In Memoriam: The Legendary British Actor "Tim Curry" Has Died Aged 80

The legendary and prolific British stage, screen and voice actor, the beloved Tim Curry has died aged 80. He was best known for his starring roles in the cult "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", "Clue", "It" and "Muppet Treasure Island".

A cause of death was not immediately available, though Curry had suffered from several health issues since a severe stroke in 2012 left him unable to walk.

Best known for his role as Frank-N-Furter, the "sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania", in the cult musical comedy The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Curry was considered one of the most charismatic performers of his generation.

Born in Cheshire, England, on 19 April 1946, Curry began his professional acting career in a 1968 West End production of the rock musical "Hair" shortly after graduating from the University of Birmingham. He followed that up with roles in stage performances of Shakespeare, Brecht and Stoppard, before the subversive camp classic Rocky Horror launched him to worldwide stardom. It is still considered a classic of musical cinema and continues to run in limited release to this day, making it the longest-running film release of all time.

Other memorable big screen roles include Rooster Hannigan in Annie, Dr. Yevgeniy Petrov in The Hunt for Red October, Hector in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers.

Beyond Rocky Horror, Curry also made quite the lasting impression in the 1990 miniseries It, based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. He played the main antagonist Pennywise the Clown, and scared an entire generation of children in the process. Curry continued to act on stage throughout his career, with a Tony-nominated performance as Mozart in 1981's Amadeus. Other memorable roles followed in The Pirates of Penzance, The Rivals, My Favourite Year  which earned him a second Tony nomination and Spamalot, the stage adaptation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail in which he played King Arthur. That role earned him his third Tony nomination.

Following his stroke in July 2012, Curry pivoted to voice acting. Among his voice acting projects were FernGully: The Last Rainforest, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Peter Pan & the Pirates - with the latter winning him an Emmy Award.

Curry, who never married and had no children, was deeply private about his personal life. However, he wrote in his 2025 memoir, "Vagabond", that he was convinced to tell his story thanks to so many moving encounters with fans.

In Memoriam: The Great "Dolly Parton" Has Died Aged 80

Dolly Parton, one of the greatest singer-songwriters in country music who was also much cherished for her philanthropy, has died aged 80. Her death was announced by nephew Brian Seaver on Instagram. "I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven't truly felt it until now," he said. "It is an honour, an honour that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness."

Parton's songwriting was characterised by its vivid storytelling, emotional acuity and melodic strength, all sung with strident clarity. From an eventual catalogue of hundreds of songs, she scored a record 25 US country No 1 singles and 47 albums in the country Top 10 . She crossed over into the pop charts with 9 to 5, a US No 1 in 1980; balanced her music career with acclaimed acting, twice earning Golden Globe nominations for her roles; and her Imagination Library literacy scheme donated more than 150m books to children.

This was all done with considerable panache, rhinestoned glamour and towering hairdos, with her immortal assertion regarding her appearance –  "it takes a lot of money to look this cheap" – the most quoted example of Parton's ready wit. Parton was born in poverty in a one-room cabin in Tennessee, the fourth child to a mother who would have 12 children by the age of 35, and a father who was a farmer and construction worker. One of her best-loved songs, Coat of Many Colours, was about her mother creating patchwork clothes; Parton's first guitar was cobbled together from a mandolin with bass guitar strings. Her first proper guitar was given to her aged eight by her uncle, and she went from singing in church, to appearing on local television aged 10, to cutting her first record aged 13. That year she appeared at the Grand Ole Opry, the concert hall in Nashville at the centre of country music, and her performance was introduced by Johnny Cash. 

After graduating high school in 1964 she moved to Nashville and started out as a songwriter rather than performer. The following year she was signed as an artist and initially moulded as a pop singer, without success; after she was allowed to switch to country, she scored back-to-back hits and released her debut album Hello, I’m Dolly. In 1966 she married Carl Dean – who died in 2025, with the couple renewing their vows in 2016 to mark 50 years together.

Beginning in 1967, a duet partnership with country singer and TV personality Porter Wagoner helped her star continue to ascend, and she had her first country No 1 in 1971 with the song Joshua. Then appeard "Jolene," her unforgettably raw and desperate plea to a rival lover, was released in 1973 and became one of her first success, written at the same time, "I Will Always Love You," written to Wagoner as a farewell after their creative partnership, was a country No 1 in 1974 and again via a re-recorded version in 1982, and would go on to be a huge pop success when revived by Whitney Houston for the soundtrack of The Bodyguard in 1992: it is still the bestselling single of all time by a woman, with an estimated 20m sales.

In the mid 1970s Parton broadened her sound, embracing pop-rock arrangements on songs such as 1977’s Light of a Clear Blue Morning – its accompanying album New Harvest … First Gathering was her first entry in the pop album chart. Later that year its follow-up Here You Come Again reached the Top 20 and was her first million-selling LP, powered in part by its hit title track, which also won Parton the first of her 10 Grammy awards.

1980 was a peak in her success, with three back-to-back country No 1s, including 9 to 5, taken from the film of the same name which Parton starred in alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, earning her an Oscar nomination for best original song. Parton would later write songs for a stage musical version of 9 to 5, in 2008.

Another classic single came in 1983: Islands in the Stream, a duet with Kenny Rogers, which topped the US pop charts, and a Christmas album with Rogers in 1984 went two times platinum. There were more notable film roles in the 1980s, too, opposite Burt Reynolds in the The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Sylvester Stallone in Rhinestone, and an all-star female ensemble in Steel Magnolias.

A landmark Parton album came in 1987 with "Trio," an exquisitely harmonised, springwater-clear collaboration with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt, earning Parton her only nomination for album of the year at the Grammys. Another all-star trio recording came in 1993, with Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn on the album Honky-Tonk Angels, followed by a reunion with Harris and Ronstadt for Trio II in 1999, featuring a Grammy-winning cover of Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush.

The turn of the century brought a trilogy of acclaimed bluegrass albums, and Parton would release 10 more LPs, the most recent being Rockstar in 2023. She was courted by a younger generation of stars, appearing with country artists such as Brad Paisley as well as pop singers such as Kesha, and her goddaughter Miley Cyrus. There were fewer acting roles, but she lent her voice to animated film Gnomeo and Juliet in 2011 and the following year appeared alongside Queen Latifah and more in the musical film Joyful Noise.

Alongside her music and acting, Parton was an astute businesswoman and philanthropist. She founded the film and TV production company Sandollar, with former manager Sandy Gallin, which went on to produce hits such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Father of the Bride film series. In 1986, she took a stake in the Silver Dollar City theme park in Tennessee and renamed it Dollywood, doubling its size over the next two decades, and a Dollywood-branded spa, cabin complex, theatre-restaurant concept and waterpark have since been opened.

