Alex Ligertwood obit

Scottish-born former Santana vocalist Alex Ligertwood dies aged 79

 

He was not on the list.

Tributes have poured in following the death of Glasgow-born singer and guitarist Alex Ligertwood at the age of 79.

Ligertwood passed away in his sleep on Thursday, April 30, at his home in Santa Monica in California, having battled health issues for several years.

Known for his soulful, powerful vocals, Ligertwood had five separate stints as the lead singer of Santana between 1979 and 1994, featuring on hits like "Winning", "Hold On", "All I Ever Wanted" and "You Know That I Love You".

Like many musicians of his generation, he took up guitar during the 1950s skiffle boom, having cut his teeth singing in school choirs and playing in his local Boys' Brigade pipe band.

His father, an amateur drummer, had bought an upright piano, taught himself to play and thus created the venues for family gatherings and sing-songs in Kelvinhaugh, Govan, Partick and Drumchapel as the Ligertwoods moved around.

Ligertwood's skiffle group grew into the Meridians, whose drummer, Jeff Allen, moved on via the Beatstalkers to East of Eden and Van Morrison, among many others. Ligertwood also played with the East Kilbride-based Kwintones before joining the Senate, the Scottish soul group much admired as a backing band by singers including Ben E King and Solomon Burke.

A residency in Rome with the Senate took Ligertwood off down a road that would lead to him fronting Santana for 15 years, as well as working with other illustrious names such as Jeff Beck, Narada Michael Walden, Average White Band, and former E Street Band keyboardist David Sancious.

Ligertwood also performed with Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, becoming a key member of the jazz-rock group in the early-to-mid 1970s. When he stepped onto the stage with the band at Glasgow's O2 ABC in November 2015 as of a UK and European tour with the band, it was the first time the singer had appeared in his hometown in more than 54 years.

Paying tribute to Ligertwood on social media, Brian Auger wrote: "It is with an incredibly heavy heart that I must share the news that my dear friend and fellow traveller on The Oblivion Express, Alex Ligertwood, has passed away.

"To me, Alex aka 'Wee Eck' was simply the best singer to ever do it. In all my years of music, I never heard anyone who possessed that kind of range or that effortless, carefree ability to soar through a melody. He didn't just sing songs; he lived them.

"The world feels much quieter today without his voice, and I will miss my friend more than words can say. The big band in the sky just got infinitely better with Alex’s arrival."

Gregor Boraman, Auger's manager, added: "Alex Ligertwood, the man with the vocal range of a Moog synth, teller of incredibly risqué jokes, very proud Glaswegian, vocalist for The Senate, The Jeff Beck Group, Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, and Santana, excellent wearer of hats, aka Wee Eck has checked out. What a life."

Other tributes have come in from The Magic of Santana, a German tribute band who Ligertwood often performed and whose guests have included other former Santana members.

In a post on social media, the band wrote: "We are so sad. We just heard about Alex J Ligertwood passed away! We had a great journey together with him and we learned so much about music, passion and friendship.

"He was one of the best singers on this planet and we will deeply miss him. Thank you Alex, for everything."

Uwe Metze, the band's tour manager, added: "It's with deep sadness that I post this. My friend, my buddy, Alex Ligertwood passed away yesterday. Since 2011 he had been the voice of The Magic of Santana. He became a good friend during this time of 15 years, and we shared many wonderful experiences.

"His songs "Somewhere in heaven" and "Make somebody happy" will never be forgotten. They were always highlights of the Magic shows - especially in duet with the other magnificent "Santana voice" Tony Lindsay. Now Alex is somewhere in heaven."

Music producer Gerry Gallagher also paid tribute, saying: "Alex was a friend, fellow Scot, fellow Glaswegian, and a legend in rock music.

"The loss of Alex is a deep loss personally, but an even deeper loss to music in general, as he performed so many live gigs worldwide with some of the greatest musicians in rock history, to the enjoyment of millions over a 60-plus-year career as a lead singer."

Jill Curzon obit

Doctor Who star Jill Curzon dies aged 87 

She was not on the list.

Doctor Who star Jill Curzon has died at the age of 87.

The actress was best known for her role as Louise in the film Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 AD opposite Peter Cushing.

She also appeared alongside Cliff Robertson in The Sunshine Patriot and Robert Wagner in It Takes A Thief, as well as roles in Dr Syn, Alias The Scarecrow and the Morecambe and Wise film The Intelligence Men.

Her friend Pete Sims told the Press Association Curzon died peacefully last month at her home in Spain.

Sims, who helped Curzon write her memoir Jill Curzon 2023 AD – My Eventful Life, said: “She was a kind, generous person who loved life, she had a zest for life.

“She was just a joy to be around and she loved recounting old stories about what happened in the 60s and 70s and the people she used to mix with, people like Robert Wagner and all these big stars when she lived in America.

“It was great just to hear her stories. That’s why the book that she wrote was a labour of love.

“I think it took her about 12 years to write that book, because she wanted to make sure it was spot on and it was right.”

He added: “She had a long, varied career and enjoyed every minute.

“The one thing I will always remember about Jill was she had a real zest for life, and she just embraced everything that came her way.”

Curzon’s other TV appearances included The Saint, The Champions, Adam Adamant Lives!, Hugh And I, Not Only But Also and The Dick Emery Show.

She is survived by her daughter Michelle King and grandson Taj.

