[andy popp]

Oh, I'm really sorry and shocked to see that. I took my firsts steps into climbing in 1978, serving my apprenticeship down the Gorge. I'm never knew them well but we (me and my climbing mates from school) looked at Steve, Nipper and all that crew (including you Duncan) with a kind of awe. And what a fantastic Crags cover you've linked to - I remember it well.

[Duma]

Amazing shot that, thanks Duncan. Anyone climbing in and around Bristol owes a debt to Steve Findlay, RIP

[mrjonathanr]

Gary Rossington, last man standing from original line up of Lynyrd Skynyrd
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/mar/07/gary-rossington-obituary
And of course, this

[chriss]

Gary Rossington, last man standing from original line up of Lynyrd Skynyrd
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/mar/07/gary-rossington-obituary
And of course, this

Sad news, they all lead a right life & suffered tragedy.

This live version of this song is brilliant, RIP.

[andy popp]

Gordon Moore, Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel founder, author of Moore's Law setting out a (largely fulfilled) vision of exponential increases in computing power. Heard of him or not, he changed all our lives.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/mar/25/gordon-moore-intel-co-founder-who-predicted-rise-of-the-pc-dies-at-94

[sdm]

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/pe-teacher-who-survived-aberfan-26596125

Howell Williams, one of the Pantglas teachers passed away recently.

My family grew up in the Rhondda, some of their childhood friends were only alive because of the actions of the teachers and other school staff that day.

[chriss]

 A very sad loss to the world of BMX, especially for older UK riders like me.

https://digbmx.com/dig-this/in-memory-craig-stevens

Also a shocked to hear of the passing of a the rising Irish WRC driver.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/65265759

[sherlock]

Christoph Schweiger
21 yo up & coming German comp climber.
https://www.climbing.com/news/german-comp-climber-christoph-schweiger-dies-after-being-struck-by-car

[mrjonathanr]

I’d never hear of Mark Stewart before reading a couple of obituaries this week. Seems like a fascinating character.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/apr/22/how-mark-stewart-set-the-tone-for-post-punk-protest-music

[duncan]

Stewart was a key agitator in Bristol of the 80s and 90s, with the Pop Group and solo. Seeing him with the original Maffia at the Trinity Centre in 1982 was an ear-opening moment. They played this:



When I persuaded the registrars Jerusalem was a secular anthem, not a Christian hymn, so could be included in our non-religious marriage ceremony I didn’t have The Last Night of the Proms in my mind.

[mrjonathanr]

Somehow I’d not heard of him before. Well that would have been an interesting gig.  Punky William Blake-Lee Scratch Perry crossover. Cool!

[Falling Down]

Stewart was also one of the first people to introduce hip-hop to these shores.  He was in NYC in 1979 and spent all his time taping hip hop radio shows then brought the tapes back to Bristol where they all got copied and circulated.

So cool you went to those shows in the 80’s Duncan and had Jerusalem played at your wedding.

I remember a brilliant On-U Sound/Tackhead/Mark Stewart and the Mafia gig at Sheffield Poly in ‘89. Very loud !

[Dac]

Harry Belafonte.

Possibly best known for popularising Calypso music in the ‘50s and ‘60s, but should probably be remembered for his significant contributions to the civil rights movement.

Helped organise the 1963 march on Washington, best remembered for Martin Luther Kings ‘I have a dream’ speech.

And the episode of the muppet show he featured on was apparently Jim Hendon’s favourite.

[SA Chris]

Paul O Grady, Barry Humphries, Len Goodman, not been great for "light entertainers" recently.

[andy popp]

Harry Belafonte.

A towering figure in US cultural and social history. It's well worth reading some of the obituaries, esp. in the US papers.

[SA Chris]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65455240

Gordon Lightfoot. Songs I know so well they are almost like background themes to my life.

[SA Chris]

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/may/19/andy-rourke-bassist-for-the-smiths-dies-aged-59

Andy Rourke. Can't believe how young he was.

[sheavi]

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/may/19/andy-rourke-bassist-for-the-smiths-dies-aged-59

Andy Rourke. Can't believe how young he was.

That's really sad.  His bass on 'Barbarism Begins at Home' immediately springs to mind. RIP.

[SA Chris]

Amazing playing on just about every track. Soundtrack to my late teenage years.

[cheque]

Martin Amis. Fantastic writer.

[MarkJ]

Wow - so many great people, what a damn shame.

Barry Humphries was a seriously funny guy. There's a Youtube clip of one of Clive James's chat shows, featuring Barry and Peter Cook, from the 1980's. One of the funniest things I've ever seen.

[MarkJ]

Aarg !
Pete Brown who wrote a lot of the lyrics for Cream.