Nick Joseph obit

Nick Joseph dead: Star Wars legend dies suddenly as tributes pour in

 He was not on the list.

Star Wars and EastEnders actor Nick Joseph has died "suddenly" aged 60. A close friend paid tribute to the late star, who also appeared in a James Bond movie, as they confirmed the tragic news on social media.

Rick Stanley, who was apparently Nick's 'best friend' described the news of his death as "devastating". He wrote: "I received very sad news yesterday from Nick Joseph's wife Dee that Nick had suddenly passed away. Steph and I are devastated hearing the news! I can't believe I've lost my best friend. Steph and I have had many adventures over the years with Nick and Dee including Nick and I organising four Star Wars shows in that time. It chokes me up thinking how excited he was anticipating celebrating the 50th anniversary of Star Wars next year. Steph and I send love and prayers to Dee and family at this very sad time. Rest in the force Major Arhul Hextrophon my dear friend. Until we meet again."

A relative added: "He lived life to the full right up to the last minute. Always joking right until the end.

"His life on this earth may have ended suddenly but our memories of him as a loving husband, father, step-father, grandad and uncle will always live on.

"And I'm sure he's smiling down and planning tricks on us for our time in the next world."

Fans also posted heartbroken tributes as one commented: "So sorry to hear this Rick, this is awful news. My sincere condolences to Dee and their family."

Another added: "This is a shock! I was speaking to Nick not even two weeks ago at the Northern Horizon (Blake's 7) convention in Newcastle. He seemed in such good spirits and health. Lovely man, kind and funny."

A third said: "Devastating news. So unexpected. It was only recently that Nick had asked me to attend a show with him. He had so much planned. My sincere condolences to Dee and his family and friends."

The actor was best-known for his portrayal of Major Arhul Hextrophon, a medal bearer in the award ceremony at the end of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.

He also had a small part as an armoury officer in the 1977 Bond classic, The Spy Who Loved Me.

His most recent credit was on BBC soap EastEnders back in 2019. He played Bert the milkman.

Actor

EastEnders (1985)

EastEnders

4.8

TV Series

Bert the Milkman

2019

1 episode

 

Paul McGann and Steve Healey in Tale of a Timelord (2016)

Tale of a Timelord

5.7

Short

Tantive Visitor

2016

 

Cherie Lunghi in The Manageress (1989)

The Manageress

7.6

TV Series

Referee (as Nicholas Joseph)

1990

1 episode

 

Galloping Galaxies! (1985)

Galloping Galaxies!

6.6

TV Series

Robot WO1 (uncredited)

1985

1 episode

 

Paul McGann, Colin Baker, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, William Hartnell, Sylvester McCoy, Jon Pertwee, and Patrick Troughton in Doctor Who (1963)

Doctor Who

8.4

TV Series

LazarHardin's AideCricket Player (uncredited) ...

1979–1985

6 episodes

 

We'll Meet Again (1982)

We'll Meet Again

7.2

TV Mini Series

Sgt. Kwalsky (uncredited)

1982

1 episode

 

Blake's 7 (1978)

Blake's 7

8.0

TV Series

AnimalAndroidMuller's Corpse

1981

2 episodes

 

Simon Adams, Leslie Phillips, Beth Porter, Victor Spinetti, Rachel Warren, Reg Williams, Susan Sokol, and Lisa Moss in The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe (1979)

The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe

7.0

TV Movie

Moss Man

1979

 

Michael Culver, Jan Francis, Juliet Hammond, Terrence Hardiman, Bernard Hepton, Angela Richards, Clifford Rose, and Stephen Yardley in Secret Army (1977)

Secret Army

8.5

TV Series

Sgt. JonesRear Gunner

1978

2 episodes

 

Roger Moore and Barbara Bach in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

The Spy Who Loved Me

7.0

Armoury Officer (uncredited)

1977

 

Casting Department

Anthony Daniels, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, and Kenny Baker in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

8.6

major arhul hextrophon

1977

 

Producer

My Love

Short

line producer

2012

 

Self

Gallifrey Stands (2014)

Gallifrey Stands

Podcast Series

Self - Special Guest

2017

1 episode

 

Channel 4 News (1982)

Channel 4 News

5.9

TV Series

SelfSelf - Arhul Hextrophon

2015

1 episode

 

Southern Troopers (2011)

Southern Troopers

TV Series

Self

2015

1 episode

 

Derry Brownson obit

EMF announce death of keyboardist Derry Brownson: “Fly high brother Derry”

Among those sharing tributes is Ash frontman Tim Wheeler who told the band: “So sorry for your loss, rest in peace Derry, sending love” 

He was not on the list.