 

Filmography

Year     Title     Role     Notes

1962    Out of This World       Bubbles           Episode: "The Tycoons"

1963    80,000 Suspects          Nurse Jill        

1963    Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow  Katharine Banks        

1964    Smokescreen   June    

1965    Not Only... But Also   Actress            1 episode

1962–1965      Hugh and I      Norma Crispin 26 episodes

1965    The Intelligence Men  French Girl      uncredited

1965    Drama 61-67   Vera Lovell      Episode: "Mrs. Quilley's Murder Shoes"

1965    The Saint         Maria Cavallini           Episode: "The Old Treasure Story"

1965    Riviera Police  Jenny   Episode: "Take It Sideways and Pray"

1966    The World of Wooster Gwladys          Episode: "Jeeves and the Spot of Art"

1966    Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.      Louise

1966    Quick Before They Catch Us Gloria Smith    4 episodes

1967    Adam Adamant Lives!            Juanita Episode: "The Deadly Bullet"

1968    The Champions           Stewardess      Episode: "Project Zero"

1969    It Takes a Thief           Miss Garrett    Episode: "The Funeral Is on Mundy"

Bobby Murray obit

Grammy winning guitarist Bobby Murray dies

 

He was not on the list.

(April 30, 2026) The Detroit Blues Society posted the bad news this evening of the passing of legendary guitarist Bobby Murray, a past Lifetime Achievement Award winner from the society, and a revered musical force in the city. He was 72. Murray developed his style first in the Bay Area clubs, becoming a popular player. Marriage brought him to Detroit, where he became a local staple on stages and an artist who helped shape generations of Motor City musicians.

He is best known for his work with Etta James, serving as her guitarist during her later-career resurgence. His contributions to her Grammy-winning albums Let’s Roll and Blues to the Bone were described as a “study in discipline” — sharp, expressive lines that never crowd the vocal but deepen its emotional pull.

Murray’s résumé also includes collaborations with blues and soul greats such as Albert King and Albert Collins. In each setting, he brought a clean, authoritative tone and a deep understanding of the tradition, making him a first-call player for artists who valued substance over showmanship.

Just as important was his role on the local Detroit scene, where Murray remained a steady presence, mentoring younger musicians and helping sustain the city’s blues lineage. He was also absolutely revered by fellow musicians in the city.

Concert company 2 Stones Events posted: In the nearly 25 years we’ve been booking musicians, probably in the thousands by now, we’ve never met a musician as humble, sweet, caring, kind, and talented as Bobby Murray. As classy as it gets. The late Etta James could’ve chose ANY guitarist, but she had Bobby by her side on the road for 23 years.

In addition to his music, Murray was an advocate for citizens through his two decades as part of the Better Business Bureau. May he rest in peace.

Merle Bettenhausen obit

Merle Bettenhausen Passes Away at 82

 

He was not on the list.

Speedway, Indiana (April 29, 2026)………The inspirational Merle Bettenhausen, who overcame the odds to continue to race and win despite an accident that took his right arm, passed away on the morning of April 29, 2026, 26 days following a massive stroke. He was 82 years old.

Born on June 9, 1943, the Tinley Park, Illinois racer grew up in the famed Bettenhausen racing family. His father, Tony Bettenhausen, captured both the 1951 AAA and 1958 USAC National Championship. In 1961, Tony was killed in a practice crash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when Merle was just 17 years old.

Merle’s older brother, Gary Bettenhausen, scored four USAC national driving championships in Sprint Cars and Silver Crown cars, and made 21 starts at the Indianapolis 500. Merle’s younger brother, Tony Bettenhausen Jr., made 11 Indianapolis 500 starts and later became a team owner on the Indy Car circuit.

All three brothers were racers to the core, and by 1968, Merle was making his own name in the USAC ranks, winning the first of his eight career National Midget feature events at Indianapolis Raceway Park that year for car owner Ed Loniewski.

Merle added additional wins in 1969 and 1970 for car owner Bob Lockard at Michigan’s Spartan Speedway, Arizona’s Manzanita Speedway and Texas’ Moody & Clary Speedway. He won for Howard Lehmann at Granite City, Illinois in 1971 and at Indiana’s Whitewater Valley Speedway in 1972. Merle also wheeled brother Gary’s ride to victory in 1972 at Manzanita.

Exactly seven weeks following his most recent USAC National Midget win, Merle got the call to drive in the 200-mile Indy Car race in July 1972 at Michigan International Speedway. Just four laps into the event, Merle’s life changed forever.

After tangling with fellow driver Mike Hiss in turn two, Merle’s car slammed the outside wall. The incident resulted in the loss of his right arm above the elbow as well as extensive burns to his face. Merle spent two months at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, but soon vowed to race again, somehow, someway.

With the aid on an artificial limb, complete with an accompanying hook to grip the steering wheel, Merle was back in the cockpit of a USAC National Midget in June 1973 at Lost Creek, Kentucky, 11 months to the day following his accident. Despite an 18th place finish in the feature, he qualified an impressive fourth and won his heat race. Merle was officially back.

Nothing signified Merle’s return to racing more than the August 31, 1973, USAC National Midget feature at Johnson City,Tennessee’s Sportsman Speedway. There, in his 14th race back after injury, Merle swung to the outside of Billy Engelhart on the final turn to win by inches in a miraculous photo finish. Making the feat even more remarkable was the fact that Merle drove the final 37 laps of the 40-lapper without the aid of the power steering.

Merle continued to compete through the 1974 season, stating that he thought of himself as a much better and smarter racer post-injury. In fact, he ranked second in the USAC National Midget points entering July.

However, shortly after brother Gary’s accident in a champ dirt car at Syracuse, New York, on July 4, 1974, Merle announced his sudden retirement from racing at the age of 31. It had been something he was contemplating even before Gary’s accident.

“My brother Gary getting hurt at Syracuse is only part of the reason for me doing this,” Merle stated to USAC News at the time. “I've been considering quitting for several weeks and had more or less made up my mind on the way to Syracuse. I think this will be fairer to my wife and my seven-week-old daughter. I don't have any definite plans but I love auto racing and I hope to be involved in it for the rest of my life.”

Bettenhausen did stay involved, selling tires and fuel at racetracks across the country for several years, and he also worked brother Tony Jr.’s Indy Car team. Furthermore, in 1974, Merle was appointed to the Indiana Youth Council by Indiana Governor Otis R. Bowen.

