Dead Pool 6th January 2019

Afternoon all, welcome to the first newsletter of 2019!!! Lots of the usual stuff but alas no points to award just yet! Thank you to those of you who have already donated to the running costs this year, every little helps! If you would like to contribute, you can do so on the website. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Daryl Dragon, 76, American musician and songwriter (Captain & Tennille, The Beach Boys), renal failure.  
• Bob Einstein, 76, American actor (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Ocean’s Thirteen) and performer (Super Dave Osborne), leukemia. 
• Julia Grant, 64, British trans woman pioneer (A Change of Sex). 
• Darius Perkins, 54, Australian actor (Neighbours, Home and Away), cancer.
• Scott Dozier, 48, American convicted murderer, suicide.

In Other News

Olivia Newton-John has dismissed recent reports speculating about her health. The Australian actor – who shot to fame after a starring role in the musical Grease – revealed in September she had been diagnosed with cancer for the third time in three decades. Media outlets in the US began reporting last month that she only had “weeks” to live. Responding to the reports in a video posted to Facebook, Newton-John assured fans she is “doing great”. “Happy New Year everyone, this is Olivia Newton-John and I just want to say that the rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated, to quote a very famous quote,” she said. “And I am doing great and want to wish all of you the happiest, healthiest 2019 as possible and thank you all for your wonderful love and support for me and for my Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia.” Newton-John announced she had been diagnosed once again with cancer last year, telling Australian news programme Sunday Night that doctors found a tumour in her lower back in 2017 while she was undergoing a medical evaluation. The 70-year-old said she was treating the cancer with “modern” medicines along with natural remedies. She said she had cut sugar completely from her diet and was using marijuana to help with the physical pain. Her husband, John Easterling, founded the Amazon Herb Company and grows cannabis at their Californian ranch.

Argentina legend Diego Maradona has been released from hospital after being admitted with internal bleeding in his stomach, his daughter said. The 58-year-old was having a routine medical in his home country when doctors discovered the problem. However, his family said the diagnosis was not serious. “For those who were really worried about my dad I can tell you that he is well,” his daughter Dalma said. “He is going home soon.” Reuters news agency later reported Maradona had left the hospital. Maradona, who captained Argentina to World Cup victory in 1986, is coach of Mexican second division side Dorados de Sinaloa. He was taken ill during Argentina’s victory over Nigeria at last year’s World Cup in Russia but later said he was “fine”.  

Pop star Jimmy Osmond is being treated for a stroke that was diagnosed after he came off stage following a pantomime performance on Thursday. Osmond, 55, was playing Captain Hook in Peter Pan at the Birmingham Hippodrome. His spokesperson said the star went to hospital after “pushing through” the evening’s performance. There are no further details about his condition. He is part of the famous Osmond family and had chart hits including 1972’s Long Haired Lover From Liverpool. His spokesperson said: “On the evening of Thursday 27th December, after pushing through the evening’s performance of Peter Pan at Birmingham Hippodrome, Jimmy Osmond was driven straight to hospital and diagnosed with a stroke. “He is grateful for all the well wishes and will be taking time out in the new year.” Known as “Little” Jimmy, he is the youngest member of the Osmond family and became the youngest person to have a UK number one single when Long Haired Lover From Liverpool hit the top spot.  

Sir Billy Connolly has spoken candidly about death and living with Parkinson’s disease. The 76-year-old was diagnosed with the degenerative neurological condition in 2013 and announced his retirement from touring last month. Appearing on the BBC documentary series Made in Scotland, which sees Connolly reflect on his life and career, the revered comedian said: “My life, it’s slipping away and I can feel it and I should. “I’m near the end. I’m a damn sight nearer the end than I am the beginning. But it doesn’t frighten me, it’s an adventure and it is quite interesting to see myself slipping away. “As bits slip off and leave me, talents leave and attributes leave. I don’t have the balance I used to have, I don’t have the energy I used to have. I can’t hear the way I used to hear, I can’t see as good as I used to. I can’t remember the way I used to remember. “And they all came one at a time and they just slipped away, thank you. It is like somebody is in charge of you and they are saying ‘right, I added all these bits when you were a youth, now it is time to subtract’.” Glasgow-born Connolly, nicknamed The Big Yin, was a welder in his home city before becoming a globally renowned comedian. He is known for his energetic performing style but said Parkinson’s prevented him from moving around the stage like he did at his peak. Speaking about Parkinson’s on the BBC programme, he says: “It takes a certain calm to deal with, and I sometimes don’t have it. I sometimes get angry with it, but that doesn’t last long, I just collapse in laughter.” 

On This Day

• 1540 – King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves.  
• 1839 – The Night of the Big Wind, the most damaging storm in 300 years, sweeps across Ireland, damaging or destroying more than 20% of the houses in Dublin.
• 2017 – The US Congress certifies Donald Trump winner of 2016 presidential election. God help us all!

Deaths

• 1852 – Louis Braille, French educator, invented Braille (b. 1809) 
• 1884 – Gregor Mendel, Czech geneticist and botanist (b. 1822)
• 1919 – Theodore Roosevelt, American colonel and politician, 26th President of the United States (b. 1858)
• 1949 – Victor Fleming, American director, producer, and cinematographer (b. 1883)
• 1993 – Dizzy Gillespie, American singer-songwriter and trumpet player (b. 1917)  
• 1993 – Rudolf Nureyev, Russian-French dancer and choreographer (b. 1938)  
• 2012 – Bob Holness, South African-English radio and television host (b. 1928)

Last Week’s Birthdays

Bradley Cooper (44), January Jones (41), Clancy Brown (60), Diane Keaton (73), Robert Duvall (88), Hayao Miyazaki (78), Vinnie Jones (54), Marilyn Manson (50), Julia Ormond (54), Matt Frewer (61), Julian Sands (61), Michael Stipe (59), Mel Gibson (63), Victoria Principal (69), Tia Carrere (52), Cuba Gooding Jr. (51), and Frank Langella (81).