The Dollywood Foundation, funded through these business ventures and creative projects, was created in 1988, initially awarding college scholarships and running a scheme to help children complete high school in her native Sevier County, Tennessee. In 1995 Parton began her Imagination Library project, which sent an age-appropriate book to every child in the county every month until they were five. “My father could not read and write, and I saw how crippling that could be,” she explained. It expanded nationwide in 2000, internationally in 2006, and nearly 25m books are now distributed each year across the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and Ireland.

Parton has also set up a reserve in 2003 to help preserve the bald eagle; contributed $500,000 to the opening of a Sevier county hospital in 2006; coordinated relief efforts for those affected by the Smoky mountain wildfires of 2016; and contributed to an HIV/Aids charity album. She supported Black Lives Matter and transgender rights, opposing a North Carolina “bathroom bill” that restricted transgender people’s access to toilets (Parton was also nominated for an Oscar for her song in trans drama Transamerica, entitled Travelin’ Thru).

She made a number of donations to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, where her niece was treated for leukaemia. The most high profile of these was in 2020, when she donated $1m for research into Covid-19, which formed the basis for the eventual Moderna vaccine.

In Memoriam: British Photographer "Martin Parr" Dies Aged 73

The iconical & legendary British documentary photographer Martin Parr has died at the age of 73, his foundation announced, after battling Myeloma, a type of blood cancer. 

One of the best-known documentary photographers of his time, whose lens was often focused on the peculiarities of the English class system, Parr died at his home in the western English city of Bristol on Sunday.

Martin Parr was born on May 23, 1952 in Epsom, Great Britain. By the age of 14, Parr knew that he wanted to become a documentary photographer. His grandfather George Parr, an amateur photographer and fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, influenced his choice. Later, from 1970 to 1973, Parr went on to study photography at Manchester Polytechnic.

At the beginning of his career, Parr worked exclusively with black and white photography, creating a series titled The Non-Conformists about rural life and endangered non-Conformists chapels (in 2013, Aperture released his book by the same title: The Non-Conformists. Photographs by Martin Parr). Since 1982, Martin Parr has switched entirely to color photography and never returned to monochrome images. Working in the genre of documentary photography, Martin Parr does not disdain from Fashion shoots for the world's leading brands, but still manages to retain his distinctive photographic handwriting.

Parr rose to prominence with his 1980s collection, The Last Resort, which depicted working-class visitors to the seaside town of New Brighton, with highly saturated shots of frazzled beachgoers lit by lurid flash.

In The Cost of Living, Parr captured gentrification under the government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, documenting the middle classes keeping up appearances at suburban garden parties and fundraising events with an always satirical eye.

In an interview with ArtDependence Martin Parr said:  "I shoot all classes and I am fascinated by everyone in their own environment. I am very democratic. When creating a portrait of people, I like to show their environment. It’s a good strategy."

In Memoriam: Oscar-Winning And Legendary Actress "Diane Keaton" Dies Aged 79

The legendary actress and Oscar-winning Diane Keaton, best known for her iconic roles in Annie Hall and The Godfather films, has died at the age of 79. 

 

"There are no further details available at this time, and her family has asked for privacy in this moment of great sadness." The Los Angeles Fire Department told the portal that they responded to her home early that morning and took a 79-year-old woman to a local hospital.

Born Diane Hall in Los Angeles in 1946, Keaton was the oldest of four children. Her father was a civil engineer, and her mother, who stayed at home, inspired Keaton's creative side. "She sang. She played the piano. She was beautiful. She was my advocate" 

Keaton started acting in school plays and later studied drama in college before dropping out to move to New York. She adopted her mother's maiden name, Keaton, when she began her career in theatre.

Her first major break came with 'The Godfather' (1972), in which she played Kay Adams opposite Al Pacino. She went on to reprise the role in 'The Godfather Part II' and 'The Godfather Part III.' In 1977, Keaton won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Woody Allen's Annie Hall.

Over the decades, she became one of Hollywood's most respected stars, appearing in beloved films like 'The First Wives Club,' 'Father of the Bride,' 'Baby Boom,' and 'Something's Gotta Give,' which earned her another Oscar nomination. She often worked with directors Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, and Nancy Meyers.

Keaton also directed several projects, including the 1987 documentary 'Heaven' and the feature film 'Hanging Up' in 2000. She also directed two videos for Belinda Carlisle: "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" & "I Get Weak." In recent years, she appeared in 'Book Club' and its sequel, as well as Justin Bieber's 2021 music video for "Ghost." 

Diane Keaton, had a sharp wit, distinctive voice and unconventional style, she revolutionised the way women were portrayed in film — intelligent yet insecure, stylish yet self-effacing, vulnerable yet strong. For more than five decades, Keaton built a career on characters who reflected real life rather than perfection.

From Annie Hall the film that cemented her as a cultural force to Something's Gotta Give, she played women who were authentic, complicated and gloriously human. Her work blurred the line between performance and personality, offering audiences something that felt startlingly genuine in an industry built on illusion.

Off-screen, Diane Keaton became a fashion icon in her own right. Her trademark look — tailored suits, wide-brimmed hats, high collars, and oversized glasses — challenged Hollywood's beauty norms and reflected her personal philosophy of self-expression over conformity. In 2024, Keaton released 'Fashion First,' a retrospective book that explored her lifelong relationship with fashion. That same year, she collaborated with Look Optic to design an eyewear collection inspired by her signature frames.

Fashion critics praised her for embracing androgyny and comfort, turning menswear-inspired outfits into symbols of empowerment. The Washington Post described her distinctive wardrobe in its 2024 feature How Diane Keaton Redefined the Movie Star Look, noting how her style celebrated individuality and rejected Hollywood's conventional ideals of glamour.

In later years, Keaton continued to challenge Hollywood stereotypes about women and ageing. Her performance in Something's Gotta Give (2003) opposite Jack Nicholson presented a fresh portrayal of a middle-aged woman navigating love, work, and self-discovery.

The role earned her another Oscar nomination and helped reshape perceptions of mature female leads, proving that romance and reinvention do not end at midlife. Critics called her performance 'a masterclass in charm and vulnerability'.

Her final screen appearance came in Summer Camp (2024), a comedy about friendship and rediscovery among women in their later years. Around the same time, she fulfilled a lifelong dream by releasing her debut holiday single, 'First Christmas.' Both projects demonstrated her creative range and willingness to evolve even in her late seventies

Though she never married, Keaton was romantically linked to Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, and Woody Allen. She adopted two children, daughter Dexter in 1996 and son Duke in 2001, who survive her.

In Memoriam: The Iconic Actor And Founder Of The Sundance Film Festival "Robert Redford" Dies At 89

 

Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning actor, director, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival, has died at the age of 89. His publicist, Cindi Berger, confirmed he passed away at his home in Sundance, Utah, surrounded by loved ones. No cause of death was provided.