EMF have announced the death of founding member and keyboardist Derry Brownson, aged 55.

The English alt-rock band announced the news of Brownson’s passing in a new social media post. Shared this morning (Friday August 14), they wrote in the caption that they found out about the loss yesterday night.

“Late last night we started to hear the news that we have lost our Brother In Arms Derran Brownson,” they wrote alongside a photo of the musician performing on stage.

“We are devastated, the only solace we can find is that we are eternally grateful Derry was able to join us on stage a couple times just a few short months back. Nothing will ever be the same again without our band mate and friend, fly high brother Derry.”

BBC Gloucestershire reports that Brownson had been diagnosed with a brain tumour and had been undergoing treatment.

Born in 1971, Derran “Derry” Brownson was a founding member of the Gloucestershire group and remained as their keyboardist and sample player after they came to prominence at the start of the ‘90s.

The group had the chart-topping debut single ‘Unbelieveable’, and their 1991 debut album ‘Schubert Dip’ went to peak at Number Three on the UK Charts with singles ‘I Believe’ and ‘Children’.

They went on a hiatus in 2002 following the passing of original bassist Zac Foley, and reunited to release their first new album in 27 years, ‘Go Go Sapiens’ in 2022. They dropped their most recent album ‘The Beauty And The Chaos’ in 2024.

“So sorry for your loss, rest in peace Derry, sending love,” wrote Ash’s Tim Wheeler, while guitarist and writer Will Crewdson commented: “Lots of love and strength to you guys. Very sorry to hear.”

“We’re very sorry to hear team EMF, thoughts are with you all and loved ones,” wrote band Dictator, while Therapy added “So very sorry to hear this folks” and American record producer and remixer Tommie Sunshine shared: “Such sad news”.

On X, singer-songwriter Kirk Brandon shared: “Deeply saddened by his departure. Love and respect to him and his family. The world is less for one man.” Find more tributes below.

The news of Brownson’s passing comes as the band revealed recently that they were wrapping up work on a new 14-song album earlier this summer.

Johnny Young obit

Johnny Young, host and creator of Young Talent Time, dies aged 79

The singer-songwriter and producer also wrote several Australian hits, including The Real Thing for Russell Morris 

He was not on the list.

Johnny Young, the singer-songwriter and producer who created and hosted the popular variety show Young Talent Time, has died aged 79.

Young’s family announced his death in a statement on Friday, saying that Young died “following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer”.

“Johnny was the creator, host and producer of the much loved television show Young Talent Time. He wrote and produced many iconic hit songs including The Real Thing and Smiley,” the statement read.

“The family respectfully asks for privacy during this difficult time. Details of a memorial service will be announced soon.”

Young Talent Time, which originally aired from 1971 until 1988, launched the careers of several Australian singers including Tina Arena, Debra Byrne and Dannii Minogue. Every episode ended with Young and the cast performing the same closing number: the Beatles track All My Loving, one of his signature songs.

Young was born Johnny Benjamin Arthur de Jong in the Netherlands in 1947, with his family migrating to Perth in the 1950s. His family encouraged him to perform from an early age, with Young becoming a disc jockey out of high school and eventually a teen idol. By the age of 18 he was hosting pop music show Club Seventeen on Perth television, performing as Johnny Young & the Strangers, then Johnny Young & Kompany.

In the 1960s, Young began accruing hits including Step Back, which was one of the biggest-selling Australian singles of the decade, and his cover of All My Loving. He later described this period as “my full on pop star period”, adding: “It was a fantastic experience. Touring, meeting my idols – hey I got to meet Bob Dylan, I toured with the Rolling Stones, I was focused on being a pop star and doing concerts … and you know all that it entails – lots of girls and, yes, lots of sex and lots of everything.”

During a brief spell living in London with his friend Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, Young started writing songs. In 1968, Ian “Molly” Meldrum overheard Young practising his song The Real Thing, and insisted he cut a demo for the singer Russell Morris; the song was reportedly the most expensive single ever recorded in Australia at the time, and a huge hit for Morris. Young continued writing songs for and with Morris, including The Girl That I Love and Part Three into Paper Walls, which went to No 1 on Australia’s charts.

In 1971 Young began hosting the children’s talent quest show Young Talent Time, which he created after being inspired by The Mickey Mouse Club. The show was a huge hit until 1989 when it was axed due to dwindling ratings. Young had sold his family home to finance the building of a television studio and his marriage collapsed. “That was horrible. I’d lost a lot of money and it was the beginning of the end of a lot of things for me,” he later reflected on this period, adding: “I lost the family jewels … I was very ashamed of myself that I hadn’t protected my family financially more.”

