I was born on the prairies, where the wind blew free and there was nothing to break the light of the sun. I was born where there were no enclosures. [GERONIMO]
For many of us who grew up with the music of The Quests in the sixties and seventies, it was a sad moment when I learned of the passing of it's lead guitarist, Reggie Verghese, who died from a heart attack June 16 2015. He was a great musician and notably one of the best axemen in the region. His good friend and rhythm guitarist, Jap Chong, too passed away last year on March 2. To Reggie, we thank you for the music and may your soul find eternal peace in the arms of our Lord. Read news article here. Listen to 'Shanty', their first release and big hit in 1964. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0EIzCS5dow
Today is indeed a sad day for me to learn that my friend, FB friend and a great musician, Amrin Madjid, has passed on.
I first met Amrin when he was the lead guitarist with The Strollers and some time in 1967, my group, The Strollers and a few other local groups performed at the Chin Woo Stadium at a musical variety show. It was during this time, I became acquainted with him and we chatted quite a bit before and after the show, exchanging notes on musical interests. I was truly taken in by the awesomeness of his guitar playing. I always thought that he was not the one doing the thinking, but his fingers while playing. As we were leaving the auditorium, we bid each other goodbye and hope to meet each again in the near future. We never did.
Then in 1969, The Strollers released their first single, "I Wanna Thank You" c/w "It Ain't Nothing But a House Party". I told myself, this is definitely a must album for me as it would be great to see how Amrin sounds like on vinyl. To my dismay, he was not featured in it, but in his place was Michael Magness, formerly with the Blue Dominoes of Klang. At least Hassan Idris, Ramli [can't recall his full name], Billy Chang and Jimmy de Olivero were still there.
I started to ask around and was told that Amrin had left the group and had returned to Jakarta. I was a bit confused because all along I thought he was a Malaysian having schooled at Bukit Bintang Boys School in PJ.
Fast forward to 2013 when I joined the "Down Memory Lane" group on FaceBook, and lo and behold, Amrin started to respond to my postings. We have been in touch with each other since then and his last chat with me was only two days ago, and this morning I heard he is gone. Just can't believe it.
Not only will I always remember him for his musicianship, but his narratives on his version of Malaysian history.
Herebelow are two pix of him and The Strollers. The top photo is the original line-up of the group. Amrin is the one at the front. Below that, is the pix of The Strollers first SP which I am still having it in my possession.
Rest in peace, my friend and may God bless your soul.
Mandela, shown in 2010, married Winnie Madikileza in 1958. (Alexander Joe/Reuters)
Nelson Mandela, one of the greatest leaders of modern times, passed away Thursday at his home in Johannesburg after a prolonged lung infection. He was 95.
South African President Jacob Zuma announced that Mandela, "the founding president of our democratic nation, has departed," adding that he "passed on peacefully."
"Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father," Zuma said.
"Our thoughts are with the millions of people who embraced Mandela as their own and who saw his cause as their cause.… This is the moment of our deepest sorrow.”
Mandela will be accorded a state funeral, Zuma said, and national flags will be lowered to half-mast.
"We saw in him what we seek in ourselves. And in him we saw so much of ourselves," he said. "Nelson Mandela brought us together and it is together that we will bid him farewell."
Mandela's respiratory problems in recent years may be connected to his imprisonment, when he contracted tuberculosis after working in a prison quarry. He had been in hospital in recent months.
His hospitalization on June 8, 2013, marked his fifth visit to hospital in two years. In April 2013, he spent 10 days in hospital after being treated for pneumonia.
Mandela was a prominent international figure for more than half a century, first as a leading human
rights campaigner in South Africa and then as the world's best-known political prisoner.
Following his release, he again became the leader of the anti-apartheid struggle, and in 1994 became the first president of a democratic South Africa.
On July 18, 2009, the first Mandela Day declared by the United Nations, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spoke about how "Nelson Mandela has made a lasting imprint on our lives."
Fadzil Baharom (second from left) meets Chin Peng's brother-in-law
Kedah PAS leader Fadzil Baharom was a late visitor to Chin Peng's wake this evening, arriving at the Wat That Thong temple in Bangkok about 7 pm together with several friends to pay his respects to the former Communist Party of Malaya secretary-general.