Redford rose to fame in the 1960s and became one of Hollywood's biggest stars of the 1970s with acclaimed performances in The Candidate, All the President's Men, The Way We Were, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, opposite Paul Newman. His directorial debut, Ordinary People (1980), won him the Academy Award for Best Director and also claimed Best Picture.

Beyond his acting and directing career, Redford left an indelible mark on independent cinema. In 1981, he founded the Sundance Institute and Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, creating a platform that launched the careers of filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, and Darren Aronofsky. The festival became a global hub for independent film and is set to relocate to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027.

Redford continued to deliver powerful performances later in life, including Out of Africa (1985), All is Lost (2013), and The Old Man and the Gun (2018), which he described as his farewell role. In 2016, he was awarded with the  Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to cinema and culture.

Born Charles Robert Redford Jr. on August 18, 1937, in Santa Monica, California, he was twice married and had four children. Two of his sons, Scott Anthony and James, predeceased him.

Redford’s legacy endures as both a Hollywood icon and a pioneer who elevated independent filmmaking to international recognition.

Rocktrospectiva: The Smiths Epic Single "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" Turns 40

Released as a single on 16 September 1985, "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" was a song by the Smiths, included on the band's third studio album "The Queen Is Dead" released in 1986. 

This was the first single by the Smiths to be accompanied by a promotional music video, something the band had previously resisted. They also performed the song on an episode of Top of the Pops. The main difference between the single version and the album version is in the use of synthesised strings, which are absent from the single version. Morrissey named it his favourite Smiths song

But this classic Smiths single from 1985 has a rather obscure lyric: “The boy with the thorn in his side, behind the hatred there lies / A murderous desire for love…”

The Boy With The Thorn In His Side was the tenth single to be released by The Smiths. It followed the release of Meat Is Murder and arrived long before its inclusion on the classic album The Queen Is Dead the following year.

Thanks to the band’s huge fanbase - and a memorable appearance on Top Of The Pops - the single charted at Number 23 in the UK and No. 15 in Ireland, but who was the "boy" of the title?

Back in 1985 around the time the single appeared in the shops, Morrissey was interviewed by actress Margi Clarke for the Channel 4 music show The Tube. The pair were old friends from the post-punk scene and Clarke thought she had the inspiration for the song nailed.

Clarke thought that The Boy With The Thorn In His Side was inspired by the Oscar Wilde story, The Nightingale And The Rose, in which a bird sacrifices its life to give a young man a rose to woo his sweetheart with: “The thorn must pierce your heart, and your life-blood must flow into my veins, and become mine.”

But Mozza told Clarke: "No, that's not true". The thorn is the music industry and all these people who never believe anything I said, tried to get rid of me, wouldn't play the records. So I think we've reached a stage where we feel… if they don't believe me now, will they ever believe me? You know, what more can a poor boy do?

Despite having a hit single in the charts, Morrissey and his songwriting partner Johnny Marr felt that they were not being served well by their label Rough Trade. But on top of this was the burden of stardom that the singer was struggling with. He told Clarke: "I wanted fame for so long and now I've got it. Isn't that odd? The strangest thing in the world is when you get what you really pray for. 

The NME were not impressed by the new Smiths single. Reviewer Richard Cook noted: "Seems like Morrissey himself gives up on the song half-way through when he stops the words and uses up the rest of the needletime with yodelling.", I wonder what he thinks about this impressive, celestial and influential single 40 years later after its original released.

The Chronic: Behind The Smiths Cover Sleeves "Terence Stamp"

The English film star Terence Stamp had passed away at the age of 87, and although the headlines all mentioned his most popular role as the villain General Zod in the first two Superman films...from my point of view I will always remember him as the cover star sleeve of The Smiths' "What Difference Does It Make?" single. 

 

Originally released on January 16, 1984, 'What Difference Does It Make?' was the Smiths’ third single. The song was also featured on the Smiths'  eponymous debut album, which was released little more than a month later.  Peaking at No. 12 in the UK Singles Chart, the song was the Smiths' first significant hit.  

 

The song was released without an accompanying promotional music video at a time when a music video matters. At the time, Morrissey explained that he felt that the music video market was something that was going to "die very quickly" (yeah right), and that he wanted to "herald the death" of it. Morrissey’s usual prescience seems to have taken leave with respect to the continued popularity of music videos at this stage of the Smiths’ career. The video presents Morrissey and group performing the song in front on a small stage with a very colored background and in front of a great audience I assumed are from the Top Of The Pops show.

 

What Difference Does It Make?' was amongst the very first songs written by Morrissey and Johnny Marr (around late autumn 1982). The Smiths introduced the song to the world in a gig at Manhattan Sound, a gay club in Manchester, on January 25, 1983. Aside from being the Smiths’ second concert to date, it was the very first time they performed with their classic line up that included Andy Rourke (at their debut gig in October 1982 at the Hacienda in Manchester, Dale Hibbert played bass).

 

The song was initially recorded during the Smiths' second session at Drone Studios in Manchester in December 1982.  Along with  'Miserable Lie' and 'Handsome Devil', it was sent to EMI in the hopes of securing a record contract. The song was recorded again on May 18, 1983 for the Smiths' very first appearance on John Peel's BBC program, which was broadcast on May 31, 1983, with producer Roger Pusey.  This version of the song is included on the compilation album Hatful of Hollow. 

 

The single's cover art consisted of a photo-still of English actor Terence Stamp, taken on the set of the film The Collector from 1965, Repressed extremist Freddie Clegg holds a pad soaked in chloroform with which to overpower his prey.  Having acquired reproduction rights from the copyright holders of the film, Rough Trade discovered that Terence Stamp objected to his photograph being used. 

 

Stamp's formal permission to use his image had yet to be obtained when the initial pressings of the single were released. As it turned out, Stamp denied permission for his image to be used, which resulted in the use of a near-identical image of Morrissey re-enacting Stamp’s photo-still for a limited number of pressings. The Morrissey version of the cover art sees him holding a glass of milk, as opposed to a chloroform pad in the original. Stamp soon changed his mind and provided his authorisation to use his image, and the original cover art was reinstated for all future pressings.

 

About the incident Morrissey discussesd the cover art in his book, Autobiography: "I use a photograph of Terence Stamp as the sleeve image partly because I am assured that clearance can be gained from Stamp through Geoff's mutual friendship with Sandie Shaw. Once the single is issued, Terence Stamp objects and will say (years later) that 'Morrissey did not ask for approval.' A new shot is panicked together, wherein I imitate the Stamp shot, although I choose to hold a glass of milk in place of Stamp's strychnine-soaked muslin cloth. I am ugly against Stamp's glamor-handsomeness, but it will have to do, since the single has already risen to number 12. Evidently Rough Trade are quite pleased about the sudden censoring of the original sleeve, because it might mean that collectors buy the single with the new sleeve also, thus bumping up sales."

