Legends We Have Lost

It’s been a busy few weeks on the road of Legends Lost.

In no particular order here are the most recent -

And just in today Dame Maggie Smith, a true doyen of British stage and screen for many decades passed away peacefully aged 89.

Dame Maggie is probably known to most as the acerbic Dowager Countess of Grantham Violet Crawley in the hit television series “Downton Abbey”.

Britain’s head of state King Charles 111 called her “a national treasure” who was admired around the world.

In recent decades, some of her best known films included “Gosford Park” (2001), “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” (2012) and “The Lady in the Van” (2015) and in all but one of the Harry Potter movies.

She also appeared alongside Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act and Sister Act 2.

Here's what Whoopi said about the passing of Dame Maggie Smith Whoopi Goldberg, the lead actress in both films, wrote on Instagram that “Maggie Smith was a great woman and a brilliant actress.

“I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to work with the ‘one-of-a-kind’.

During the course of her career, Smith, who won a Tony, two Oscars, three Golden Globes and five Baftas.

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Another giant of stage and screen to pass away recently was American actor James Earl Jones, arguably best known as the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies.

Like Maggie Smith, James Earl Jones career spanned many years starting on stage and being steeped in Shakespeare.

And again like Maggie Smith, James Earl Jones won many accolades and awards over a long long illustrious career.

Following his death, The New York Times described Jones's career as a "a prodigious body of work" and called him "one of America's most versatile actors in a stage, film and television career".^[12] The Hollywood Reporter referred to Jones as "one of the most-admired American actors of all time"

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Sergio Mendes – Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger brought the sensual sway of the Bossa Nova and other Latin rhythms and beats to the swinging 60’s with his band Sergio Mendes and Brazil 66. That morphed into Brazil 77.

Their most notable worldwide hits were Mas Que Nada, The Look Of Love and Fool On The Hill

Mendes collaborated with many artists, including Black Eyed Peas, with whom he re-recorded in 2006 a remake of his 1966 version

Sergio continued to perform right up until recent times. He passed away recently in Los Angeles aged 83

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In recent times we’ve noted that Tito Jackson, an older brother of Michael passed away aged 70

Tito was a key member of the Jackson 5 in their blockbusting days.

In latter years Tito established himself as a Blues guitarist.

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Herbie Flowers, not necessarily a household name but a musician with plenty of pedigree particularly in British rock n roll .

Herbie Flowers was mostly a session musician who played on dozens and dozens , lets say 20,000 singles and albums by all manner of recording artists like David Bowie, Marc Bolan (T Rex), Dusty Springfield to name just a few.

He was also a member of top British band of the early 70’s Blue Mink. Remember their hit Melting Pot, the song that NZ group When The Cats Away had a huge hit with back in the 80's.

Blue Mink also had huge hits with songs The Banner Man, By The Devil I Was Tempted and Randy.

One of Herbie’s most notable recording sessions was doing the two bass lines for Lou Reed’s Walk On The Wild Side. Legend has it that he recorded the two base lines as he would get paid twice!

In latter years Herbie downplayed his involvement in Walk On The Wildside saying in an interview “I’m sick of people saying Walk On the Wild Side is a classic. I got paid £12, and David Bowie didn’t even show up”

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Going back to July we lost US singer Sandy Posey, another to succumb after a long battle with illness.

Sandy was a southern girl born in Alabama, graduated from high school in Tennessee and passed away in Tennessee

While Sandy was most noted for her hits in the 60’s Single Girl and Born A Woman she also did a fair bit of session work for other artists including singing back up on Percy Sledge’s When A Man Loves A Woman. Sandy also did some back up work for some of Elvis Presley’s early recordings.