With USAC, Merle made 203 career National Midget starts, 37 National Sprint Car starts, three Indy Car starts, three Silver Crown starts and even a single Stock Car start.

In 1970, he made his first two career Indy Car starts, charging 24th to 8th at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Mile, then went 11th to 7th at the Sacramento Mile. He was named the 1971 Hoosier Hundred Rookie of the Year for his 10th place result at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

In both 1970 and 1971, Merle captured the World Midget Championship in New Zealand, and in 1974, was the recipient of USAC’s Jim Blunk Memorial Sportsmanship Award presented to the individual contributing most to the image of the professional Midget racer.

David Allan Coe obit

David Allan Coe Dies: “Outlaw” Country Singer Who Wrote Defiant ‘Take This Job And Shove It’ Was 86

He was not on the list.

David Allan Coe, the country singer-songwriter who helped define Nashville’s “outlaw” sound of the 1970s and ’80s, and wrote “Take This Job and Shove It,” the song that would become the anthem of disaffected workers during the economic upheaval of the decade, died at a hospital Wednesday, April 29. He was 86.

His death was announced by his wife to Rolling Stone magazine. A cause and exact location of death were not disclosed. Coe reportedly was hospitalized several years ago with Covid-19 and had mostly retreated from public appearances since then, though it is not known whether Covid played a part in his passing.

Along with Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Jessi Colter and others, Coe was a major part of the “outlaw country” movement that swept Nashville in the mid-1970s, offering listeners a rougher, rawer, more rebellious back-to-the-roots approach to country than the slick, string-heavy pop-ish “Nashville Sound,” or “Countrypolitan,” that had been dominant since the 1960s.

While Coe was a noted country singer in his own right, with hits, written by others, including “You Never Even Call Me by My Name,” “Tennessee Whiskey” and “Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile,” his most lasting impact was perhaps as a songwriter. His “Take This Job and Shove It,” with its smack-you-in-the-face opening lyric (“Take this job and shove it/I ain’t workin’ here no more/A woman done left and took all the reasons/I was working for”) was a massive and influential hit for the singer Johnny Paycheck in 1977.

The song was so popular that it inspired a feature film comedy of the same name in 1981. Directed by Gus Trikonis and starring Robert Hays, Barbara Hershey, Art Carney, and David Keith, the Take This Job And Shove It cast also included Coe and Paycheck in small roles.

Several years before “Take This Job…” became a smash, Coe wrote “Would You Lay With Me (in a Field of Stone),” a song that became a 1974 hit for a teenaged Tanya Tucker.

Born September 6, 1939, in Akron, Ohio, Coe did time in reformatories during his youth and, from 1963 to 1967 was imprisoned in Ohio for possession of burglary tools. His first album, 1970’s Penitentiary Blues, features songs he wrote while in prison. Four years later he recorded the album The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy, which he publicized by performing in a sparkly suit and a mask.

Unlike the more conservative, clean-cut country stars of the ’60s, Coe and the other “outlaws” took on a biker look – Coe himself had been part of a biker gang – that included long hair, beards, tattoos and cowboy hats. One of his hits, 1976’s “Longhaired Redneck,” summed up the image in one song title. The look, as well as the sounds, would make a lasting impact on country music.

Throughout his long popularity, Coe toured with Willie Nelson, Neil Young and even Kid Rock. Along the way, he wrote and recorded albums and songs that pushed boundaries with their racy lyrics, particularly on the 1978 album Nothing Sacred and 1982’s Underground Album. Sexually explicit, the songs also included lyrics that were racist and homophobic, songs he would later regret. In a 2001 Billboard magazine interview, he said, “Those were meant to be sung around the campfire for bikers, and I still don’t sing those songs in concert.”

In later years Coe had serious tussles with the IRS, causing debt, bankruptcy and the lost of publishing rights to even his biggest hits. His final album, in which he collaborated with heavy metal’s Dimebag Darrell and other former members of Pantera, was released in 2006.

Complete information on survivors was not immediately available.

Actor

Beer for My Horses (2008)

Beer for My Horses

4.9

Gypsy Gene

2008

 

Rebel Meets Rebel: Nothin' to Lose

Music Video

David Allan Coe (as Rebel Meets Rebel)

2006

 

Brad William Henke and Sam Trammell in Going to California (2001)

Going to California

7.9

TV Series

Arlin

2002

1 episode

 

Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Waylon Jennings in Stagecoach (1986)

Stagecoach

5.9

TV Movie

Ike Plummer

1986

 

Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash in The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James (1986)

The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James

6.2

TV Movie

Whiskeyhead Ryan

1986

 

Take This Job and Shove It (1981)

Take This Job and Shove It

5.0

Mooney

1981

 

Lady Grey (1980)

Lady Grey

5.7

Black Jack Donovan

1980

 

Earl Owensby in Seabo (1978)

Seabo

5.3

Rebstock

1978

 

Composer

Lesbian Ho'Down at the Bunnyranch

7.1

Composer

2000

 

Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Waylon Jennings in Stagecoach (1986)

Stagecoach

5.9

TV Movie

Composer

1986

 

Earl Owensby in Seabo (1978)

Seabo

5.3

Composer

1978

 

David Allan Coe: The Mysterious Rhinestone (1975)

David Allan Coe: The Mysterious Rhinestone

7.0

TV Movie

Composer

1975

 

Writer

Take This Job and Shove It (1981)

Take This Job and Shove It

5.0

song

1981

 

Soundtrack

Ethan Hawke, Keith David, and Ryan Kiera Armstrong in The Lowdown (2025)

The Lowdown

7.3

TV Series

performer: "You Never Even Called Me by My Name"

2025

1 episode

 

Jay J. Bidwell and Carmen Nixon in Sue Bob & Hank (2017)