In 1993, Young made headlines after he was mistakenly arrested in the Philippines and accused of running an illegal Aids clinic. Young had been in the country to support a friend, the former Young Talent Time director Terry Higgins, who was seeking alternative treatments for his HIV.

All charges against Young were dropped, but Australian media began questioning him about his sexuality and work with children. “It’s like: ‘Well, Johnny Young does this program with children. What’s he doing in an Aids clinic?’ was the thought,” he later told the ABC. “This guy saw me and he said ‘that’s Johnny Young, get the kids out of here. I don’t want to be in the same place as he is.’ Now that just devastated me. It just completely devastated me. I couldn’t believe it.” He continued to support Higgins until his death in 1994.

After Young Talent Time, Young worked as a radio disc jockey. He was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (Aria) Hall of Fame in 2010, by former Young Talent Team member Tina Arena.

Young Talent Time was briefly rebooted in 2012, with Young returning as a judge.

Young is survived by his third wife Marisha, sister Cornelia, daughters Anna and Fleur, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. His son Craig also died of pancreatic cancer, aged 48.

Skip Bertman obit

Legendary LSU Coach and Athletic Director Skip Bertman dies at age 88

 

He was not on the list.

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Stanley “Skip” Bertman, the legendary architect of LSU baseball, transformative athletic director and one of the most influential figures in the history of college sports, has died at the age of 88.

Bertman passed away at 1:12 a.m. Friday at the Baton Rouge General hospital surrounded by his daughters.

Beloved by fans and former players, Bertman became the head baseball coach at LSU in 1984 and went on to win five national championships and seven Southeastern Conference titles during his 18 seasons leading the Tigers.

He stepped down from coaching in 2001 to become LSU’s athletic director, a position he held until 2008.

As athletic director, he continued to cultivate a culture of championship success across all sports, modernized athletic facilities and spearheaded the construction of the new, state-of-the-art Alex Box Stadium, where the playing field was named “Skip Bertman Field” in his honor.

Bertman was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Sandy, who died in March 2025 at the age of 87, and their daughter, Dr. Lisa Jo Bertman Pate, who died of cancer in 2012. He is survived by his daughters Jan, Jodi and Lori, as well as his grandchildren.

Building a Powerhouse

When Bertman arrived in Baton Rouge in 1984, LSU baseball was a modest program. Over 18 seasons, he built a powerhouse that defined a generation of college athletics. Under his guidance, the Tigers reached the NCAA tournament 16 times, advanced to the College World Series 11 times and claimed seven SEC championships.

Most notably, Bertman brought five national championships to Baton Rouge, winning titles in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2000. He retired with a .754 winning percentage in NCAA tournament play, which stands as the highest in college baseball history.

Beyond the trophies, Bertman revolutionized how college baseball was marketed and experienced. He regularly packed the original Alex Box Stadium, turning Tiger baseball games into premier community events. Under his leadership, LSU led the nation in college baseball attendance during each of his final six seasons, establishing a passionate fan culture that remains a hallmark of the program.

“Coach Skip Bertman was an incredible ambassador for LSU,” former Tigers pitcher Billy Brian said. “His impact on LSU and college baseball is immeasurable. Most everyone knows Coach Bertman for his baseball knowledge and dominance. Former players know him as a role model, great father and husband. The legacy of Coach Bertman will live forever.”

International and Administrative Leadership

In addition to his historic collegiate run, Bertman made an impact on the international stage. He served as an assistant coach for the gold-medal-winning 1988 U.S. Olympic team and as the head coach of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team in Atlanta, which captured a bronze medal.

Accolades and Honors

In recognition of his legendary contributions, Bertman was inducted into the inaugural class of the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. His honors include:

Five-time Collegiate Baseball Coach of the Year (1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000)

Two-time Baseball America Coach of the Year (1986, 1996)

Seven-time SEC Coach of the Year (1986, 1990–1993, 1996, 1997)

In 11 seasons as head baseball coach at Miami Beach High School, Bertman's team won a state championship and was state runner-up twice. Bertman was named Florida High School Coach of the Year three times. Based in part on these coaching credentials, Bertman went on to work as recruiting coordinator, pitching coach and associate head coach at the University of Miami for eight seasons (1976–1983) under Ron Fraser. During this time, the Hurricanes won the national championship in 1982. In that 1982 College World Series, Bertman orchestrated one of the most famous plays in college baseball history—a phantom pickoff play known as the "Grand Illusion" which resulted in Wichita State's Phil Stephenson being thrown out at second base.

