THIS year marks the 50th anniversary of the moment when humankind reached peak music. In the glorious year of 1971, the Rolling Stones released Sticky Fingers, The Who gave us Who’s Next, and Led Zeppelin issued what became known as Led Zep IV. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. In the same year, we had Hunky Dory from David Bowie, Aqualung by Jethro Tull, Every Picture Tells A Story by Rod Stewart, Meddle from Pink Floyd, Electric Warrior from T.Rex and LA Woman from The Doors. Every time I turned on my crackly little radio in that wondrous year, I was presented with yet another song that I just knew would be an all-time classic. It was like we were living in a hailstorm of rock. And I haven’t even got to the Yes Album yet. Or John Lennon , who released Imagine. All this stuff is now 50 years old and yet my kids — and yours, I bet — are still listening to it. And it’s not hard to see why, as the No1 slot last week was occupied by Lil Nas X with a song … [Read more...] about Everything has got better since 1971… apart from music
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Order of Service for the funeral of Prince Philip released: ‘fortitude and faith’ to be remembered
Prince Philip will be remembered as a man of “courage, fortitude and faith” at a martial but also personal funeral that will mark the death of a royal patriarch who was a beloved husband and father, and one of a dwindling number of World War II veterans. Hymns and music during Saturday’s funeral at Windsor Castle will reflect Philip’s military ties and wartime service in the Royal Navy, as well as his more than seven decades of support for his wife, Queen Elizabeth II. Philip died April 9 at the age of 99 after 73 years of marriage. Coronavirus restrictions mean that instead of the 800 mourners included in the longstanding plans for his funeral, there will be only 30 inside St. George’s Chapel , including the widowed queen, her four children and eight grandchildren. READ MORE: How to watch Prince Philip's funeral service on TV Prince Philip death: Tiny guest list, Land Rover hearse and tense reunion - a royal funeral like no other Prince Philip death: 30 guests … [Read more...] about Order of Service for the funeral of Prince Philip released: ‘fortitude and faith’ to be remembered
Eddie Izzard: ‘I consider being trans a superhero thing – but if I’d lived in Nazi Germany I’d have been murdered for it’
Eddie Izzard has been speaking openly about her gender fluidity for years, but the comedian and actor's latest role has bought home how lucky she is to live in modern times. The comedian and actor 's latest project - period thriller Six Minutes To Midnight - which is set in the summer of 1939, just before the onset of World War II belongs to a time of more restricted freedoms. She tells Sky News: "I consider being trans a superhero thing - I wanted to put it in a very positive light with superheroes because some people are so negative about LGBT stuff. "I've been out and open about it since 1985, it's a long time… And if we go back to the 1930s, if I've been in Nazi Germany, I would have been murdered for saying that I was trans. "Gay people were put in concentration camps. That's what this extreme right-wing thinking will do." Advertisement And while the film may be set in history, she hopes that parallels with today's ever polarised society … [Read more...] about Eddie Izzard: ‘I consider being trans a superhero thing – but if I’d lived in Nazi Germany I’d have been murdered for it’
Prince Philip funeral: Charles, Kate and William lead mourners arriving to say goodbye
An emotional Prince Charles and other Royal Family members and mourners have arrived at Windsor Castle ahead of Prince Philip's funeral. He wore a face mask as he was driven through the castle's gates, as did Prince William and wife Kate Middleton as they departed Kensington Palace in west London. The Queen, 94, is preparing to say her final goodbye to her husband of 73 years following his death at their Berkshire home on April 9. Philip, 99, will be interred in the Royal Vault alongside 24 other coffins following an eight-minute procession and a 50-minute service that has been scaled back due to England's coronavirus rules. Just 30 mourners, led by the Queen and her four children and eight grandchildren, are allowed to attend the televised service, and they are required to wear face masks and social distance throughout. Hundreds of people defied a warning from police and showed up to lay flowers or survey the scene outside the castle, surrounded by armed police, in the … [Read more...] about Prince Philip funeral: Charles, Kate and William lead mourners arriving to say goodbye