Sue Bob & Hank

Short

performer: "If That Ain't Country"writer: "If That Ain't Country"

2017

 

Dwayne Johnson in Ballers (2015)

Ballers

7.6

TV Series

writer: "Take This Job and Shove It" (uncredited)

2016

1 episode

 

Will Forte and Kristen Schaal in The Last Man on Earth (2015)

The Last Man on Earth

7.4

TV Series

performer: "The Fish Aren't Bitin' Today"writer: "The Fish Aren't Bitin' Today" (uncredited, uncredited)

2015

1 episode

 

Johnny Knoxville and Jackson Nicoll in Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013)

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa

6.5

performer: "You Never Even Called Me by My Name"

2013

 

Travis Pastrana in Nitro Circus (2009)

Nitro Circus

7.6

TV Series

performer: "Take This Job and Shove It"writer: "Take This Job and Shove It"

2009

1 episode

 

Squidbillies (2005)

Squidbillies

6.6

TV Series

Soundtrack ("The Okaleechee Dam Jam")

2008

1 episode

 

John C. Reilly, Will Ferrell, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, and Sacha Baron Cohen in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

6.6

performer: "Walking Bum"

2006

 

Jason Lee, Jaime Pressly, Ethan Suplee, Eddie Steeples, and Nadine Velazquez in My Name Is Earl (2005)

My Name Is Earl

7.8

TV Series

writer: "Take This Job And Shove It"

2006

1 episode

 

Mary-Louise Parker in Weeds (2005)

Weeds

7.9

TV Series

performer: "Don't Bite the Dick"

2005

1 episode

 

The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (2004)

The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things

6.2

performer: "Linda Lovelace"writer: "Linda Lovelace"

2004

 

Big Eden (2000)

Big Eden

7.3

performer: "A Sad Country Song"writer: "A Sad Country Song"

2000

 

Version A, 1 sheet

Office Space

7.6

writer: "Shove This Jay-Oh-Bee"

1999

 

Nice Guys Sleep Alone (1999)

Nice Guys Sleep Alone

5.7

performer: "You Never Even Call Me By My Name"

1999

 

John Leguizamo, Wesley Snipes, and Patrick Swayze in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar

6.8

performer: "Stand By Your Man"

1995

 

Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, and Yeardley Smith in The Simpsons (1989)

The Simpsons

8.6

TV Series

writer: "Take This Job and Shove It" (uncredited)

1994

1 episode

 

Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988)

Mystery Science Theater 3000

8.6

TV Series

writer: "Take This Job and Shove It"

1989

1 episode

 

Hit the Road Running (1983)

Hit the Road Running

6.7

performer: "Hit the Road Running"

1983

 

Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, and Ralph Macchio in The Outsiders (1983)

The Outsiders

7.0

performer: "Jack Daniels If You Please"

1983

 

Take This Job and Shove It (1981)

Take This Job and Shove It

5.0

lyrics: "I Love Robbing Banks", "Take This Job and Shove It"music: "I Love Robbing Banks", "Take This Job and Shove It"performer: "You Can Count on Beer", "How Good It Used to Be", "I Love Robbing Banks"

1981

 

El Paso Wrecking Corp.

6.9

writer: "Take This Job and Shove It" (uncredited)

1978

 

Ernie Sigley in The Ernie Sigley Show (1974)

The Ernie Sigley Show

6.8

TV Series

writer: "Would You Lay with Me (in a Field of Stone)"

1974

1 episode

 

Music Department

Hit the Road Running (1983)

Hit the Road Running

6.7

singer: title song

1983

 

Thanks

Tennessee Whiskey: The Dean Dillon Story (2017)

Tennessee Whiskey: The Dean Dillon Story

7.8

special thanks

2017

 

Self

Take This Job

Video

Self

2017

 

Heartworn Highways Revisited (2015)

Heartworn Highways Revisited

7.1

Self

2015

 

Squidbillies (2005)

Squidbillies

6.6

TV Series

Self (uncredited)

2008

1 episode

 

American Music: Off the Record (2008)

American Music: Off the Record

6.6

Self

2008

 

Field of Stone

Self

2007

 

Johnny Cash: God's Gonna Cut You Down (2006)

Johnny Cash: God's Gonna Cut You Down

7.6

Music Video

Self (uncredited)

2006

 

CMT Outlaws 2005 (2005)

CMT Outlaws 2005

TV Special

Self - Performer

2005

 

CMT Outlaws (2004)

CMT Outlaws

9.6

TV Special

Self - Performer

2004

 

David Allan Coe: Live at Billy Bob's Texas (2002)

David Allan Coe: Live at Billy Bob's Texas

Video

Self

2002

 

Earl Owensby, the Man... the Myth (1997)

Earl Owensby, the Man... the Myth

Video

Self

1997

 

Roy Orbison in Episode #13.3 (1982)

Sing Country

TV Series

Self

1987

1 episode

 

World Championship Wrestling (1985)

World Championship Wrestling

8.1

TV Series

Self - Entertainer

1986–1987

2 episodes

 

Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, June Carter Cash, Johnny Cash, Larry Gatlin, Tom T. Hall, and Waylon Jennings in Johnny Cash: The First 25 Years (1980)

Johnny Cash: The First 25 Years

8.4

TV Special

Self

1980

 

Atoka (1979)

Atoka

Self

1979

 

90 Minutes Live (1976)

90 Minutes Live

5.4

TV Series

Self

1978

1 episode

 

All You Need Is Love (1977)

All You Need Is Love

7.6

TV Series

Self

1977

1 episode

 

Townes van Zandt in Heartworn Highways (1976)

Heartworn Highways

7.8

Self

1976

 

David Allan Coe: The Mysterious Rhinestone (1975)

David Allan Coe: The Mysterious Rhinestone

7.0

TV Movie

Self

1975

 

Archive Footage

Tennessee Whiskey: The Dean Dillon Story (2017)

Tennessee Whiskey: The Dean Dillon Story

7.8

Self (archive footage)

2017

 

Rare Southern Gospel Singing Celebration

Video

Self - Performer (archive footage)

2010

 

Claire Nielson obit

 

Claire Nielson Has Died

She was not on the list.