Nikki Ross obit

Houston Gospel Music 

Legend Nikki Ross 

Bellamy Dies at 54

 

She was not on the list.

Nikki L. Ross Bellamy, one of Houston gospel music’s most distinctive and celebrated voices, died Aug. 14. She was 54.

Her passing was announced by New Jerusalem Churches of Sound Doctrine, where Ross Bellamy was a longtime member. The church described her as a beloved daughter of the ministry whose extraordinary voice carried her before audiences around the world while she remained deeply connected to her church family.

“The world heard her voice. We knew her heart,” the church said in announcing her death.

For decades, Ross Bellamy was a fixture of Houston’s gospel music community and became one of the city’s most recognizable vocalists. MyHoustonGOSPEL.com has chronicled her music and ministry for more than 15 years, documenting a career that placed her alongside some of gospel music’s biggest names.

Ross Bellamy recorded with Kirk Franklin, Ricky Dillard & New G, James Fortune & FIYA, The Walls Group, Rodnie Bryant & CCMC, Jonathan Nelson and others. Her memorable recordings included “He’s Been Just That Good,” “There Is No Way” and “I Surrender All” with Ricky Dillard & New G; “Make A Sound” with James Fortune & FIYA; and “Yes” with The Walls Group.

Her career also included work with Houston’s Gary Mayes & Nu Era and as part of the music staff for BET’s Sunday Best. In 2013, Ross appeared with fellow Houston-connected artists Israel Houghton, PJ Morton and Aaron Lindsay on “Sunday Kinda Love,” featured on the soundtrack to I’m in Love with a Church Girl.

Although widely known for lending her powerhouse vocals to other artists’ projects, Ross Bellamy also pursued her own music. In 2011, MyHoustonGOSPEL.com described her as one of the nation’s most sought-after vocalists as she prepared for a Houston live recording. Ross said at the time that her sound would blend gospel with jazz, praise and worship and other influences.

She later released solo music, including “God Is Able,” and continued recording even while facing health challenges. In recent years, she appeared on gospel artist Trent’s “Beautiful Day,” recorded during her health battle.

Ross Bellamy’s importance to Houston gospel extended beyond recordings. When she experienced a serious health scare years earlier, Houston gospel artists and supporters rallied around her during her recovery.

New Jerusalem Churches of Sound Doctrine extended prayers and condolences to her husband, Ty Bellamy, their children, family, friends and the countless people touched by her life and ministry.

“Her voice was unmistakable, her presence unforgettable, and the impact of her music and ministry reached far beyond the walls of the church,” the fellowship said.

She gave her final public performance at the Gospel Music Workshop of America Convention in July.

Phil Lyne obit

Rodeo Legend and Five-Time World Champion Phil Lyne Dies at 79

The rodeo world lost a legend on August 14, but his legacy will be talked about for decades. 

He was not on the list.

There are some cowboys who everyone knows just by the mention of their name, and Phil Lyne is one of them. He is often described as the “Greatest Cowboy of All Time.”

He was born on January 18, 1947, and he left this world on August 14, 2026. The history and legacy he created while here will go on for a very long time.

The five-time world champion leaves quite a legacy behind him. His accolades are too many to list, but the all-around cowboy was a force to be reckoned with from the time he was just a child.

He won youth titles, high school championships, college titles, and ultimately earned five world titles in professional rodeo.

Phil Lyne’s Decorated Professional Rodeo Career

He started his professional rodeo career with a bang by winning the Rookie title in 1969, and that was just the beginning of the titles he would collect.

Lyne took home the all-around cowboy world championship titles in 1971 and 1972. In those same years, he was crowned the calf roping (what is now known as tie-down roping) world champion. Later in his career, he would add the fifth title as the 1990 World Champion Steer Roper.

Lyne was inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1971, and in 1979 he was honored to be inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

If Lyne decided to compete in an event, he worked to be good at it. He won money in five different events: bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, tie-down roping and steer wrestling.

He was dominant even at the NFR, where he won the aggregate titles in the tie-down in 1971 and 1972 and then also won the bull riding at the 1972 competition. Then, in rare fashion, Lyne decided to be done with his professional career and retired after the 1972 NFR.

Given all of his talents at both ends of the arena, Lyne was awarded the Linderman Award four times: 1970, 1971, 1972, and again in 1976.

In 1990, Lyne remained competitive enough to earn the world title in the steer roping event, putting a capstone on his career as a true all-around cowboy.

