Singer Lou Christie of Lightnin' Strikes fame has died at 82
Christie spouse Francesca told The Hollywood Reporter that the singer died at his Pittsburgh home after battling a brief sickness.
The singer-songwriter reached the apex of his professional success in 1966 with the singles Lightnin' Strikes' and Rhapsody in the Rain.
Lightnin' Strikes' made it to the top spot on that Billboard Top 100 while Rhapsody in the Rain landed in the top 20.
Prior to 1966, Christie had his first taste of success with a pair of hit singles in 1963: The Gypsy Cried and Two Faces Have I.
He wrote both tracks with the late Twyla Herbert, who he worked with for years on songs. She died in July of 2009, according to an online obit.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
29 minutes ago
- The Sun
Iconic TV channel axe all UK production after almost three decades as it becomes latest casualty of streaming
I USED to love going to my best mate's house to watch MTV when I was a kid in the Nineties because my parents were too tight to pay for extra TV channels. But youngsters now won't be able to do the same, as I'm told MTV UK is the latest casualty of social media and streaming. 4 4 4 4 My insiders said the station has been axed in all but name after bosses quietly closed the UK production arm of the channel. MTV spin doctors insist the station 'will still have a presence', but concede they will no longer be making original music content. Instead, generic US shows will be aired alongside the usual rolling music videos. Notable cancellations include original series Gonzo and Fresh Out UK. As well as being a huge blow to British music, it's also a major loss to up-and-coming presenting talent. Stars including Kelly Brook, Emma Willis and Cat Deeley all got their big breaks in telly thanks to the station. Greg James and Joel Dommett also hosted on the channel earlier in their careers. My source said: 'Everyone at MTV is gutted. To say there has been a bloodbath of cuts would be an understatement. 'Staff have been left in tears as some have been there for decades. "Those that are left fear more doom and gloom could be around the corner.' It comes after the EMAs — the European answer to the famous VMAs — was axed for this year in another cost- saving measure. A spokesman said: ' MTV UK is sunsetting local series Gonzo and Fresh Out UK, beginning this month. 'We are deeply grateful to our hosts Jack Saunders and Becca Dudley, the talented artists who have been a part of these series, as well as the teams who brought them to life. Watch emotional moment Ozzy Osbourne speak about amazing life with Sharon in resurfaced moment from The Osbournes as rocker tragically dies 'Fans can continue to enjoy global music shows like the MTV VMAs, STANS and Ozzy Osbourne: No Escape From Now on MTV and Paramount+, alongside digital music content on our MTV UK social channels.' I know nothing can ever stay the way it was . . . but this just makes me want to go back to the Nineties. END OF AN ERA By Jack Hardwick MTV was once a juggernaut of the music industry - with stars lining up to feature on its regular music shows. So I was genuinely gutted to hear from multiple sources the dyer state MTV has found itself in and the brutal culling of large swaths of its staff. UK based production teams and talent handlers have all been given the chop - many of which had dedicated over a decade to the channel. Officially the business is restructuring but it's another sure tell sign the music industry is battling for survival in an age of social media dominance and TV streaming. One exec put it to me: "In terms of original music content on music channels, that's it. There are no music channel promo opportunities for artists now. It was a nice win for newer acts to help break them as we always championed them. It's bleak." The shake up comes hot on the heels of MTV resting the Europe Music Awards for the year - amid rising costs. I'm told it will be back for 2026 though personally I won't be holding my breath. The word iconic is far too often used but MTV really is. For decades it has dominated. On a personal level I remember begging my mum and dad to add the £1 music channel bolt on to our Sky package. Admittedly they took some wearing down but I eventually got my own way. Back in 2021 I excitedly sat front and centre as the Queen of Pop herself Madonna filmed a special for her latest album Madame X in London. A new record is said to be due out before the end of the year - though this time around Madge will have to look elsewhere for promo. I hope the bloodbath currently sweeping the brand right now does achieve its goal - to streamline and revive a glorious brand in the ever challenging market. But I fear it could be too little too late, and it's a stark warning to us all. Adapt or die.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" holds its lead atop the box office