Claire was an actor, writer and director who is well know for her many television appearances with The Two Ronnies and for creating the part of Mrs Hamilton in the famous ‘Waldorf Salad’ episode of Fawlty Towers. She also played Edith Rankin opposite Richard Briers in Monarch of the Glen and Amy McSwan in A is for Acid with Martin Clunes. Other TV appearances include leading roles in Taggart, Doctors, Holby City, The Jury, London’s Burning, Upstairs Downstairs, Just William, Angels, Z Cars, Crown Court, Dixon of Dock Green, Dr Finlay’s Casebook, The Dick Emery Show, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?; and the BAFTA-nominated BBC series The Crow Road. In the cinema, she appeared in the film version of Arnold Wesker’s The Kitchen and played Barbara Grant in Kidnapped opposite Michael Caine and Trevor Howard.

Claire’s London appearances include: Titus Andronicus (Shakespeare’s Globe); Brian Rix’s Don’t Just Lie There, Say Something! (Garrick Theatre); Threads (Hampstead); Desdemona in Othello and Lydia Languish in The Rivals opposite Fay Compton (Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith); and Maggie in Sparrers Can’t Sing (Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop). In repertory, Claire’s credits include seasons at: Bolton; Hornchurch; Canterbury; Perth; Glasgow Citizens; Birmingham Rep; Theatre Royal, Stratford East; Theatre Royal, Plymouth; and Theatre Royal, Windsor as Ruth in Ayckbourn’s trilogy The Norman Conquests. At international festivals she played leading roles with Theatre Workshop at the Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt in Paris and the Maxim Gorki Theatre in East Berlin.

For BBC Radio, her credits include: Ripples; Mademoiselle Pearl; Dr Finlay: Adventures of a Black Bag; The Light of Heart; Wives and Daughters; and Lucy Bailey’s award-winning Radio 3 production of The Leopard. She has directed plays in London at the Riverside Studios and the Gate Theatre, and in Stratford-upon-Avon at the Other Place and the Swan Theatre for the RSC Fringe Festival. Also for the RSC she has devised and led many workshops including a prestigious series in Italy for Ferrara University.

Claire read English at King’s College, Cambridge. As a writer, her books include: Your First Grandchild (Harper Collins); The Spirit of Beardsley (Gramercy Books); Buddhism for Bears (St Martin’s Press); and The Tao of Babies (Random House). Her latest novel, The House at Strone, was published in 2022.

 

Actress

Shelley (2017)

Shelley

6.8

TV Mini Series

Salmon

2018

1 episode

 

Holby City (1999)

Holby City

5.8

TV Series

Pauline Bewley

2008

1 episode

 

Mark McManus in Taggart (1983)

Taggart

7.4

TV Series

Rhona CameronMrs Paterson

1986–2005

4 episodes

 

Doctors (2000)

Doctors

4.5

TV Series

Judge

2003

1 episode

 

Martin Clunes in A Is for Acid (2002)

A Is for Acid

6.9

TV Movie

Amy McSwan

2002

 

Roger Allam, Jodhi May, Julie Walters, and Natalie Press in The Jury (2002)

The Jury

7.6

TV Series

Eleanor Colchester

2002

3 episodes

 

Richard Briers, Susan Hampshire, and Alastair Mackenzie in Monarch of the Glen (2000)

Monarch of the Glen

7.8

TV Series

Edith Rankin

2001

1 episode

 

Ronnie Barker in Comedy Greats: Ronnie Barker (1999)

Comedy Greats: Ronnie Barker

8.4

Video

Wife

1999

 

The Crow Road (1996)

The Crow Road

8.1

TV Mini Series

Aunt Antonia

1996

4 episodes

 

Richard Griffiths in Pie in the Sky (1994)

Pie in the Sky

7.7

TV Series

Anita Block

1996

1 episode

 

London's Burning (1988)

London's Burning

7.1

TV Series

Coroner

1994

1 episode

 

I, Lovett (1989)

I, Lovett

7.6

TV Series

Mrs. Lovett

1993

1 episode

 

Punchdrunk (1993)

Punchdrunk

5.6

TV Series

Mrs. Gordon

1993

6 episodes

 

Scotch & Wry 4: Rikki Fulton Prince of Pochlers

7.1

Video

Various

1992

 

Taking the Floor

TV Series

Mrs. Tranter

1991

5 episodes

 

Triple Scotch & Wry (1990)

Triple Scotch & Wry

8.7

Video

1990

 

Gregor Fisher in Rab C. Nesbitt (1988)

Rab C. Nesbitt

7.5

TV Series

Gift Shop Customer

1990

1 episode

 

Double Scotch & Wry (1987)

Double Scotch & Wry

8.4

Video

Various

1987

 

Scotch & Wry

8.2

Video

Various

1986

 

Don Henderson and Siobhan Redmond in Bulman (1985)

Bulman

7.6

TV Series

Noelle

1985

1 episode

 

Take the High Road (1980)

Take the High Road

7.0

TV Series

Sarah Cunningham

1982–1984

3 episodes

 

Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett in The Two Ronnies (1971)

The Two Ronnies

7.8

TV Series

WifeNurseParty Guest ...