His family continues to compete in the rodeo arena and carry on the traditions of excellence he set. He will be missed by so many, and the stories that will be told in the coming days will be reminiscent of an incredible cowboy who set the standard and raised the bar for the industry.

So many posts have already been made and there is one thing that rings true through all of them. “There will never be another Phil Lyne.”

Rodeo On SI sends its condolences to the entire family and all of Phil’s friends.

Dave Marsh obit

Dave Marsh Dies: Pioneering Rock Critic, Bruce Springsteen Biographer Was 76

 

He was not on the list.

Dave Marsh, the influential and widely read rock critic for Creem, The Village Voice and Rolling Stone and the author of the foundational Bruce Springsteen 1979 biography Born to Run, died Friday, August 14, at his home in Connecticut. He was 76.

His death, reported by Deadline sister publication Billboard and confirmed on Facebook by Marsh’s friend Jim Rotolo, followed an extended period of declining health, although a cause has not been disclosed.

“Dave wrote several books about Bruce as part of a remarkable body of work spanning some 25 titles,” Rotolo, host of the radio show The Wild & The Innocent with Jim Rotolo. “A longtime rock critic for Creem and Rolling Stone, he was also one of the creators of E Street Radio and hosted Kick Out the Jams on SiriusXM for 19 years. Rest easy, Dave. Thank you for everything, my friend. You will be missed.

Marsh, alongside a coterie that included his friend and mentor Lester Bangs, launched his career as a critic and founding editor and writer of the highly influential Creem rock magazine in the late 1960s. An early champion of such ’50s and ’60s musical styles as soul, girl groups and what was starting to become known as garage rock, Marsh would later lend his considerable support to punk rock. Indeed, he is widely credited with coining the phrase, having first used it in a 1971 article about ? and the Mysterians, the band behind the 1966 hit “96 Tears.”

As a critic, Marsh could be as withering as he was supportive. If history hasn’t always upheld his viewpoints – he famously dismissed Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham as “clinically incompetent,” Freddie Mercury as possessing a “passable pop voice” and the Grateful Dead as the “worst band in creation” – he nonetheless remains among his generation’s leading evaluator of rock, a trailblazer in approaching the music with intelligence, passion and dead-serious intent.

A native of Pontiac, Michigan, and a devotee of Detroit’s Motown as well as Motor City scenesters Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Marsh was instrumental in launching the Detroit-based Creem, and wrote for the magazine through the early 1970s. By the middle of the decade he began a multi-year tenure as an editor and critic at Rolling Stone, and shepherded the first edition of the Rolling Stone Record Guide in 1979.

A prolific author, Marsh wrote two books about Springsteen: In addition to Born to Run, which chronicled the singer-songwriter’s early career and initial fame, Marsh authored the 1987’s Glory Days, continuing the Springsteen life story through the peak MTV era. In 2003, Marsh combined the two biographies into the single-volume Bruce Springsteen: Two Hearts, adding an addition chapter to update the story.

Marsh also wrote 1983’s Before I Get Old, the biography of rock band The Who, and 1989’s The Heart of Rock & Soul in which he named the 1,001 greatest singles ever. (His #1 choice was Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.”)

In addition to the biographies, Marsh collected his reviews and essays in a number of volumes, including Fortunate Son and Kick Out the Jams. His 1993 book Louie Louie: The History and Mythology of the World’s Most Famous Rock ‘n’ Roll Song chronicled the cultural impact of that 1963 hit song.

Along with his old Rolling Stone boss and colleague Jann Wenner, Marsh helped found and maintain the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

Marsh joined SiriusXM in 2004, and for 19 years hosted the weekly Kick Out the Jams show. He also launched the Springsteen-centric programs Live from E Street Nation and Live From the Land of Hopes and Dreams.

According to Billboard, Marsh is survived by his wife Barbara Carr, a longtime Springsteen co-manager as a partner in Jon Landau Management. He was predeceased by daughters Kristen Ann Carr and Sasha Carr. A complete list of his survivors was not immediately available.

Jill Gomez obit

Death of an enchanting British soprano

 

She was not on the list.

The BBC has reported the death of the Trinidad-born soprano Jill Gomez, a scintillating presence in opera and media. Jill was 83.

After acclaimed beginnings at Glyndebourne, she made national headlines by popping her bikini top at the Royal Opera House in Tippett’s The Knot Garden. A favourite of Jonathan Miller and Georg Solti, she flourished in Frankfurt, Zurich, Edinburgh and Lyon, also becoming a regular commentator on BBC Television.