When met at the wake, Fadzil stressed that he was not representing PAS or PKR but was there in a personal capacity.
Fadzil said he has known members of Chin Peng's family for about five years and felt it was appropriate to attend the wake.
"I will not be staying for Monday's cremation as I have to return to Kedah," Fadzil said, adding that he had long wanted to meet Chin Peng personally but did not have the opportunity.
He said despite the Malaysian government's portrayal of Chin Peng, he considered the latter to be a fighter.
"Malaysia's history has been changed; I am looking for the unvarnished version.
"Even within PAS, not everyone is really familiar with the facts of the nation's history and how events actually panned out," Fadzil said.
"Although my presence here today is nothing great, I am sure in five or 10 years it will be seen as a historical moment because I dared to attend Chin Peng's wake," Fadzil said jovially.
He also pointed out that following Chin Peng's death on Monday, many people had been circulating old stories and reports about the 88-year-old on the Internet.
He said that was good as it would help to educate the younger generation and give them a better understanding of history.
Asked whether other party members might frown on his presence at Chin Peng's wake, Fadzil shrugged and said he did not care as he did not feel there was a problem with his attendance.
He emphasised that paying his respects did not mean he was a communist or followed the ideology. He was merely interested in history, and Chin Peng was a part of the fabric of Malaysia's past. Fadzil contested in GE13 for the Sungai Tiang state seat, but lost to Barisan Nasional's Suraya Yaacob.
A wreath of orchids from Thai princess Chulabhorn Walailak placed in front of the coffin of former CPM leader Chin Peng tells a story the Malaysian government is not likely to agree with.
In Wat That Thong, one of the more famous temples in Bangkok, it is this story that retired Thai generals, who came to pay their respects to Chin Peng this afternoon, will remember him by.
According to retired general Kitti Rattanachaya (left), who was given the honour of spraying holy water on Chin Peng's body before it was placed in the coffin, Chin Peng should be remembered as a hero, not as a terrorist.
Through signing the Hatyai Peace Agreement of 1989, Kitti said, Chin Peng "played a key role in maintaining peace" along the Thai-Malaysian border.
"He fought for the independence of his country, just like (Vietnam leader) Ho Chi Minh, but he did not succeed.
"It is proper to allow his ashes to be returned to Malaysia. Forgive and forget, let bygones be bygones. Once someone dies, everything is finished," Kitti told members of the media.
As a former military man who led troops against the CPM guerillas, he said, he viewed Chin Peng - who spent a third of his life in exile in Thailand - as an elder brother.
"(The Malaysian position) is just politics. When a peace agreement is signed, there is no longer animosity," Kitti said, stressing that this was his personal view and not that of the Thai government.
Forgiveness the only solution
Agreeing with him, Akanit Muansawad, a general who retired from the Thai army last year, said that for him, forgiveness was the only way to bring peace.
As the first Thai army officer to broker talks with Chin Peng in August 1973, Akanit said he made the decision to do after losing many of his men.
"I was a captain then and in one year, I lost 50 soldiers - 30 died and 20 were wounded. I got malaria 13 times from going in and out of the jungle.
"I forgave because I couldn't see any other way to solve the problem," Akanit (right) said.
The princess' wreath was just one of many in memory of Chin Peng today.
Among them was a wreath of yellow flowers from his children, with a message simply reading: "In loving memory of our dear father."
Of the 50-odd family members and friends who came to the quiet and sombre affair today, many were seen in tears.
According to Anas Abdullah, a family friend who helped arrange the wake and funeral, more than 100 former CPM guerilla fighters are expected to pay their respects in the next two days, before Chin Peng's body is cremated on Monday.
The son of a CPM leader and the son-in-law of one of the oldest surviving Malay CPM members Abdullah CD, Anas said his father-in-law was not able to make the 10-hour drive to Bangkok from the Sukhirin peace village, near Narathiwat.
"But about 10 people from the village will be driving over tomorrow," Anas said of the village that is home to former 10th Regiment fighters, who are mostly Muslims.