1971–1983

17 episodes

 

Gunfight at the Joe Kaye Corral

TV Movie

Moira Kaye

1983

 

Chintz

TV Series

Grace Hills

1981

7 episodes

 

Scotch & Wry (1978)

Scotch & Wry

8.3

TV Series

Various Roles

1978–1980

4 episodes

 

The Dawson Watch (1979)

The Dawson Watch

6.9

TV Series

1980

1 episode

 

Play for Today (1970)

Play for Today

7.8

TV Series

Ellen SimpsonDianaIngi - A Time to Keep

1971–1979

3 episodes

 

John Cleese, Connie Booth, Andrew Sachs, and Prunella Scales in Fawlty Towers (1975)

Fawlty Towers

8.8

TV Series

Mrs. Hamilton

1979

1 episode

 

Bernie (1978)

Bernie

4.5

TV Series

1978

1 episode

 

Julie Dawn Cole and Janina Faye in Angels (1975)

Angels

6.6

TV Series

Mrs. Johnson

1978

1 episode

 

The Les Dawson Show (1978)

The Les Dawson Show

7.3

TV Series

1978

2 episodes

 

Adrian Dannatt in Just William (1977)

Just William

6.7

TV Series

Vicar's Wife

1978

1 episode

 

Z Cars (1962)

Z Cars

7.1

TV Series

Sandra PetersJoyce JessupClare Moffat ...

1971–1977

6 episodes

 

Sea Tales: The Return

TV Mini Series

Eleanor Barron

1977

1 episode

 

Eileen McCallum, Bill Paterson, and Betty Gillin in Play from 'A' (1976)

Play from 'A'

TV Series

Mary Elliot

1976

1 episode

 

Kenneth Williams in The Kenneth Williams Show (1970)

The Kenneth Williams Show

8.2

TV Series

1976

1 episode

 

Warship (1973)

Warship

7.8

TV Series

Valerie Kenyon

1976

1 episode

 

Dick Emery in The Dick Emery Show (1963)

The Dick Emery Show

6.8

TV Series

AngelaLindaVicky Rhodes ...

1973–1975

7 episodes

 

Iain Cuthbertson in Sutherland's Law (1973)

Sutherland's Law

7.7

TV Series

Morag Cramond

1975

1 episode

 

Ray Davies in Late Night Drama (1974)

Late Night Drama

6.3

TV Series

Jenny

1975

1 episode

 

Brian Blessed, Diana Dors, Sinéad Cusack, Don Henderson, Freddie Jones, Nyree Dawn Porter, Robert Powell, and Dennis Waterman in Thriller (1973)

Thriller

7.8

TV Series

Hilary

1975

1 episode

 

Marked Personal (1973)

Marked Personal

8.2

TV Series

Maggie Snead

1974

2 episodes

 

Ronnie Corbett and Rosemary Leach in The Prince of Denmark (1974)

The Prince of Denmark

5.6

TV Series

Alison

1974

1 episode

 

Fulton Mackay, Patrick Mower, Derren Nesbitt, Wensley Pithey, and George Sewell in Special Branch (1969)

Special Branch

7.4

TV Series

CharlotteDet. Sgt. Isobel RossDetective Sgt. Isobel Ross

1969–1974

3 episodes

 

Rodney Bewes and James Bolam in Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (1973)

Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?

7.8

TV Series

Miss Dixon

1974

1 episode

 

Don Henderson, Diane Keen, Peter Sallis, and Don Warrington in Crown Court (1972)

Crown Court

7.4

TV Series

Terry Greene

1974

3 episodes

 

Robin Chadwick, Richard Easton, and Patrick O'Connell in The Brothers (1972)

The Brothers

7.5

TV Series

Nancy Lincoln

1973

8 episodes

 

Lesley-Anne Down, Angela Baddeley, Christopher Beeny, Joan Benham, Karen Dotrice, Hannah Gordon, Gareth Hunt, Gordon Jackson, David Langton, Jean Marsh, Jonathan Seely, Jenny Tomasin, Jacqueline Tong, Simon Williams, and Anne Yarker in Upstairs, Downstairs (1971)

Upstairs, Downstairs

8.4

TV Series

Ellen Bouverie

1972

1 episode

 

Jack Warner in Dixon of Dock Green (1955)

Dixon of Dock Green

6.9

TV Series

Mrs. MarshallPatricia Danvers

1971–1972

2 episodes

 

Ian Hendry and Geraldine McEwan in Late Night Theatre (1972)

Late Night Theatre

TV Series

Helen

1972

1 episode

 

The Scobie Man

TV Series

Judy

1972

4 episodes

 

Kidnapped (1971)

Kidnapped

6.2

Barbara Grant

1971

 

Anthony Valentine, Margaret Lockwood, and John Stone in Justice (1971)

Justice

7.6

TV Series

Mary Lurcock

1971

1 episode

 

Ros Drinkwater and Francis Matthews in Paul Temple (1969)

Paul Temple

7.0

TV Series

Cora Bennet

1971

1 episode

 

Paul Eddington, Colin Gordon, and Barrie Ingham in Hine (1971)

Hine

7.8

TV Series

Jean Hurst

1971

1 episode

 

Ronnie Corbett and Henry McGee in No - That's Me Over Here! (1967)

No - That's Me Over Here!

6.9

TV Series

1970

1 episode

 

Menace (1970)

Menace

7.2

TV Series

Angela

1970

1 episode

 

Mogul (1965)

Mogul

7.0

TV Series

Mrs. Kennett

1970

1 episode

 

Leslie Phillips in The Culture Vultures (1970)

The Culture Vultures

TV Series

Dr. Joan Simpson

1970

1 episode

 

Who-Dun-It

TV Series

Nurse Jane Kelly

1969

1 episode

 

The Prior Commitment

TV Mini Series

Liz Elliot

1969

6 episodes

 

Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1962)

Dr. Finlay's Casebook

7.7

TV Series

Sister Bing

1969

1 episode

 

Brian Rix Presents ... (1960)

Brian Rix Presents ...