In 1995 she created the scandalous lead role of the Duchess of Argyll in Thomas Ades’s debut opera, Powder Her Face.

Jill was a hardworking cast member who had no time for the rigidities of the opera establishment. She married the editor and writer Patrick Carnegy, who became 15th Earl of Northesk.

Gomez, a Spanish Trinidadian and to Denise Price Gomez (née Denham), and brought up in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Her father became managing director and vice-chairman of Angostura, the famous distillers, and her British mother was a well-known actress and broadcaster in Trinidad.

After studying at St. Joseph's Convent (Port of Spain) in Trinidad and dominating at the islands' biennial Music Festival, she moved to England at 13, where she studied voice and piano at London's Royal Academy of Music and Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where her most important teacher was Walther Gruner. While studying at Guildhall, Jill performed the role of Helen on alternate nights with contralto singer Ann Wilson, in The Conspirators (Shubert), directed by Brian Trowell.

Her career began at Glyndebourne where she twice won the John Christie Award, making her solo operatic debut as Adina in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore with the Glyndebourne Touring Opera in 1968. Also in 1968 came her Aminta in Il re pastore, at Ledlanet Nights. Gomez then created the role of Flora in The Knot Garden at the Royal Opera, London in 1970 and that of the Countess in Thea Musgrave's The Voice of Ariadne at the Aldeburgh Festival in 1973. She also appeared in productions by the English National Opera (Governess), Scottish Opera (Elisabeth, Pamina, Anne Truelove, Leïla), Oper Frankfurt (Cleopatra), Kent Opera (Tatyana, Violetta, Aminta, Donna Anna), Glyndebourne (Mélisande, La Calisto), Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux (Fiordiligi), Wexford (Thaïs and Rosaura) and Teresa at the Berlioz Festival in Lyon.

She worked closely with Jonathan Miller in La traviata for Kent Opera (Edinburgh Festival and UK tour), and Eugene Onegin and The Turn of the Screw (with ENO). She also played the Governess with the English Opera Group with the composer, Benjamin Britten, present.

Gomez was outspoken about the "international opera circus" and had no ambition to sing at the largest houses, preferring smaller venues such as Zürich where there is sufficient rehearsal time. She appeared in Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's production of Lucio Silla there, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. She also sang Arne cantatas with Jaap Schröder and Concerto Amsterdam. She took part in Mahler's Symphony No. 2 with the Israel Philharmonic under Solti. As well as recording of Ravel, with Boulez she performed the Webern Opp. 13 and 14 song cycles.

In 1995, Gomez created the lead role of the Duchess of Argyll in Powder Her Face. Her recording of the latter role was nominated for a Grammy Award, and in Allmusic Erik Eriksson wrote: "Gomez's portrayal is a tour de force, alternately opulent and unhinged. She achieves the difficult task of making a figure of ridicule into a person who evokes sympathy from the listener." Alongside The Knot Garden and The Voice of Ariadne, she was also in the premieres (on radio) of Miss Julie (William Alwyn, 1979) and Maddalena (Prokofiev, 1980).

Her television debut was in the series Music Now produced by John Drummond in 1968–69, and other TV and film credits include the French film Une Femme française, and television programmes A Ladies Knight! (1987), Rattle on Britten (1985) and a BBC programme Opera in Rehearsal: The Marriage of Figaro Act 2 with Anthony Besch (1973).

Gomez lived in Cambridgeshire with her husband, music critic Patrick Carnegy, 15th Earl of Northesk

Peter Maher obit

Peter Maher was voice of Calgary, not just Flames

 He was not on the list.

CALGARY – There are broadcasters you remember for the calls.

And then there are broadcasters you remember for the way they made you feel.

Peter Maher was both.

On the radio, he had the ability to make you feel like you were watching the game.

In person, he could make you feel like a million bucks.

The legendary voice of the Calgary Flames died Thursday at 79, leaving behind 33 seasons, nearly 3,000 games, a Hockey Hall of Fame plaque and enough adoring fans and colleagues to fill every arena in the league.

But his greatest legacy may have nothing to do with hockey.

It was how he treated people.

Sincerity. Integrity. Dedication. Respect.

Those were the four pillars of the career and life of a man who had no ego, no edge and no interest in making anyone feel small.

That’s why, when Maher retired 13 years ago, Calgary’s media created an award in his honour.

Every year, the Peter Maher Good Guy Award goes to the Flames player who best represents those qualities. The most respected man in the room.

And every year, Peter showed up to present it.

Even this spring, amidst an awful battle with his knees, he arrived with a walker. And watching a room full of what’s left of Calgary media types fall all over themselves trying to help him get around told you everything you needed to know.