Tan Sri Yuen Yuet Leng, former Sarawak Police Commissioner
Tan Sri Yuen Yuet Leng took two bullets in his fight with the communists, for most of his career, However, Yuen bore no grudges against Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) secretary-general Chin Peng, who passed away this morning.
"In war, we were long-standing ideological enemies, with negotiated peace we were mutually more respectful and understanding of our once conflicting stands. Now with death, I can only say: Rest in peace, my friend,"
American pop singer Patti Page, whose 1950 hit “Tennessee Waltz” topped the charts for months, has died in Southern California, her manager said yesterday. She was 85.
Nicknamed “The Singing’ Rage,” Page sold more than 100 million albums in her 67-year career, which included 1950s chart toppers “(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window,” “I Went to Your Wedding” and “All My Love (Bolero).”
She died on Tuesday in a nursing home in Encinitas, north of San Diego, after suffering congestive heart failure, her manager, said Michael Glynn.
I was taken back to learn that Bryan Jeremiah passed away on the 11th of this month at the age of 63 in Penang. For those who are not in the know, Bryan Jeremiah was the guy who sang "Love Knot In My Lariat" during the 1971 Bakat TV show [our own version of American Idol then]. He came out nineth but nonetheless Malaysians, for the first time, had the chance to see how a local 22-year old boy could really yodel into the hearts of the audience and those watching at home.
Born in 1949, Bryan Aloysius Jeremiah won Radio Malaysia's Talentime in 1967 at aged 18 as he astounded Malaysian audiences with his country and western Slim Whitman inspired yodelling. Since then he had participated in numerous talent shows singing and accompanying himself on the guitar.
In 1971 he became one of the finalists in Bakat TV, Malaysia and sang, Love Knot In My Lariat a popular Whitman hit. This talent contest attracted the best from the local pop music scene which included the late guitarist Paul Ponnudorai, singer Sudirman Arshad, the Silhouettes, Strange Brew, and Shagul Hamid amongst many others.
Jeremiah had studied at St Xavier’s Institution
in Penang, Malaysia and was known not only as a singer on stage but also as a
sports enthusiast on the field. As he progressed in the entertainment industry
his love for the media led him to be a broadcaster for Radio Malaysia as he
honed his singing and yodelling talent.
According to his daughter *Dawn Jeremiah, "My
dad is one of the hardest working people I know, acquiring his life lessons by
overcoming various challenges growing up in Penang in the 1960s. He is a
talented individual with closets of trophies from everything ranging from
football to badminton to ping-pong to bowling to hockey."
The very popular Bakat TV Series
in Malaysia.
In an article about Father's Day in 2010 she
added that, "The one award that wasn’t derived from sports was for Radio
Talentime 1971, in which he secured top placing. He then proceeded to compete as
a finalist in the RTM’s Bakat TV 1971 with the song Love Knot in My
Lariat." Jeremiah came in ninth.
Apparently his talent was a gift because he
stood up from his baby cot when he was two years old to hum and mumble the
words to Buttons and Bows, a 1947 Bob Hope song which was playing on the
radio. Bryan Jeremiah went on to be recognised as one of the most popular
artistes and shared the limelight with a host of other Malaysian entertainers.
As a hard-working professional he was a dedicated logistics specialist but he
had since passed away in October, 2012 at 63 years young.
Legendary singer Andy Williams, known for his smooth voice and classics such as "Moon River," died after a year-long battle with bladder cancer at his Branson, Missouri, home Tuesday night, his family said.
Williams, 84, began his singing career as a child in a quartet with his brothers, but he rose to stardom as a solo act starting in the 1950s.
"The Andy Williams Show," a weekly television variety program that ran for nine years on NBC starting in 1962, and a dozen TV specials from 1959 through 1987 made Williams a household name in the United States.
He spent the last 20 years of his career performing on his own stage at his Moon River Theatre in Branson.
Jimmy Osmond said his family would be "forever grateful for the interactions we had with him."
"Not only did he discover us as a group, but also allowed us the opportunity to be discovered as individuals and develop our own talents," Osmond said.
