We 80s kids suddenly feel old
Rod Stewart, Tom Selleck, Debbie Harry, Eric Clapton, Priscilla Presley, Helen Mirren and Steve Martin are among a long list of celebrities who will all reach 'Octogenarian' status this year.
Rod Stewart rocked Glastonbury just last week, playing for an hour and a half in the festivals 'Legends' spot. Himself and Eric Clapton, Bob Seger and Bjorn Ulvaeus of Abba, are still going strong in the world of music, even if they don't perform live quite as often as they used to. All of them absolute legends and all of them 80 years old. Rod Stewart. Pic: GMCD
Debbie Harry, of Blondie fame also celebrated her 80th birthday only last week, and is still working away with her band, putting the final touches on a new album. The 'Heart of Glass' singer was a favourite among young lads back in the 1980s, who among us didn't have her poster on our bedroom wall?
She still wears her platinum hair in a sexy cropped bob and looks every bit the rock star she is. However, its doubtful the band will ever tour again after the death of bandmate Clem Burke in March of this year, and Chris Stein unable to tour due to failing health. If you were lucky enough to see them in Belfast last year, you probably witnessed their last live gig. Debbie Harry. Pic: REX/Shutterstock
In the movie world, some of the worlds best loved stars of screen are also 80 this year, with Tom Selleck, aka Magnum PI heading up the glittering list of icons. He was a huge tv star back in the 1980s with his signature bushy moustache and cheeky persona, he oozed cool in his role as Magnum the smiling detective, in the series which ran for eight seasons from 1980 to 1988, and managed to capture the enviable balance of decent storylines, humour, and adventure. Actor/executive producer Tom Selleck, wife Jillie Mack and daughter Hannah (Photo by Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage)
Its hard to believe that those stars that some of us of a certain age would have had a teenage crush on, are now around the same age as our parents, and we never saw it coming. It's amazing how the mind plays tricks on us, because if we think about any of the above-named icons, our minds remember them as they were at the height of their fame, 40 plus years ago.
Speaking of 40 years ago, last week I introduced a younger member of my family to the movie 'Back to the Future', the timeless classic starring Michael J Fox as teenager Marty McFly, who travels back in time to the 1950's and meets his own mother, who in turn, develops a crush on him, (would never be allowed today). Back To The Future. Pic: Amblin Entertainment/Universal Pictures/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Director: Robert Zemeckis Amblin Entertainment/Universal Pictures
But it's harmless, clean, good fun, full of great music, adventure, a big goofy dog called Einstein, and of course the famous DeLorean car, which doubled as a time machine. That movie was released in July 1985 and turns 40 this week.
Other stars of music, stage and screen also reaching their 80th birthdays this year, include our own Brenda Fricker, Country music star Rita Coolidge, musicians Anne Murray, Kim Carnes, and Pete Townshend.
Take a moment to catch your breath as you realise that movie icon Harrison Ford, yes, Indiana Jones himself will be 83 next week (July 13th)
I think I need to lie down.
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