Generosity breeds generosity.

Peter brought it out in people.

“There are very few people in this business who have no ego,” said longtime broadcaster Peter Loubardias.

“Peter Maher had no ego. He was just there to do his job, and be kind to everyone who crossed his path.”

Loubardias worked alongside him for only one year.

“To this day I feel so lucky and privileged,” he said. “He did it the right way.”

Mike Rogers got 12 years with him, from 2000 to 2012.

“There wasn’t a finer man I ever met,” Rogers said Thursday, still struggling over the news.

 “I lost a great friend. He’s in the Hall of Fame as a broadcaster, but he should be in the Hall of Fame as a person.”

Rogers called him a mentor.

Peter took him under his wing, showed him the ropes and demonstrated what preparation really meant - endless hours in hotel rooms, at home, on planes and doing radio hits.

“He loved every minute of it,” said Rogers.

“The passion he had for it and the love he had for the game rubbed off on me.”

So did the kindness.

“We were attached at the hip, and every city we went to you could see how many people gravitated to him, and how much they respected him,” he said.

“Amazing how many people he touched.”

Lanny McDonald saw that from the other side of the microphone.

“He was such a good person, as well as an unbelievable announcer,” echoed McDonald.

“He had this knack of being able to tell the story about the game, never criticize anyone. In his subtle way, he would say, ‘I’ve seen him play better.’ It was his way of not being negative.”

That was Peter – a man who garnered just as much love from fans at the endless charity events he emceed as McDonald, or Harvey the Hound.

“Yes, I’m third on that list,“ laughed McDonald.  

Maher’s first Flames goal call came on a McDonald snipe.

His last involved Johnny Gaudreau.

In between, he called every Jarome Iginla finish, every Miikka Kiprusoff save and painted the picture of every triumph and heartbreak, providing Calgary with the soundtrack to three decades of hockey.

He called the 1989 Stanley Cup, the 2004 Final, six All-Star Games and four Stanley Cup Finals. He called Canada’s men's hockey games at the 2010 Olympics. In 2006, the Hockey Hall of Fame gave him the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award.

As a historian of sorts, if Peter said it happened, it most certainly did, adding his signature “Yeah, baby!” only when the moment called for it.

Nothing was ever forced.

As a proud Alberta transplant, the native of Campbellton, N.B loved dotting games with his trademark, “You can put it in the win column!”

Those words became part of Calgary’s hockey vocabulary.

Yet, he never sounded like a man who believed the game was about him.

He sounded like a man grateful to be invited.

Colin Patterson remembers meeting him at his first camp and thinking, “his voice didn’t match the body.”

They travelled together commercially. Shared layovers. Shared meals.

“He was one of the guys,” said Patterson, pointing out how integral Maher’s role was in the days when only 27 games a year were broadcast on TV.

As big a name as anyone who ever graced the Calgary sporting landscape, Pete was always happy to pose for a pic, share a story and a smile.

At his retirement, Peter memorably spoke of an upcoming Rod Stewart concert at the Saddledome.

“If you happen to be in the crowd when he sings Forever Young, think of me,” he said.

We will, Peter.

Especially now.

Calgary has lost its beloved radio voice, its Hall of Fame broadcaster and one of its finest gentlemen.

And that, Calgary, is something you can put in the loss column.

Prichard Colón obit

Former Puerto Rican Contender Prichard Colón Passes Away at 33

 

He was not on the list.

Former Puerto Rican super welterweight contender Prichard Colón passed away this morning, according to a social media post by his father, Richard Colón. The following was posted on Facebook:

“Good morning my people. I regret to inform you of the passing of my son Prichard from this earthly world, NOW HE IS in a better world. I did everything possible to fulfill HIS WISH, HIS DREAM of bringing him ON VACATION to Puerto Rico as much as he desired but COULDN’T. Thank you for so many years of love and prayers. As much as you can, please keep us in your prayers.”

Colón, whose promising boxing career was cut short following a catastrophic brain injury during an October 2015 bout, spent over a decade inspiring fans worldwide through his battle in rehabilitation.

A Short But Lasting Legacy

Before the tragic events of October 17, 2015, “Digget” Colón was widely regarded as one of Puerto Rico’s brightest rising stars. Tall, gifted, and charismatic, he compiled a 16-1 record with 13 knockouts after a stellar amateur career highlighted by a gold medal at the 2010 Pan American Youth Championship.