"The clarity and warmth and grace of his singing shaped my love of music as I watched my brothers perform with him on his weekly show," Donny Osmond said.
Williams gave him several voice lessons when he was just 7, Osmond said.
"When I finally joined my brothers and toured with Andy as his opening act and back-up singers, I was always impressed with the way he handled an audience," he said. "He loved the audience. That was one of the most important lessons he taught me."
His sister, Marie Osmond, who made her TV debut on his show at age 3, said Williams was "the first person to affect my career."
"The group 'The Osmonds' would not exist without the foresight and generosity of our mentor Andy Williams," Marie Osmond said.
"No one sang more beautifully than Andy Williams," she said. "Hearing his version of 'Moon River' never failed to move me deeply. I can't imagine the holiday season without Andy Williams; we did so many specials together."
"Moon River" became his theme song after he performed it at the 1962 Academy Awards, where it won an Oscar for best song in a movie. Audrey Hepburn sang the Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini composition in the film "Breakfast at Tiffany's."
Williams' recording career reached superstar status in 1963 when his album "Days of Wine and Roses" spent 16 weeks at the top of the U.S. music charts.
His variety TV show, which promoted the careers of many other artists including the Osmonds, won high ratings and three Emmys.
Singer Ray Stevens, who was managed for years by Andy's brother Don, called him "one classy guy."
"He was a marvelously talented and generous performer who in 1970 entrusted his nationally acclaimed TV show and audience to a green kid from Georgia," Stevens said. "That kid was me, and he changed my life."
Williams hosted the first live Grammy Awards telecast at the Hollywood Palladium in 1971. He went on to host for seven years straight.
"The entertainment industry has lost a giant piece of its living history today, but Williams' legacy will forever be enshrined in the annals of music and television," said Neil Portnow, the president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. "Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and all who will miss this American treasure."
The singer hosted five Christmas television specials, between 1973 and 1985, along with seven other television specials, the first in 1959 and the last in 1987.
Williams, who also had a home in La Quinta, California, is survived by his wife of 21 years, Debbie, and his three children with French singer Claudine Longet -- Robert, Noelle and Christian.
He was married to Longet from 1961 until their divorce in 1975. A year later, she was charged with the fatal shooting of her boyfriend, Olympic skier Spider Sabich.
Williams stood by Longet, who claimed the shooting was accidental. She spent a month in jail.
Williams' Branson theater was the first non-country venue built in the small Missouri tourist mecca.
He was born on December 3, 1927, in Wall Lake, Iowa, where he began singing with brothers Bob, Dick and Don in a Presbyterian church choir led by their parents.
Williams was just 8 when he made his professional singing debut with the Williams Brothers Quartet. The brothers were regular performers on radio station WHO's "Iowa's Barn Dance Show" in Des Moines. Their popularity grew, taking the brothers to national stations, including WLS in Chicago and WLW in Cincinnati.
Doris Day was his friend when they were both young and living in Cincinnati.
"He and his brothers sang and, of course, so did I, and often I would go over to their house and we would sing together," Day said Wednesday. "They asked me to join their group, but my vocal coach thought I should be out on my own, and so that's what I did."
Smokey Robinson said Williams "befriended me when I was just a teenager starting out in show business, and we remained friends throughout the years."
"I regret that we didn't have the chance to spend more time together," Robinson said. "He was one of the great voices and great people of our time."
From the moment she underwent her first heart transplant in October 2007, I have been following her progress from the various news sources and found her to a girl with real true grit, to live. With her constant pictures appearing in the press and reading so much about her, Hui Yi had somewhat grew on me.
Regretably, she passed away yesterday at the Batu Pahat Hospital. She was 19.
Miracle heart transplant girl Tee Hui Yi, who survived two transplant surgeries, passed away Tuesday at the Batu Pahat hospital. She was 19.
Tee was rushed to the hospital after complaining of chest pains around 10am, but doctors pronounced her dead half an hour after arrival.
Tee's father, Ah Soon, 57, said doctors did not inform the family on her actual cause of death.
"She was fine but complained of body aches last night.