TV Series

Ruth

1969

1 episode

 

Boy Meets Girl (1967)

Boy Meets Girl

6.5

TV Series

Mary Panton

1968

1 episode

 

Detective (1964)

Detective

6.9

TV Series

Lena Lawson

1968

1 episode

 

Claire Nielson and Calum Mill in The Revenue Men (1967)

The Revenue Men

6.3

TV Series

Luke Frazer

1967–1968

36 episodes

 

Thirty-Minute Theatre (1965)

Thirty-Minute Theatre

6.9

TV Series

LydiaAgneta

1967

2 episodes

 

John Cairney in This Man Craig (1966)

This Man Craig

7.3

TV Series

Isabel Ritchie

1966

1 episode

 

Edward Judd and Caroline Mortimer in Intrigue (1966)

Intrigue

TV Series

Milly Straker

1966

1 episode

 

Love Story (1963)

Love Story

7.1

TV Series

Agnes

1966

1 episode

 

Softly Softly (1966)

Softly Softly

7.0

TV Series

Mavis Robinson

1966

1 episode

 

Nancy Kwan and Terry-Thomas in The Wild Affair (1965)

The Wild Affair

5.8

Perfume Saleslady

1965

 

The Wednesday Play (1964)

The Wednesday Play

7.3

TV Series

Alison Grant

1964

1 episode

 

Michael Quinn and Donald Wolfit in Ghost Squad (1961)

Ghost Squad

7.2

TV Series

Jean Carter

1962–1964

33 episodes

 

No Hiding Place (1959)

No Hiding Place

7.5

TV Series

Gwen

1963

1 episode

 

Backfire! (1962)

Backfire!

6.5

Valentina Chenko (as Claire Isbister)

1962

 

Compact (1962)

Compact

6.8

TV Series

Delia Appleby

1962

1 episode

 

The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre (1959)

The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre

7.8

TV Series

Valentina Chenko (as Claire Isbister)

1962

1 episode

 

The Kitchen (1961)

The Kitchen

6.2

Waitress (as Claire Isbister)

1961

 

ITV Television Playhouse (1955)

ITV Television Playhouse

8.3

TV Series

Jenny Colquhoun (as Claire Isbister)

1961

1 episode

 

ITV Play of the Week (1955)

ITV Play of the Week

6.6

TV Series

Marigold Chesney (as Claire Isbister)

1961

1 episode

 

Hills Beyond the Smoke

TV Movie

Eileen (as Claire Isbister)

1961

 

Redgauntlet

TV Series

Lilias (as Claire Isbister)

1959

5 episodes

 

The Black Eye

TV Movie

(as Claire Isbister)

1958

 

Who Fought Alone: Epitaph on a Scottish Soldier

TV Movie

(as Claire Isbister)

1958

 

Self

Rikki (2024)

Rikki

TV Special

Self - Actor

2024

 

John Cleese in Fawlty Towers: 50 Years of Laughs (2023)

Fawlty Towers: 50 Years of Laughs

7.1

TV Movie

SelfSelf - Mrs Hamilton

2023

 

'Fawlty Towers' @ 30 (2005)

'Fawlty Towers' @ 30

7.9

TV Movie

Self

2005

 

Storybook International (1981)

Storybook International

8.3

TV Series

Self - Narrator (voice)

1981–1986

36 episodes

 

The Royal Highland Roadshow

TV Movie

Self

1974

 

Archive Footage

Heroes of Comedy (1992)

Heroes of Comedy

6.6

TV Series

Self (archive footage)

2002

1 episode

 

The Best of the Two Ronnies (2001)

The Best of the Two Ronnies

8.2

Video

Various characters (archive footage)

2001

 

Gordon Snell obit

Gordon Snell, children’s author and husband of Maeve Binchy, dies aged 93

Snell also wrote scripts for RTÉ, including the popular children’s show Wanderly Wagon

He was not on the list. 

Gordon Snell, the children’s author, journalist and husband of the late Maeve Binchy, has died aged 93.

He published his first book for children, The King of Quizzical Island, in 1978, following it up with Amy’s Wonderful Nest, Tina and the Tooth Fairy and The Supermarket Ghost, among others.

He met Binchy in the 1970s, when she was appointed to the London office of The Irish Times. The pair married in 1977 and moved to Ireland in the early 1980s. Binchy died in 2012; the couple had no children.

Snell was born in 1932 in Singapore, where his father worked as a surveyor. In 1942 his mother brought him to Australia to settle him into boarding school. She had intended to return to Singapore almost immediately but could not do so after the Japanese invasion began.

After moving to Ireland he wrote scripts for RTÉ, including for the popular children’s show Wanderly Wagon.

In 2009 Binchy revealed that Snell had had a heart-bypass operation.

In a 2023 Irish Times interview with the writer Henrietta McKervey, Snell said: “Maeve and I always said we were very lucky, first to have met each other but also that we realised we were lucky. It’s one of the most important things.”

Music Department

Look and Read (1967)

Look and Read

8.1

TV Series

lyricslyricist

1971–1984

16 episodes

 

Writer

Crackerjack! (1955)

Crackerjack!

6.6

TV Series

writer

1958

1 episode

 

Additional Crew

Hands Across the Sky

TV Movie

libretto

1960

 

Self

Open House with Gloria Hunniford (1998)

Open House with Gloria Hunniford

3.5

TV Series

Self

1999

1 episode

 

Leap in the Dark (1973)

Leap in the Dark

7.8

TV Series

Self

1973

7 episodes

 

Adrian Smith obit

Adrian Smith of Cincinnati Royals, Kentucky Wildcats fame dies at 89

 

He was not on the list.

Anderson Township resident Adrian Smith has died at age 89.

If you don't recognize the name, Greater Cincinnati basketball aficionados knew him as "Odie," a talented 6-foot-1 guard from Farmington, Kentucky who won a national championship with the Kentucky Wildcats, an Olympic gold medal in Rome in 1960 and was named the 1966 NBA All-Star Game MVP, which came complete with a Ford Galaxie as a prize. Smith kept the vehicle in great condition over the years and kept it proudly on display.