Though his professional ring career spanned just over two years, Colón’s impact on combat sports remains enduring. The severe subdural hematoma he sustained in his final bout against Terrel Williams—a fight marked by illegal blows to the back of his head—directly catalyzed fight safety reform. His tragedy inspired the World Boxing Council’s “Prichard Colón Rule,” which enforces strict zero-tolerance penalties for rabbit punches and has revolutionized ringside medical protocols worldwide.

Survived By

Throughout his years of care and rehabilitation, Colón was sustained by the unyielding devotion of his family. He is survived by:

Nieves Meléndez, his mother, whose round-the-clock care and updates made her a global symbol of maternal devotion.

Richard Colón, his father and former trainer, who guided his rise through the amateur and professional ranks.

Melany Colón, his sister, along with his extended family and millions of supporters worldwide.

Ruby Andrews obit

Chicago soul legend Ruby Andrews dies

 

She was not on the list.

(August 13, 2026) Though her greatest international fame came more than a half century ago, Ruby Andrews was a powerful soul singer who remained a legend, both around the world and especially in her hometown of Chicago. We’re sad to report tonight the Ms. Andrews has died at age 79

Born Ruby Stackhouse in Hollandale, Mississippi, in 1947, Andrews moved to Chicago as a child and began singing professionally while still in high school, working with the vocal group The Vondells before launching her solo career.

Her breakthrough came in 1967 with the deliciously assertive “Casonova (Your Playing Days Are Over)”, released on Chicago’s Zodiac Records. The song became Andrews’ biggest national hit, reaching #9 on the R&B chart and crossing over to #51 on the pop chart. Written and produced in part by noted songwriter Jo Armstead, the recording established Andrews as a distinctive new voice on the soul scene.

Andrews followed with a series of strong singles, the most popular of which were “You Made a Believer (Out of Me),” an R&B Top 20 hit in 1969, and “Everybody Saw You,” a Top 40 R&B hit the following year. Much of her Zodiac work was created with Fred Bridges, Robert Eaton and Richard Knight, the Detroit-based writing and production team also known as the Brothers of Soul.

Her recordings from the period combined the polished sound of Chicago soul with a tougher, blues-influenced edge, and albums such as Everybody Saw You and Black Ruby have developed a following among soul collectors. Andrews continued recording in later decades, including bluesier material for the Ichiban label produced by the singular soul artist and producer Swamp Dogg. Her final album was 1998’s Hip Shakin Mama.

While she didn’t release any new music in the 2000s, Ruby Andrews remained an important part of Chicago soul history — an expressive singer whose best recordings have aged remarkably well and continue to be rediscovered by new generations of deep soul fans. May she rest in peace.

Tyler Duckworth obit

Tyler Duckworth Dies: MTV’s ‘The Challenge’ Alum Was 44

 He was not on the list.

Reality TV star Tyler Duckworth, who first appeared on MTV’s The Real World: Key West and went on to compete on six seasons of The Challenge, winning twice, has died. He was 44.

His mother, Joni, announced her son’s death Thursday on Facebook. “My son, Tyler, passed away earlier this week,” she wrote. “Cause of death has yet to be determined. I will post on Facebook about services as soon as his dad and I figure it out.”

The Sun, which first reported his death, revealed Duckworth was found unresponsive in his bathroom on Tuesday. The publication cited officials in North Dakota as saying the death was classified as unattended, meaning there were no witnesses there at the time.

His death came nearly two weeks after he appeared at The Challenge Mania event on July 31 in Minneapolis. He posted a photo of himself alongside fellow Challenge alums on Instagram on August 2.

“@challengemaniapodcast always knows how to bring the BEST of the BEST together!!, he wrote. “So proud to represent my hometown of Minneapolis along with these other challenge legends. The fans are what keep us coming out! Hearing your stories of courage, inspiration & joy that you’ve got being a fan of the franchise is humbling each and every time. Also, pretty sure we nailed the cast photo for the lost season of The Real World: Minneapolis!! Thank you Minneapolis!”

Born March 5, 1981, in Atlanta, GA, he grew up in Minneapolis. He appeared on The Real World: Key West in 2006 and went on to compete on six seasons of The Challenge – The Duel, The Gauntlet III, Cutthroat, Rivals, All Stars 2 and All Stars 3 — winning Cutthroat and Rivals. On Cutthroat, he won a bruising, 40-minute elimination round against heavy hitter CT Tamburello after Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio was eliminated in what has been remember as the “Bananas Backpack” match. After 10 years, he returned to the franchise for All Stars 2.

After his run on reality TV. Duckworth became a middle school and high school teacher and was actively pursuing a doctorate degree, according to an interview with Entertainment Weekly.