Marvel 's first family stumbled in theaters in its second weekend, but still held on to the top spot at the box office. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' earned $40 million from 4,125 North American theaters, a 66% drop from a healthy $117.6 million debut. The film was accompanied by comedies 'The Bad Guys 2' and 'The Naked Gun" in the top three box office rankings. The superhero movie dipped significantly more than Marvel's previous film, ' Thunderbolts,' which took a 55% dive in its second weekend. 'First Steps' is the last major blockbuster of the summer. It added nearly $40 million internationally in its second weekend, bringing thefilm's global total to $369 million. The movie's box office drop off was surprising given its strong reviews, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for the data firm Comscore. Though the movie's debut weekend may have given box office results a strong push toward the $4 billion summer benchmark, August is off to a slow start, he said. 'It's a tough lift, but we might be able to get there. It really means that all the films are gonna have to stand on their own,' Dergarabedian said. 'It's gonna be about getting great reviews, having that staying power, that longevity in the marketplace.' Newcomer comedy 'The Bad Guys 2' earned second place at the box office this weekend, with $22 million from 3,852 North American theaters. That was on par with projections and also in line with the first movie in the series, which brought in $23 million in 2022. Paramount's slapstick comedy, 'The Naked Gun,' also in its debut weekend, snagged the third box office spot, earning $17 million from 3,344 locations. Jim Orr, president of domestic distribution for Universal Pictures, said the solid debut for 'The Bad Guys 2,' coupled with strong audience reaction scores, 'should point to a very long, very successful run through not only the rest of the summer, but really, I think into the fall." James Gunn's 'Superman,' which opened four weekends ago and already crossed $550 million globally, earned $13.8 million domestically this weekend, taking the fourth spot. 'Jurassic World Rebirth' followed with $8.7 million. The horror movie 'Together' had a strong debut weekend, coming in at sixth place and earning $6.8 million domestically, proof that August is a month for edgier and off-beat films, Dergarabedian said. 'That's what this month is about. It's not just about box office," Dergarabedian said. "It's also about providing really interesting, rewarding movie-going experiences for audiences.' Dergarabedian said he expects highly-anticipated movies hitting theaters in the next few weeks — including 'Freakier Friday,' and Zach Cregger's horror movie 'Weapons' — to give August a needed boost. The box office is currently up 9.5% from last year. Top 10 movies by domestic box office With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore: 1. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps," $40 million. 2. 'The Bad Guys 2,' $22.2 million. 3. 'The Naked Gun,' $17 million. 4. 'Superman,' $13.8 million. 5. 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' $8.7 million. 6. 'Together,' $6.8 million. 7. 'F1: The Movie,' $4.1 million. 8. 'I Know What You Did Last Summer,' $2.7 million. 9. 'Smurfs,' $1.8 million. 10. 'How to Train Your Dragon,' $1.4 million.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Liam Neeson's former sister-in-law Joely Richardson APPROVES of his new romance with bombshell Pamela Anderson - 16 years after his late wife's tragic death
Joely Richardson has approved of Liam Neeson 's new romance with bombshell Pamela Anderson. The actress, 60, made a subtle nod to the new showbiz couple as the Taken actor, 73, announced to the world he has moved on following his late wife Natasha's death 16 years ago. Joely is the younger sister of The Parent Trap actress Natasha - who tragically fell to her death at the age of 45 following a skiing accident. Liam and Natasha were married for 15 years and shared two sons - Micheál, 30, and Daniel, 28 - together. Since her sudden death, Liam has only dated once, and was previously with PR executive Freya St. Johnston for two years. Following their split, he stayed single for 13 years, until recently announcing he is in a relationship with the Baywatch star, 58. The couple star in new comedy Naked Gun together, and it seems their romance has flourished from there. In an Instagram post which featured Liam, Pamela wrote: 'The Naked Gun is finally in theatres! Bring your friends, lovers… whoever… just go and have a laugh… it's good for you! I'll see you there.' Beneath the snaps, Joely commented a string of red hearts. More than 750 Instagram users have liked Joely's reaction and a few people left comments. It comes after Pamela revealed how she impressed the veteran Irish star by bringing homemade sourdough bread and muffins to The Naked Gun set. The actress is best known for her sexy role on Baywatch but she is also an accomplished chef with a cookbook to her name. Her plant-based I Love You: Recipes From The Heart was nominated for a 2025 James Beard Award. The pair worked together for the first time on the action comedy - a revival of the franchise which originally starred Leslie Nielsen - and Pamela admitted she was nervous when they first met. But they forged a close friendship and she was soon bringing him baked goods to snack on during breaks. During a SiriusXM Town Hall event in New York City on Wednesday, Pamela said: '[I was] nervous to meet [Liam], of course and you're always nervous the first day on the set... 'I brought sourdough bread to Liam and cookies and muffins and it kept me busy. Kept me outta trouble... It's a very special [muffin] recipe. It's very good for you. Let's just say that.' Liam added that Pamela's sourdough was 'phenomenal' and the muffins featured 'a lot of bran'.
