Eric Carmen has passed away

In 1988, my friend lent me a cassette of some songs that I really liked. I copied the cassette and I used to listen to it on my Walkman. I particularly liked two of them. One of the songs was True Love by the late Glenn Frey and the other was Make Me Lose Control by Eric Carmen. Now Eric Carmen was no stranger to me. I knew about Hungry Eyes as it was from the the movie Dirty Dancing. As for Make Me Lose Control, I just played it last weekend. Something inside me told me to play it. Now I think I know why.

Eric Carmen passed away today. I just got the news from a friend of mine. He passed away in his sleep at the age of 74. The cause of his death is unknown. His wife Amy said that Eric was very happy that his music touched so many. I am one of those that he touched by his music. And the song I played last weekend? Here it is below.

Rest in peace Eric.

Sir Bobby Charlton has passed away

Today, the world lost a legend of the game. Sir Bobby Charlton has passed away. He was 86 years old. In case some who are reading this do not know, he was an English professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder, central midfielder, and left winger. A legend who won the 1966 World Cup. Widely considered one of the greatest players of all time. I always remarked to my wife that recently, I had not seen him at Manchester United games and we wondered if his he was not well. It looks like our worst fears were realised.

Rio Ferdinand said it best:

Icon, Legend, Great! these words are thrown around by all of us to many who 100% don’t deserve them, especially when you compare them to man of Sir Bobby’s calibre.

Rest in peace sir.

Actor David McCallum dead at 90 years of age

It is a sad day for all fans of David McCallum today as the veteran actor passed away at New York Presbyterian Hospital of natural causes. He was 90 years old. I still remember as a young kid, revelling in the TV show The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in which he played Russian spy Illya Kuryakin. He was also The Invisible Man in that short-lived TV series. And who forget him as Steel in Sapphire and Steel? From what I read, when he was in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. his part was supposed to be a bit-part. But because he got so popular, his part turned permanent. He also played Commander Eric Ashley-Pitt in The Great Escape. Rest in peace David. We will miss you.

Randy Meisner, ex-Poco and ex-Eagles, dead at 77

I had a shock this morning when I read the news. Randy Meisner, ex-Poco and ex-Eagles bassist and vocalist, had passed away at the age of 77 from complications from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease. He was one of my favourite singers in The Eagles, singing songs like Take It To The Limit and Midnight Flyer. Randy said Take It To The Limit was about having seen everything, done everything and getting older, you know you have to keep rolling with the punches and take it to the limit one more time. It is a sad day for me because that song really resonates with me. Rest in peace Randy. You are not suffering anymore

Tony Bennett has passed away at the age of 96

It came as a shock to me today when I found out that Tony Bennett had passed away. Mr Bennett was 96 when he passed on, just two weeks short of his birthday. My late Dad loved his songs and I grew up listening to them. “I enjoy entertaining the audience, making them forget their problems,” he told The Associated Press in 2006. “I think people … are touched if they hear something that’s sincere and honest and maybe has a little sense of humour. … I just like to make people feel good when I perform.”

Rest in peace Mr Bennett. Just think of all the people in heaven you will be entertaining. And say hi to Dad for me if you meet him.

Rest in peace Coco Lee

My wife and I read the sad news online yesterday night about singer Coco Lee. She had committed suicide after suffering from depression. Now I for one did not really care much for her songs but they were always being played on the radio then. However, it is one thing to not care much about her songs and another to be sad because we lost a lovely woman to depression. No one deserves to to put themselves through such suffering. Wherever you are Coco, rest in peace.

Tina Turner passes away at 83 years old

It is a very sad day for me indeed today as I heard that Tina Turner had passed away at 83 after a long illness. She had suffered ill health in recent years, being diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2016 and having a kidney transplant in 2017. I still remember playing her song The Best in the clubs those years ago. Her powerful vocals got the attention of everybody and till this day, that song of hers still rocks above all the rest. Rest in peace Tina. You are a legend.

Rest in peace Harry Belafonte

Heard the sad news today that Harry Belafonte had passed away. I remember in 1979 I grew to like his Banana Boat Song (Day-O) and I even asked a friend of mine, who’s dad owned the cassette, to record it for me. Then there were other hits of his named Coconut Woman and so many others. He was also an actor and a human rights activist. He was a very good friend of Martin Luther King as well. As a matter of fact, Martin Luther King’s daughter even spoke about hos Mr Belafonte helped her family financially when they were young. He was 96 years old when he died. Mr Belafonte is survived by his wife Pamela, his four children, two stepchildren, and eight grandchildren. Rest in peace sir

Rest in peace Mr Sim Wong Hoo

Today is a sad day for all of us techies in Singapore. Mr Sim Wong Hoo, CEO and founder of Creative Technologies has passed away. I am numb with sadness. I have used his products like his Sound Blaster sound card in many of the PCs I had and they have always been great to use and great sounding. I have also met the man himself and I found him to be a good sport. So down to earth and so humble. Rest in peace Mr Sim. We have lost a true son of Singapore

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has passed away

I had just come out of the Church where I had gone for Mass and I heard the sad news of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had passed on. The former Cardinal Ratzinger had resigned in 2013 due to poor health and was succeeded by Pope Francis. According to Vatican News:

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has returned to the Father’s House.

The Holy See Press Office announced that the Pope Emeritus died at 9:34 AM on Saturday morning in his residence at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, which the 95-year-old Pope emeritus had chosen as his residence after resigning from the Petrine ministry in 2013.

“With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 AM in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be provided as soon as possible.  As of Monday morning, 2 January 2023, the body of the Pope Emeritus will be in Saint Peter’s Basilica so the faithful can bid farewell.”

Rest in peace Holy Father.