Adrian Smith's time with Kentucky Wildcats

Though he originally only had a scholarship offer at Murray State, which was withdrawn, Smith started at Northeast Mississippi Junior College. He excelled enough there to warrant a look from the legendary Adolph Rupp and Kentucky's "Big Blue."

Smith finally got some playing time in relief his junior year, then became a starter as a senior, averaging 12.4 points per game. His team became known as "The Fiddlin' Five," and the Wildcats went on to win the 1957-58 NCAA National Championship with an 84-72 win over Seattle University. Seattle featured a future NBA Hall of Famer named Elgin Baylor. Another member of the "Fiddlin' Five" that you may not be aware of was the father of NBC football analyst and former Cincinnati Bengal Cris Collinsworth. Lincoln Collinsworth was a 6-foot-3 guard.

The team was called "The Fiddlin' Five," as Rupp said they were known for "fiddlin' around and fiddlin' around" before pulling out a game.

Gold medal for Adrian Smith in 1960

Smith was drafted in the 15th-round by the Cincinnati Royals in 1958. (The Royals originated in Rochester, New York, moved to Cincinnati, moved to Kansas City-Omaha, and are now the Sacramento Kings.)

He elected to join the Army, played on the Army All-Star Team and made the 1960 team that won gold in the Rome Olympics. That team also featured two other future Cincinnati Royals in Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas. The 1960 Olympic team was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Adrian Smith played for Cincinnati Royals from 1961-1969

Smith served as "The Big O" Oscar Robertson's back-up originally, but became a starter in 1964-65, averaging 15.1 points per game and shooting 46% from the field and 83% on free throws. There was no 3-point shot, but many have commented how Smith would have been a long-distance threat.

In 1966, the NBA All-Star Game came to Cincinnati Gardens, and Smith scored 24 points in 26 minutes to lead the East to victory and win the coveted Ford Galaxie. It would be his only All-Star Game.

Smith would play for the San Francisco Warriors, then the ABA Virginia Squires, before his pro career was up in 1972.

Adrian Smith funeral arrangements

Smith's visitation is at 11 a.m. at T.P. White in Mount Washington, with the funeral service at noon.

Smith was the fifth of six children of Oury and Ruth Smith of Farmington, Kentucky. The family lived in a farmhouse that had no electricity and no indoor plumbing. He was nicknamed "Odie" after a comedian on the Grand Ole Opry. As a child, he attended a three-room schoolhouse in rural Graves County, Kentucky. Because the family didn't have money for a basketball, he learned to shoot one his mother made from rolling up his dad's socks.

Smith enrolled to play basketball at Northeast Mississippi Junior College (now known as Northeast Mississippi Community College). After Smith excelled on the court, Northeast coach Bonner Arnold convinced legendary University of Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp to send a scout to see Smith, and UK offered a scholarship.

Smith didn't see much action his junior season until Kentucky's star guard, Vernon Hatton, went out with an appendectomy, and for seven games, Smith averaged 16.3 points. As a senior, Smith was a starter and averaged 12.4 points per game. The Wildcats' team, known as the "Fiddlin' Five", beat Seattle University 84–72 to win the 1957–58 national championship, led by 30 points from Hatton and 24 from Johnny Cox. Smith averaged just under 14 points in UK's four NCAA tourney wins, including seven in the championship game.

Smith graduated from Kentucky with a business degree.

Instead of attempting to make the Royals, Smith joined the U.S. Army, where he played on the Army's All-Star team and in 1960 was selected to play on the eventual undefeated U.S. men's basketball team that won the gold medal in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy. The team went 8–0 in the Olympics, led by future hall-of-famers Oscar Robertson, Jerry Lucas, and Jerry West, although in the opening win against host Italy, Smith was the team's leading scorer, with 17 points scored. The team's average margin of victory in the eight games was 42.4 points per game.

Smith began his professional career in the 1961–62 NBA season. During his first three seasons, he served as a backup guard behind Oscar Robertson and Bucky Bockhorn, averaging about 20 minutes per game with scoring averages of 7.2, 8.9, and 9.4, respectively.

In his fourth season of 1964–65, he became a starter in the Royals' backcourt alongside Robertson. Playing over 34 minutes per game, he averaged 15.1 points per game, with a .456 field goal percentage and .830 free throw percentage.

The 1965–66 season was both his most productive and noteworthy. He averaged a career-high 18.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game as the Royals went 45–35 and, in the Eastern Division semifinals, extended the Boston Celtics to a fifth and deciding game before falling to the eventual NBA champions. On December 15 he scored a career-high 34 points against the Celtics, and followed that up on January 5 with another career-high of 35 points. During the season, Smith was selected to the 1966 NBA All-Star Game and, surprisingly for a game that including sixteen future Hall-of-Famers, Smith was named MVP after he scored 24 points in 26 minutes. It was his only All-Star appearance, and for winning the MVP award, he received a new Ford Galaxie car.

In his sixth NBA season, 1966–67, Smith averaged 16.6 points per game and led the NBA with a .903 free throw percentage and, for the fourth time, the durable Smith led the league in games played. In 1967–68, Smith averaged 15.6 points per game in his last year as a starter. In 1968–69, playing primarily as a backup to Robertson and Tom Van Arsdale, Smith averaged 9.6 ponts per game.

Career history

1959–1960      USAF All-Stars

1961    Akron Goodyear Wingfoots

1961–1969      Cincinnati Royals

1969–1971      San Francisco Warriors

1971–1972      Virginia Squires

Career highlights

NBA All-Star (1966)

NBA All-Star Game MVP (1966)

NCAA champion (1958)

Career NBA and ABA statistics

Points  8,750 (11.3 ppg)

Rebounds        1,626 (2.1 rpg)

Assists 1,739 (2.3 apg)