 

The first printings of the 12” sleeve front did not bear the group’s name, which was added later. 

In Memoriam: Legendary English Actor "Terence Stamp" Dies Aged 87

Terence Stamp, the iconic English actor who played the arch-villain General Zod in the original Superman films, has died at the age of 87. In a career that spanned six decades, the Oscar-nominated actor starred in films including The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Far From the Madding Crowd and Valkyrie.

Stamp died on Sunday morning, his family said in a statement to Reuters news agency. "He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and a writer that will continue to touch people for years to come," they said. His Superman co-star Sarah Douglas described him as "beyond gorgeous and talented". "So saddened to learn that Terence has left us," she wrote on Instagram.

Born in Stepney, east London, to working-class parents on 22 July 1938, Stamp attended grammar school before pursuing a career in advertising. After securing a scholarship for drama school, he shot to fame in the 1960s, making his debut playing the titular role in Billy Budd, a 1962 film about a naive young seaman in the 18th century. His performance earnt him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor and a Golden Globe for best newcomer.

He went on to make a name for himself as a villain, with stand-out performances in Superman and Superman II as General Zod, kidnapper Freddie Clegg in The Collector, and Sergeant Troy in Far From the Madding Crowd. 

During his heyday in the 1960s, Stamp was known for his good looks, fashion sense and high-profile girlfriends, including actress Julie Christie - who he later starred alongside in Far From the Madding Crowd - and supermodel Jean Shrimpton. His relationship with Christie only lasted a year but was immortalised by the Kinks in the song Waterloo Sunset with the line "Terry meets Julie", believed to reference the pair. Stamp was approached to replace Sean Connery when he relinquished his role as James Bond, but said his radical ideas about how he could interpret the character put off producer Harry Saltzman.

He spent some time in Italy, working with directors Pier Paolo Pasolini and Federico Fellini, but found his star had faded when he returned to London at the end of the 1960s. He moved away from acting for a while, buying a round-the-world ticket and ending up in India where he studied yoga and spent time living in a spiritual retreat.

The big opportunity finally arrived in 1976 when he was offered his most high-profile role as General Zod in the first Superman film. Returning to the silver screen, the following decades saw dozens of appearances in films including Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, A Song for Marion, Wall Street, The Adjustment Bureau and Last Night in Soho.

His only regrets, were the films he passed on because he was fearful." Noting Camelot and Romeo and Juliet with Audrey Hepburn, he added that he would "like to have them in my canon". One of his most celebrated and notable performances came in 1994 when he played a transgender woman in the Australian film, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - earning him BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations.

Stamp was reportedly onboard to return for a sequel to Priscilla, director Stephan Elliott confirmed last year.

Elliott described the then 85-year-old Stamp as the "fittest man I've ever met in my life" who "has never drunk and basically eats grass".

In Memoriam: The Legendary "Sebastião Salgado" Dies At 81

Sebastião Salgado, regarded as one of the world's greatest documentary photographers, has died at the age of 81. The Brazil-born photographer was known for his dramatic and unflinching black-and-white images of hardship, conflict and natural beauty, captured in 130 countries over 55 years.

His hard-hitting photos chronicled major global events such as the Rwanda genocide in 1994, burning oilfields at the end of the Gulf War in 1991, and the famine in the Sahel region of Africa in 1984. His lens revealed the world and its contradictions; his life, the power of transformative action. 

Some of his most striking pictures were taken in his home country, including epic photos of thousands of desperate figures working in open-cast gold mines and striking images of the indigenous people of the Amazon. Salgado's final major project, Amazônia, spotlighted the rainforest's beauty and fragility.

A lifelong advocate for the Amazon's indigenous people, Salgado documented the daily lives of a dozen of the tribes scattered throughout the rainforest - from hunting and fishing expeditions, to dances and rituals. He spent seven years on an ambitious photographic journey, exploring the remote reaches of the Amazon rainforest and documenting its inhabitants. The project culminated in an exhibition showcasing over 200 black-and-white images, offering a poignant glimpse into the region's landscapes and communities.

Born in 1944, Salgado left a career in economics to start as a photographer in 1973. He worked on international assignments for a variety of photography agencies before forming his own, Amazonas Images, with Lélia in 1994. He received the Sony World Photography Awards' Outstanding Contribution to Photography in 2024.

Other accolades included the Prince of Asturias Award and recognition as a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador. Through the Instituto Terra, Salgado and Lélia also restored his father's farm in Brazil to thriving rainforest by planting more than three million trees.

In Memoriam: David Lynch The Iconic Film-Maker Dies At 78

David Lynch, the film-maker who specialised in surreal, noir style mysteries who made a string of influential, critically acclaimed works such as Blue Velvet, Eraserhead, Wild At Heart and the iconic TV series Twin Peaks has died aged 78. 

 

David Lynch, was the living proof that the bizarre, the radical and the experimental, can be succesful too. His family announce the passing of the maestro with the following statement in Facebook: “It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,”. “We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, “Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.” It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.”

Last August, Lynch said he had been diagnosed with emphysema and in November, spoke further about his breathing difficulties. "I can hardly walk across a room," he said. "It’s like you're walking around with a plastic bag around your head." Deadline reported that sources had said Lynch's health took a turn for the worse after he had to evacuate from his home due to the Los Angeles wildfires.

From his beginnings as an art student making experimental short films, to the cult success of his surreal first feature Eraserhead, and on to a string of award-winning films including Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart and Mulholland Drive, as well as the landmark TV show Twin Peaks. He received three best director Oscar nominations (for Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man and Mulholland Drive), and was given an honorary lifetime achievement Oscar in 2019; he won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes film festival for Wild at Heart in 1990. Lynch also avidly practiced transcendental meditation, setting up the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace in 2005; he also produced paintings, released albums (including collaborations with Julee Cruise, Lykke Li and Karen O), created a long-running YouTube weather report and opened a nightclub in Paris in 2011. In 2018 he explained his reclusive lifestyle to the Guardian: "I like to make movies. I like to work. I don’t really like to go out." In 2024 he revealed his lifetime cigarette habit had resulted in debilitating emphysema

Born in Missoula, Montana in 1946, Lynch went to art college in the 1960s and made his first experimental short, Six Men Getting Sick, while a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Lynch moved to Los Angeles in 1971 and studied film-making at the AFI Conservatory, where he began filming his first feature Eraserhead. Finally finishing it in 1976, the surreal black-and-white fable was received largely with bafflement, and rejected from most film festivals, but in the late 70s became something of a success on the late-night "midnight movie" circuit.