"She vomited several times (in the morning) before her body went weak and she stopped moving," said Ah Soo, adding that he tried to resuscitate Tee but to no avail.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor visits Tee Hui Yi at National Heart Institute (IJN), Kuala Lumpur.Tee stopped schooling after Year Four when her health deteriorated. She was supported by a mechanical heart while waiting for a heart transplant.
She underwent her first heart transplant at the National Heart Institute (IJN) in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 4, 2007, but her body rejected the organ.
Hui Yi then underwent a successful operation the next day. She was discharged from IJN on Dec 22 after spending 15 months in the hospital.
Tee's body is currently placed at a Chinese funeral parlor along Jalan Fatimah here for prayers and the funeral will take place on Thursday.
The mere mention of Donna Summers and that would invoke nostalgic feelings of the disco era of the seventies and memories of The Tin Mine, Tomorrow Disco, The Horbit, The Glass Bubble, The Federal Disco and many other similar outlets in KL and PJ.
Grammy-winning disco legend Donna Summer, who topped the charts repeatedly in the 1970s and 80s with raunchy hits like ‘Love to Love You Baby’ and ‘Hot Stuff,’ died yesterday aged 63.
Known as the Queen of Disco, the singer whose hits also included ‘I Feel Love’ and ‘She Works Hard for the Money’, died in Florida from lung cancer, the TMZ celebrity news website said.
“Early this morning, we lost Donna Summer Sudano, a woman of many gifts,” said a family statement. “While we grieve her passing, we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy.”
Tributes poured in within hours of her death, led by President Barack Obama who said: “Donna truly was the ‘Queen of Disco’. Her voice was unforgettable, and the music industry has lost a legend far too soon.”
“Truly that will be her legacy, she was the Disco Queen,” soul legend Aretha Franklin told CNN.
Barbra Streisand, with whom Summer duetted on 1979's ‘No More Tears (Enough is Enough)’, said she was “shocked” at the news.
“She was so vital the last time I saw her a few months ago. I loved doing the duet with her. She had an amazing voice and was so talented. .. It’s so sad,” she said in a statement.
In Hollywood, flowers were placed on her sidewalk star on the storied Hollywood Walk of Fame, across the street from the world-famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
Summer, who also became something of an icon in the gay community, shot to fame during the disco era of the 1970s with hits like ‘MacArthur Park’, ‘Hot Stuff’ and ‘Bad Girls’.
The orgasmic-sounding ‘Love to Love You Baby’, released in 1975, was one of the first disco songs to be released in extended form, giving full vent to Summer’s erotic moans and groans.
In the 1980s her hits included ‘She Works Hard for the Money’ and ‘State of Independence’.
The disco diva was born LaDonna Adrian Gaines into a large devoutly Christian family in Boston and started singing in the local church, before performing in a number of Motown-influenced groups in her teens.
Summer took her stage name after marrying Austrian actor Helmuth Sommer in 1972, anglicising her name after divorcing him. She spoke fluent German and the couple had a daughter, Mimi Sommer.
Winner of five Grammy awards
The singer won five Grammy awards during her spectacular career, including in 1980 for best rock female vocalist for the 1979 ‘Hot Stuff’, but also as recently as 1997 for best dance recording for ‘Carry On’.
She holds the record for most consecutive double albums to top the Billboard charts - three - and first female with four No 1 singles in a 12-month period, three solo and one with Barbra Streisand, according to the IMDb website.
‘Hot Stuff’ also got a boost from being used in the 1997 hit movie ‘The Full Monty’, as the track to which a group of unemployed British steel workers performed a striptease act.
TMZ reported that she had kept her illness quiet, and didn’t appear too sick only a couple of weeks ago, citing sources as saying she was focused on trying to finish a new album she had been working on.
It cited sources as saying Summer believed she developed lung cancer after inhaling toxic particles following the Sept 11, 2001 al-Qaeda attacks in New York.
Harry Casey, lead singer and ‘KC’ of fellow disco greats KC and the Sunshine Band, said he was stunned.
