"So This Is Christmas", John Lennon . The clock has just slipped past midnight and it is now Christmas Day in New Zealand. Wet, but warm and the day will be spent with family. I wish the best for all board members. Sadly my health is not good (IPF) but that can be set aside for good times wth children and by zoom with grand children. And the words if the song by Lennon are so appropriate. Rock on

I had waited for someone more articulate than me to post re Ronnie's passing, but none so far. I always enjoyed his posts. They were well written and interesting and he met a number of interesting performers over the years. It is sad when a long standing and knowledgable member of this board and the one managed by Ron dies. He will be remembered with affection by me

Interesting topic. I had understood when The Animals released their version that it had been altered from a brothel to a gaming house. I also understood the original version was sung by a woman and the revised Animals version by a male. But revisiting the subject following this post, it seems much more logical to originally be about a women's prison. Alan Price, who played the swirling keyboards, claimed ownership right to the Animals' version, much to the chagrin of Eric Burdon.

I'd go with Roy Orbison who I saw perform a pitch perfect concert 40 years  ago. But I would throw in Gene Pitney

www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/howard-hesseman-dead-wkrp-cincinnati-1235084085/

I've no wish to be the one that posts sad news again, but the good doctor of WKRP has died. He was so cool. Some nice coverage in main stream media. I thought they may have forgotten about him.

 

There were a few New Zealanders on the old board but I think Scotty and I are the only survivors. I used to log into a linked chat room which included Tom and Katie and used to exchange emails with Neil Packman. He has disappeared and does not respond to emails (well I haven't tried for some years). There used to be some very long threads (Roy Dusky, Linda Scott, cardigan left on a grave stone) and Ron's preferred music genres were soft rock, pop and a little bit country! Back in those days we had frequent visits by 60s artists, mainly from the UK  to New Zealand but age diminishes those ranks. I am very pleased I managed to see Roy Orbison and David Bowie before they died and the Rolling Stones with Charlie keeping the beat

hhttps://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/300390563/rolling-stones-drummer-charlie-watts-dies-at-age-80e  The very saddest of news. He was the beat that held the Stones together through some very turbulent times.