The film impact led to an offer from Mel Brooks' production company to direct The Elephant Man; starring John Hurt in a biopic of Joseph Merrick, the film about the disfigured 19th-century man was nominated for eight Oscars and secured Lynch's Hollywood status. After turning down an offer to direct Return of the Jedi, Lynch agreed to make an adaptation of Frank Herbert's epic sci-fi novel Dune, but the film was substantially recut in postproduction and proved a commercial and critical disaster. Instead of a planned Dune sequel, Lynch decided to make a more personal film: his dark noir thriller Blue Velvet was a cult hit and a hugely influential critical success on its release in 1986, and it resulted in Lynch's second best director Oscar nomination.

 

Lynch then embarked on another noirish project, the iconic, opaque and surreal murder-mystery Twin Peaks that – unusually for notable film directors of the period – was envisioned as a TV series; Lynch developed it with former Hill Street Blues writer Mark Frost. A mix of small town comedy, police procedural and surreal dreamworld, and described as "the most hauntingly original work ever done for American TV". 

 

Twin Peaks defied early predictions of failure on its broadcast in 1990; as a pioneer of high end TV,  it is arguably Lynch’s most influential work. A second series was broadcast later in 1990, a feature film prequel Fire Walk With Me was released in 1992, and just like it was told on the final episode of the second season, the third season arrived more tan a quarter of a century, in 2017, being more intense and surrealistic than the first two seasons.

 

As Twin Peaks went into production, Lynch began working on a feature film adaptation of Barry Gifford’s novel Wild at Heart, and cast Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern in the lead roles in a violent, haunting road movie with echoes of The Wizard of Oz. Wild at Heart premiered at Cannes in 1990 and won the Palme d’Or. In 1997 Lynch began to edge back to his avant garde roots with Lost Highway, a surreal thriller starring Bill Pullman and Patricia Arquette, which flopped at the box office. In complete contrast Lynch released The Straight Story in 1999, a bluntly straightforward story about an elderly man (played by Richard Farnsworth) who drives 240 miles across the country on a motorised lawnmower.

Lynch then embarked on another highly successful project: Mulholland Drive. Initially it appeared to go disastrously wrong, as Lynch had pitched it as a Twin Peaks-style TV series. A pilot was shot and then cancelled by TV network ABC. But the material was picked up by French company StudioCanal, who gave him the money to refashion it as a feature film. A noir-style mystery drama, it was another big critical success, secured Lynch a third best director Oscar nomination and in 2016 was voted the best film of the 21st century. Lynch followed it in 2006 with the three-hour surreal thriller Inland Empire, shot on video and starring Dern as an American movie star who appears to mysteriously transport into the Polish original of a film she is working on.

Thereafter Lynch appeared to step back from feature films, with only the third series of Twin Peaks in 2017 representing a big film-making project, although reports suggest he had been working on a series for Netflix. Lynch took acting roles in other people's work, the most notably as Gus the Bartender in Seth MacFarlane's The Cleveland Show, and as legendary director John Ford in Steven Spielberg's loosely autobiographical 2022 movie The Fabelmans.

Lynch was married four times and had a long-term relationship with his Blue Velvet star Isabella Rossellini. Rest In Peace/In Power Maestro.

News: New Order Scoops "Icon Award" At The Rolling Stone UK Awards

The iconical band New Order have scooped the Icon Award at the Rolling Stone UK Awards. The famous Manchester band were honoured last night at a ceremony at London’s Camden Roundhouse, with Phil Cunningham, Bernard Sumner and Tom Chapman accepting the honour from Blur bassist Alex James.

Formed in 1980, the band became one of the most influential bands of the 1980s as a flagship act for Manchester label Factory Records.Their 1983 hit "Blue Monday" was the best-selling 12-inch single of all time. Nile Rodgers, meanwhile, said he was “uncomfortable” and “overwhelmed” after winning the Global Icon Award at the ceremony. 

Other act-winners of the night were the 72-year-old Chic leader Nile Rodgers, he was given the award by Duran Duran singer Simon LeBon, for his more than 50-year career, the artist said: "It’s somewhat overwhelming, at the same time, I feel very shy and nervous. Believe it or not, I’ve never, ever in my life done music for awards or anything like that, so whenever one comes up, I’m really surprised, and half the time I don’t know what to say, but normally I never stop talkin.", "It’s weird, because whenever you get an award, that means you’re sort of in competition with your brothers and sisters that do the same thing, that makes me feel very uncomfortable.”

Fontaines DC and New Order were among the rest of the winners at the awards ceremony at the Roundhouse. The Irish indie band, fronted by Grian Chatten, won the Album Award for best British or Irish album of the year for their LP Romance.

The Artist Award for the best British or Irish act of the year went to Yannis And The Yaw, the solo project of Foals singer Yannis Philippakis. The Song Of The Year Award was picked up by Chase And Status and Stormzy for Backbone, while pop duo Confidence Man picked up the Live Act Award from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Bimini Bon Boulash

English Teacher won the Breakthrough Award, former Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective took home the Group Award, and Brooke Combe won the PlayNext Award for new talent. The Trailblazer Award was won by former Little Mix singer Jade Thirlwall, known as Jade in her solo career, Brixton’s Wide Awake won the Festival Award, and Island Records won the Record Label Award.

The Television Award was won by Toby Jones for Mr Bates vs The Post Office, while semi-biographical Robbie Williams film Better Man won the Film Award. Comedian Jayde Adams hosted the awards, with performances from dance duo Confidence Man, English Teacher, Jade and the cast of Tina – The Tina Turner Musical.

In Memoriam: Ha Muerto El Legendario Músico Y Productor "Steve Albini" A Los 61 Años

El legendario músico y productor Steve Albini ha muerto a los 61 años de manera inesperada tras sufrir un ataque cardíaco en su estudio de grabación Electrical Audio, la noticia ha sido confirmada por el personal de su estudio.

 

Todo icono en la cultura alternativa, siempre estuvo en la cresta de la escena y de fue el productor de algunos de los discos más queridos de la escena alternativa. Como músico, estuvo al frente de bandas como Big Black, Rapeman y Shellac, quienes empujaron más allá de las fronteras del post-punk y art-rock, también en esos años comenzó sus andanzas como productor, o su termino preferido Ingeniero, para docenas de álbumes de bandas como Nirvana, Pixies, PJ Harvey, y Page And Plant, era destacado por sus DIY y ética punk, resistiéndose a los servicios por streaming y negándose a tomar regalías de las grabaciones de otros artistas que había producido. Estaba en planes con su banda Shellac preparando lo que sería su primer álbum desde el 2014 y se preparaba para una gira. 