“I saw her several months ago at a performance, she looked great, she sang great, her performance was amazing. We got together backstage and had some good laughs and walked down memory lane.
“I’m just in shock. I had no idea anything was wrong.”
Hong Kong comedian Ricky Hui was found dead in his residence in Kowloon, Hong Kong, last night.
Ricky, who dies of a suspected heart attack at the age of 65, is the brother of Michael Hui, also a veteran comedian, and Sam Hui, a singer who is hailed as Hong Kong’s Gor San (The God of Songs).
Ricky’s body was found on his bed and he was believed to be dead for quite some time, reported Ming Pao. It was suspected to be a heart attack.
The multi-talented performer, who was seen playing supporting roles alongside his siblings in a string of comedy blockbusters back in the 1970s and 1980s, was said to be suffering from heart problem and had been on medication for years.
Still, his death may come as a shock to fans as he looked healthy in a recent picture posted on his newly opened Weibo account early this month.
Born in Guangzhou, China, in 1946, Ricky was most notable for his funny antics in a series of Hui brothers-produced comedies like The Contract, The Private Eyes and Games Gamblers Play.
On top of making people laugh with his screen performance, Ricky was also a musician, having released seven albums, penned the songs in Sam’s debut Cantonese album and participated in the production of the latter’s 1999 musicalMid Summer Night Madness.
He was originally slated to perform at Sam’s concert next April.
[Source: udn.com]
Here is a video showcasing the talents of the Hui brothers singing medleys from The Beatles and The Bee Gees. Ricky is the one in the centre.
Joe Frazier, the former heavyweight champion who handed Muhammad Ali his first defeat yet had to live forever in his shadow, died Monday night after a brief final fight with liver cancer, reported The Associated Press.
Frazier was 67.
The family issued a release confirming the boxer's death.
Frazier, who took on Ali in three momentous fights in the 1970s – including the epic "Thrilla in Manilla" – had been under home hospice care after being diagnosed just weeks ago with the cancer that took his life, a family friend said. Until then, Frazier had been doing regular autograph appearances, including one in Las Vegas in September.
Smokin' Joe was a small yet ferocious fighter who smothered his opponents with punches, including a devastating left hook he used to end many of his fights early. It was the left hook that dropped Ali in the 15th round at Madison Square Garden in 1971 to seal a win in the so-called "Fight of the Century."
Though he beat Ali in that fight, Frazier lost the final two and for many years was bitter about the role Ali forced him to play as his foil.
Frazier was diagnosed last month with the disease, his personal and business manager said. Leslie Wolff, who has been Frazier's manager for seven years, said the boxer had been in out and out of the hospital since early October and receiving hospice treatment the last week.
Frazier was the first man to beat Ali, knocking him down and taking a decision in the so-called Fight of the Century in 1971. He would go on to lose two more fights to Ali, including the epic "Thrilla in Manila" bout.
Frazier was bitter for many years about the way Ali treated him then. More recently, he said he had forgiven Ali for repeatedly taunting him.
While the "Fight of the Century" is celebrated in boxing lore, Ali and Frazier put on an even better show in their third fight, held in a sweltering arena in Manila as part of Ali's world tour of fights in 1975. Nearly blinded by Ali's punches, Frazier still wanted to go out for the 15th round of the fight but was held back by trainer Eddie Futch in a bout Ali would later say was the closest thing to death he could imagine.
Frazier won the heavyweight title in 1970 by stopping Jimmy Ellis in the fifth round of their fight at Madison Square Garden. Frazier defended it successfully four times before George Foreman knocked him down six times in the first two rounds to take the title from him in 1973.
Frazier would never be heavyweight champion again.
The following is the fight between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali on January 28 1974 at Madison Square Garden.
According to retired general Kitti Rattanachaya (left), who was given the honour of spraying holy water on Chin Peng's body before it was placed in the coffin, Chin Peng should be remembered as a hero, not as a terrorist. 
Agreeing with him, Akanit Muansawad, a general who retired from the Thai army last year, said that for him, forgiveness was the only way to bring peace. 
"I forgave because I couldn't see any other way to solve the problem," Akanit (right) said. 
