do ya)]

Geoff (G. Robbins) (The noisy passionfruit) wrote: "Not sure, his main break was the 1999 that was released in 1982. I would suggest those that picked up on him around that time and were sort of 18-25. I might be wrong, but that's my guess. There's ..."

Yeah me being one of them loved his music.

[Anita]

Eastwood, hi, how you doing ?

[David]

Geoff (G. Robbins) (The noisy passionfruit) wrote: "I think Prince appealed to a quite narrow age range, if you were outside of that range you just didn't get him."

Yes. I think that often applies to music. We - most of us, anyway - have an era.

Normally, Prince would have been out of my range at the time, but a slightly younger mate with a record collection even more extensive than mine told me to have a listen to him.

[eastwood (do you feel lucky punk,well do ya)]

Anita wrote: "Eastwood, hi, how you doing ?"

Ok Anita, how are you keeping ?

[Anita]

Fine thanks, busy as usual. Hope life is settling down around you, as much as it can do of course.

[eastwood (do you feel lucky punk,well do ya)]

Need "boro" to give us a lift but as usual they are breaking our hearts.

[Pam]

Hadn't read any of hers myself, but just read that Jenny Diski has died of cancer - Wikipedia

[Geoff (G. Robbins) (merda constat variat altitudo)]

It's been a while, but the good luck couldn't continue. The death of Carla Lane, writer of The Liver Birds, Butterflies and Bread has been announced. She was 87.

[Jim]

87 is a pretty good age, she's hardly been torn from us tragically young.

[Vanessa (aka Dumbo)]

I saw that. I didn't realise she was that old. I loved all those programmes. Sad but she had a good innings though.

[eastwood (do you feel lucky punk,well do ya)]

never get that saying they had a good innings, so life is just a cricket match eh ?

[Geoff (G. Robbins) (merda constat variat altitudo)]

eastwood (do you feel lucky punk,well do ya) wrote: "never get that saying they had a good innings, so life is just a cricket match eh ?"

Yes Eastwood, it is. Some live in the slips, bat and bowl, whilst others spend their lives in the outfield.

[eastwood (do you feel lucky punk,well do ya)]

before they are given out.

[Tim]

You stand there having hard objects thrown at you, which you try to deflect, until you're out. Seems like a pretty good metaphor for life!

[eastwood (do you feel lucky punk,well do ya)]

that's got me stumped.

[Geoff (G. Robbins) (merda constat variat altitudo)]

Or, like a politician, you're caught out. You also get oranges at the end of your innings, it's just not auto-erotic asphyxiation.

[Kay (Golden Girl)]

RIP Carla ,loved all her Programmes especially Bread ,not sure if I have ever watched Butterflies .

[Rosemary (grooving with the Picts)]

But at least there is tea.

[Patti (baconater)]

Muhammad Ali has died.

[Jim]

I must admit I was always surprised he hung on as long as he did

[Patti (baconater)]

Dave and I had exactly that conversation this morning.

[Alicia]

He will be missed; I've always wondered if the poundings he took over the years contributed to his problems - hard to believe they didn't.

[M.T.]

I'm sure they must have. He was a character though and will be missed.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Alicia wrote: "He will be missed; I've always wondered if the poundings he took over the years contributed to his problems - hard to believe they didn't."

I'm sure they did

[T4bsF (Call me Flo)]

I have been saddened for a long time now, with what Parkinson's had done to a once great sporting Legend. He was just a shell of his former self.
Many years ago I nursed John Bevan, who had been World Speedboat Champion - he was a fantastic bloke who fought his condition (Motor Neurone Disease) every step of the way, but near the end, all he could do was tap out messages with his head, on a specially adapted keyboard. Seeing Ali deteriorate, reminded me of John and his struggle.

[Tim]

Must admit I hadn't realised he was still around.