Nacido en California en 1962, las inspiraciones de Albini vinieron directamente del movimiento punk, encabezado por The Ramones, pero robustizado por Devo y Pere Ubu, se mudo a los suburbios de Chicago para estudiar periodismo y fue lanzado a la fértil escena underground de la ciudad, contribuyendo con fanzines y trabajando con el sello punk Ruthless Records. 

 

Comenzó su propio proyecto musical Big Black, inicialmente fue un proyecto en solitario que después se convirtió en un cuarteto, su disco debut "Atomizer" fue lanzado en 1986 y el segundo "Songs Abut Fucking" estaba caracterizado por un tono y pulsos de guitarra y cajas de ritmo, esto se volvería en un sello sonoro en la escena punk Estadounidense del momento, y le gano la admiración de Robert Plant, quien trabajaría con él en un disco junto a Jimmy Page. Tras el fin de Big Black, fundo otra banda Rapeman en 1987 cuyo nombre fue tomado de un manga Japonés, y fue entonces su trabajo más atrevido y provocador, aunque después se arrepintió por el nombre que uso. 

 

Albini llegó a decir que su próxima banda tenía que durar más y entonces se vino Shellac en 1992, con un sonido más art-rock, tocando un estilo más minimalista pero rítmico en consonancia con el baterista Todd Trainer y el bajista Bob Weston, llegarían a lanzar cinco discos, hasta el último que ya preparaban con todo y gira. 

Junto a la música, se metió de lleno en la producción, y ganó fama gracias al disco "Surfer Rosa" de 1988, el álbum debut de la mítica y legendaria banda Pixies, que daría origen al grunge que florecería a inicios de los 90's., además produjo a otras bandas como The Jesus Lizard, Tad y The Breeders, ayudó a promover el crudo sonido de PJ Harvey en su álbum "Rid Of Me" en 1993, año en el que tuvo mayor repercusión como productor, ya que también produciría el mejor disco de Nirvana a mi criterio "In Utero" con un sonido más oscuro y crudo que no gusto mucho al sello Geffen, por lo que entraron en disputa, del disco salieron dos singles que ayudaron a darle más brillo al sonido de Nirvana. 

 

A pesar de odiar la escena mainstream, Albini fue adorado por músicos debido a su aproximación sin pretensiones, dándole siempre un toque único a las grabaciones, siempre favorecía el uso de técnicas análogas, a lo cual el llamaba "fuck digital" en sus notas. Gracias al éxito, pudo montar su estudio "Electrical Audio en 1995 y apareció en los créditos de otros trabajos de artistas tales como: Joanna Newsom, Low, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Manic Street Preachers, Mogwai y Jarvis Cocker.

 

También fue figura polémica, y nunca faltaron insultos y provocaciones, además de que a veces Albini las avivaba como cuando su single "Big Black" fue dedicado al dictador Benito Mussolini, volviéndose una figura incomoda en los años siguientes, a lo que después comento sentirse arrepentido de haberlos dicho en el 2021. 

 

Albini también fue un celebrado jugador de poker y llegó a ganar dos brazaletes de oro en la Serie Mundial de Poker y cientos de dólares más en eventos y torneos. A Albini le sobreviven su esposa, la cineasta Heather Winna. 

Libros: Helmut Newton

 

Se nos viene otro fenomenal libro acerca del cautivador mundo de Helmut Newton, icono de la moda y los retratos de celebridades. Las inolvidables fotografías de Helmut Newton, sofisticadas y provocativas a la vez, constituyen un legado artístico rico que no ha perdido un ápice de relevancia. 

 

En este libro, se presenta una muestra compacta pero amplia de su trabajo, e incluye una reveladora introducción y una pormenorizada cronología biográfica. Las imágenes de Newton se mueven en la ambigüedad, e incluyen alusiones y observaciones sociales que atraen y desafían a la vez a sus espectadores. Esta selección consigue reflejar el punto de vista único de Newton y las complejas corrientes subyacentes que distinguen su trabajo editorial en los campos de la moda y del retrato.

En la entrega, se podrá apreciar la evolución de Newton hasta convertirse en un personaje inconformista, astuto y malicioso, voyeur y satírico a la vez, cuyo objetivo capturó aspectos polémicos pero fundamentales de la alta costura y la alta sociedad en las últimas décadas del siglo XX. Trabajaba como “pistolero a sueldo” pero a la vez imponía sus propias perspectivas y obsesiones, y definía su idea de una mujer poderosa y segura de sí misma. Esta figura se convirtió en su tema más insistente, desarrollado en escenarios cargados de erotismo, habitualmente en el seductor ambiente de lujosos apartamentos o grandes hoteles, sobre todo en París, Montecarlo y Los Ángeles.

Desde mediados de la década de 1960, las dinámicas imágenes de Newton consolidaron su reputación en el mundo de la moda por medio de trabajos publicados en revistas de primer orden, como Vogue Paris, Elle, Marie Claire, Nova, Queen y la edición británica de Vogue. A partir de mediados de los años setenta su fama se extendió gracias a sus primeros libros y exposiciones. Sus imágenes inmortalizan a grandes figuras de la alta sociedad, el cine y la moda, como la princesa Carolina de Mónaco, Charlotte Rampling, Paloma Picasso y Karl Lagerfeld.

Las fotografías glamorosas, innovadoras y transgresoras de Helmut Newton, tienen un sello propio y una autoridad indiscutible que las hace mantener su dominio en nuestra imaginación.

 

Páginas: 192

Edita: Taschen

Edición Plurilingüe: Inglés, Alemán, y Francés 

Autor: Sarah Mower

Colaborador: Philip Garner

El Aniversario: Se Cumplen 30 Años De La Muerte De "Kurt Cobain" El Malogrado Icono Del Grunge

Fue un 5 de abril de 1994, cuando el icono del grunge y mártir del rock alternativo aparentemente se quitaba la vida de un escopetazo en la cabeza a eso de las 11 de la mañana, aunque la noticia de su muerte se conoció oficialmente el 8 de abril cuando un electricista descubrió su cuerpo tendido en el piso sobre una gran mancha de sangre.

 

A partir de ese momento moría la persona y nacía la leyenda, a la malograda edad de 27 años pasaba a ser el nuevo integrante de ese maldito club de los 27 junto a otras estrellas como Hendrix y Morrison, justo en el momento en que su banda Nirvana y su figura estaban en lo más alto de la cúspide del rock, encabezando y  encarnando la esencia del movimiento grunge que había logrado poner en el mapa a Seattle junto a bandas como Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, o Soundgarden.

 

El artista venía luchando contra la depresión y en los últimos meses previos venía sufriendo de presión crónica y severo dolor físico además de la adicción a la heroína, si bien la causa oficial aceptada fue la del suicidio, hasta el día de hoy muchos de sus seguidores entre los que me cuento, así como gente no afín a la causa creen que en realidad fue asesinado.

