Dedications: My four late friends Rory, Stan, Bryan, Jeff - shine on you crazy diamonds, they would have blogged too. Then theres Garry from Brisbane, Franco in Milan, Mike now in S.F. / my '60s-'80s gang: Ned & Joseph in Ireland; in England: Frank, Des, Guy, Clive, Joe & Joe, Ian, Ivan, Nick, David, Les, Stewart, the 3 Michaels / Catriona, Sally, Monica, Jean, Ella, Anne, Candie / and now: Daryl in N.Y., Jerry, John, Colin, Martin and Donal.

Wednesday 1 March 2017

RIP, continued ...

Alan Aldridge (1943-2017), age 73.  Graphic artist whose album covers and posters saw him hailed as a 'Young Meteor' of the Sixties. I vividly remember his fantastic art work on Penguin paperbacks, I had his "Illustrated Beatles Lyrics" book, and his "Sunday Times" colour supplement covers, like that handpainted mini car in 1965. 
He also did album covers for Elton John, The Who, Cream and others. One of the original hippie artists then, who - like Klaus Voorman - got into The Beatles inner circle. He looked the part too with that hair and tache. His airbrushed, psychedelic images were part of the scene then and defined the era. A quintessential 60s figure: talented, working class, handsome with long hair and a penchant for velvet suits. He also did posters for films like Warhol's CHELSEA GIRLS, and the logo for The Hard Rock Cafe. His private life was suitably colourful too, having seven children by three different women. Rock'n'Roll ! 
Sir Gerard Kaufman (1930-2017), aged 86. He enjoyed a long career as Labour MP spanning 46 years, including being Father of The House of Commons, and held most senior posts in opposition during Labour's wilderness years. He was Harold Wilson's "media fixer". The waspish MP loved cinema, music, and was a critic, writer ("My Life in the Silver Screen"), The confirmed bachelor was a regular on television. His Jewish parents had fled Tsarist Russia but the scholarship boy was soon on the rise to Oxford, and on to working in newspapers, before becoming an MP.

Bill Paxton (1955-2017), aged 61, after complications after surgery. The amiable actor was was working to the end, having amassed 93 credits, including early roles in THE TERMINATOR, ALIENS, APOLLO 13, TOMBSTONE as well as leads in TWISTER, and in Cameron's TITANTIC and TRUE LIES

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