 

Un mes antes había quedado en coma por mezclar calmantes con champagne, y lo que Love y los medios hicieron creer, fue que Cobain había atentado suicidarse, cuando un par de días antes aquejado por un malestar de garganta y un molesto catarro, terminó con la cuerdas vocales maltratadas y por consejo del doctor, debía descansar, esa noche Love se junto con él en Roma, y este desesperado por el dolor mezclo equivocadamente Rophynol, Clorydrato y algo de champagne para celebrar la llegada de Love, en realidad algunos de esos médicamente eran de Love y este decidió utilizarlos por la molestia intensa que sentía, y no lo culpo cualquiera de nosotros haría lo mismo con tal de quitarse una molestia corporal, Cobain se va a la cama y a la mañana siguiente, Love se lo encuentra tirado en el piso en coma, la rápida atención de los paramédicos fue vital para lavarle el estomago y ponerlo de nuevo en circulación, y ahí estaba de regreso a Seattle para pasar su último mes de vida.

Se dice que se escapo de una clínica de rehabilitación en California para regresar a Seattle donde compró un arma para protegerse y no para suicidarse, a parte de la dosis de heroína que consumió a gusto, tan así era que los análisis cuenta que la cantidad de droga que tenía en el cuerpo, le imposibilitaba dispararse el mismo a la cabeza al menos que hubiera jalado del gatillo con el dedo de su pie, a parte de la nota de aparente suicidio, ya que si se lee detenidamente parece más bien una nota de despedida de su mujer, hija y fans, el decía que planeaba irse a vivir a Irlanda con su madre y comenzar una nueva vida, o quizás simplemente desaparecer como lo han hecho otros.

 

Han pasado tres décadas desde la malograda e inesperada muerte del líder de Nirvana, pero el legado musical que dejó detrás sigue más vivo que nunca, aún entre las nuevas generaciones, quizás por lo honesto de su mensaje y su forma de ser, encabezando la que para muchos fue y será la última gran revolución del rock, pero también celebramos su legado, su arte, su música, sus frases, su manera de ser tan sincera, de compartirnos sus más profundos pensamientos y hacernos sentir parte de algo especial, lo cual después de tanto tiempo sigue dándonos esa fascinación de como cuando escuchamos por primera vez "Smells Like Teen Spirit" en la radio, luego el video en la otrora grande MTV, de la icónica presentación en los VMA de 1992, del cambio de ruta con "In Utero", de la grabación del "MTV Unplugged In New York", hasta ese sábado 8 de abril, cuando Kurt Loder de MTV News anunciaba la trágica noticia de su muerte.

In Memoriam: Ha Muerto La Legendaria "Ginna Lollobrigida" A Los 95 Años

La legendaria actriz Italiana, Gina Lollobrigida quien logró fama internacional durante los años 1950s y que en algún momento fue llegada a considerar la mujer más hermosa del mundo tras el título de uno de sus filmes , falleció a los 95 años en Roma este Lunes, según información de su agente. 

 

Paola Comin, la agente de la actriz no dio más detalle sobre su muerte, aunque se sabe que el año pasado entro a cirugía para reparar el hueso del muslo que se le rompió por una caída, pero regreso pronto a casa para comenzar a caminar. 

 

Luigia Lollobrigida nació en Subiaco, centro de Italia, un 4 de Julio de 1927, su padre era dueño de una fábrica de muebles que fue destruida durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, por lo que en 1947 se muda a Roma para estudiar Bellas Artes, lo cual fue un gran privilegio para ello en contrasto lo que tuvo que padecer su familia, entonces comienza posando gracias a su exuberante belleza y cuerpo, en ese momento ese país comenzaba a promover en la gran pantalla, el concepto estereotipado de la belleza de la mujer Mediterranea, curvilínea y morena, entonces en mejor momento no pudo comenzar su carrera, primero participo en el concurso de Miss Roma pero quedó de 3ero., pero que importaba, ya que eso fue lo que llamo la atención a varios directores y así darle pequeños papeles. 

 

En los estudios Cinecittà, comienza sus andaduras en filmes como "El Elixir Del Amor", y "Il Delitto Di Giovanni Episcopo", y entonces vino la invitación para irse a filmar a Hollywood de la mano de Howard Hughes, pero esta lo rechazó, aunque tres años más tarde si aceptó y entonces comienza el mito de la "La Lollo" como le llamaban de cariño, fue breve el periplo por su falta de inglés además se sentía vigilada por Hughes todo el tiempo, vuelve a Roma y se centra en el cine de su país en el momento en que comenzaban las grandes producción, aquí comienzan 20 años mágicos en donde apareció en películas, series de televisión y obras de teatro volviéndose un icono Italiano. 

 

Uno de primeros filmes fue "Renunciación" de 1949, otros icónicos filmes fueron "Pan, Amor y Fantasía" de 1953 y "Pan, Amor y Celos" de 1954 de la mano del director Vittorio de Sica, repite con Luigi Zampa en "La Romana" en donde se gana el apodo de "La mujer más guapa del mundo".  Entonces se vienen los grandes filmes Estadounidenses como "Trapecio" de 1956 junto a Tony Curtis y Burt Lancaster, "Notre-Dame De París" de 1956 junto a Anthony Quinn, "Salomón y La Reina De Saba" en donde su protagonista masculino Tyrone Power falleció, y tuvo que ser recomenzaba con Yul Brynner, "La Burla Del Diablo" de 1953 del director John Huston también fue otra icónica. 

 

De 1959 a 1965 filmó una tras otra entre las que destacan "Cuando Hierve La Sangre", "La Ley", "Desnuda Frente Al Mundo", "Cuando Llegue Septiembre", Habitación Para Dos", "La Venus Imperial", "La Mujer De Paja", "Pensión Italiana", y "Buona Sera, Señora Campbell", en donde compartío roles con Frank Sinatra, Yves Montand, Macello Mastroianni, Steve McQueen, Rock Hudson, Jean-Paul Belmondo y Sean Connery entre otros. 

 

Ya en 1971 filmó "El Hombre Del Río Malo", luego "El Salto Del Tigre", en 1973 "No Encontré Rosas Para Mi Madre", y luego una miniserie de televisión, y puso punto y final acabando con la actuación para comenzar una nueva carrera como fotógrafa llevando algunos reportajes periodísticos, y a la escultura, solo regreso en 1984 para unos cinco episodios en la serie "Falcon Crest", y no volvería más sino hasta en los 1990s en "Vacaciones En El Mar" y finalmente "Las Cien Y Una Noches" de la directora Agnès Varda en 1995. 

La Lollo fue una destacada escultura, pintora y fotógrafa, que algún momento llegó a promocionar, con su cámara viajo por el mundo, desde la Unión Soviética a Australia, incluso en 1974, el propio Fidel Castro la alojó como invitada de lujo mientras trabajaba en un foto reportaje.

In Memoriam: Ha Muerto A Los 81 Años "Vivienne Westwood" Diseñador De Modas Y Emperatriz Del Punk

La icónica diseñadora Británica "Vivienne Westwood" conocida por haber popularizado la moda y estetica del punk y new wave, ha muerto a los 81 años. Murío hoy pacificamente y rodeada de su familia en Clapham, al sur de Londres, según cuenta una declaración de su casa de moda.

 

La diseñadora contínuo haciendo lo que más le gustaba hasta el último momento, diseñando y llena de ideas, Andreas Kronthaler, su esposo y colaborador dijó que había estado trabajando con ella hasta el final de sus días, dejándole varias cosas por realizar y promover. 

Un icono de la moda Británica principios de los 1970s., Westwood disfrutó de una larga carrera impulsada por sus show en Londres, Paris, Milan y New York, su trabajo llevaba un estilo radical, antiestablishment, y que llegaron a vestir a varias estrellas y personas en el mundo, en Hollywood y hasta la familia Real Británica.

Una mujer llena de vida y energía, no podía apartarse del trabajo y de estar a cargo de sus propias colecciones. Nacida como Vivienne Isabel Swire en el seno de una familia de clase trabajadora, su padre trabajó en una fábrica de aviones y su madre como tejedora, a fines de los 1950s., se enroló en el Harrow School of Art pero lo dejaría, incluso llegó a pensar como una chica de clase trabajadora podría llegar a ganarse la vida en el arte, ya en los 1960s, mientras se ganaba la vida como maestra de escuela, ya diseñaba y vendía su propia joyeria al mismo tiempo, entonces conoce al que a la postre sería el manager de los Sex Pistols, Malcolm McLaren con quien llegaría a tener un hijo.

Creyeron que juntos podrían llegar a desarrollar una revolución social a tráves de la moda y el rock, por lo que abren "Let It Rock" una tienda en el King's Road de Londres a principios de los 1970s., entonces se volvería un punto focal para la escena punk y un centro para la contra cultura de Londres, entonces se renombraría "Sex" que sería como un lunar en contra la sociedad Británica y las leyes contra la obsecenida por hacer camisetas con imágenes pornográficas.

Entonces aparecío el look punk, siendo ella la pionera al respecto gracias a ese toque radical que ayudo a darle la estética primero al punk de la mano de Sex Pistols, dándole un look y estilo que rompío todo hasta ese entonces: camisetas rasgadas, pines y ganchos, los slogans provocativos, introduciendo así el postmodernismo tan influyente a mediados de los 1970s., y pese a que el punk decayó su estética nunca se disipó y hoy en día es mainstream.

Ya en los 1980s., gozó finalmente del éxito masivo, continuo trabajando y posó para la revista Tatler en 1989 vestida como la Margaret Thatcher en un traje que esta había predido pero luego canceló, una portada pólemica en su momento ya que era una crítica de la Thatcher por sus políticas y envolvimiento en la industria del petroleo que tanto contamina, no por algo Westwood siempre fue relacionado con el estilo y una actitud rebelde.

Siempre estuvo tratando de reinventar la moda, su trabajo siempre fue provocativo y trasngresor, muy enraizado en la tradición Inglesa y la ironia y satira, siempre estuvo orgullosa de su nacionalidad y lo demostraba a cada rato.

In Memoriam: Ha Muerto "Jerry Lee Lewis" Uno De Los Últimos Iconos Del Rock Original

Jerry Lee Lewis aka The Killer, uno de los últimos íconos del rock and roll original, todo un maestro tocando el piano por su manera de hacerlo, se nos fue a los 87 años, según un comunicado de su representante Zach Farnum. 

 

Recordado por su gran éxito "Great Balls Of Fire", además de otros como "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", Lewis falleció en su casa en en el condado de Desoto, Mississippi, al sur de Memphis, según la declaración, que al parecer fueron por causas naturales según su representante, al momento de su muerte, estaba a su lado su séptima esposa Judith.

Nacido en Lousiana en 1935, comenzó a tocar el piano a los 9 años, junto a gente como Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley o Buddy Holly ayudaron a darle forma al rock en los años 50's., y por su teatralidad le apodaron "The Killer", porque sus presentaciones eran duras, sin tapujos y enloquecía a la audiencia, sin duda el escenario era su vida, pero fuera de él, era un desastre, su vida personal estuvo marcada por muchos incidentes, en la cima de su popularidad en 1958 sorprendió al público cuando se casó con su prima hermana Myra Gale Brown, ella tenía 13 años y el 22, eso se filtró a Londres a donde fue a dar conciertos, había dicho que ella tenía 15 y cuando se supo la verdad causo indignación por lo que tras los cuestionamientos, la gira se canceló tras tres presentaciones.

Pese a ello, el artista continuó grabando y haciendo giras durante la siguiente década. Pero su música no se vendió para nada durante la era de los Beatles y no pudo recuperar la popularidad de sus primeros años, hasta que su reaparición inesperada como cantante de country le devolvió la fama. De orígenes pobres, entre sus primos estaba un tal Jimmy Swaggart, quien a la postre, llegaría a ser un popular evangelista de televisión, de hecho su sitio web dice que comenzó a tocar el piano a los 9 años, imitando los estilos de los predicadores y músicos negros que pasaban por la región.

 

Después de abandonar la escuela para concentrarse en la música, Lewis viajó en 1956 a Sun Studios en Memphis, donde rápidamente consiguió trabajo como músico de sesión para estrellas en ciernes como Carl Perkins y Johnny Cash. También grabó con Elvis Presley, de ahí vino una sesión de grabación de diciembre de 1956 con Lewis, Presley, Perkins y Cash, apodado el "Cuarteto del millón de dólares", se convirtió en un momento fundamental en la historia del rock, y luego vendría el clásico "Great Balls Of Fire" que le dio la fama, pero su estilo irreverente hizo que algunas estaciones lo boicotearan, y tras el polémico matrimonio, su aura ya no fue la misma. 

A finales de los 60's., se reinventó como artista country y luego alcanzó el top 10 hasta bien entrado los 70's., gano un segundo aire gracias al filme de 1989, "Great Balls of Fire!", una película biográfica protagonizada por Dennis Quaid como Lewis, atrajo nueva atención a la vida y la música del artista. Lewis incluso grabó nuevas versiones de sus éxitos para la banda sonora, dando a conocer su música a las nuevas generaciones.

 

Se casó siete veces, entró en bancarrota en 1988, luchó contra el alcohol, la drogadicción y problemas de salud durante años, pero al final dejó un legado musical envidiable que es lo que realmente debe importarnos.