Songwriter John Prine dies of COVID-19 as JK Rowling ‘fully recovered’ from symptoms
John Prine, one of America’s greatest songwriters, has died after COVID-19 complications – just one week out from being due to tour Australia.
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One of America’s greatest songwriters John Prine has died after COVID-19 complications.
The revered 73-year-old musician had been due to tour Australia next week but cancelled the visit in February on doctor’s advice due to an existing hip injury.
His wife and manager Fiona revealed on March 17 she had tested positive for coronavirus after they returned to Nashville from a European tour.
Prine was admitted to intensive care at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center on March 26 and died today.
Over here on E Street, we are crushed by the loss of John Prine. John and I were "New Dylans" together in the early 70s and he was never anything but the lovliest guy in the world. A true national treasure and a songwriter for the ages. We send our love and prayers to his family.
— Bruce Springsteen (@springsteen) April 8, 2020
Worshipped as a songwriter’s songwriter by Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson and Bruce Springsteen, Prine distilled ordinary life and the full spectrum of the human condition into country-folk magic which touched the hearts of millions of fans around the world.
He worked as a mailman in his native Chicago while writing songs and singing as a hobby until Kristofferson saw him play and organised for him to perform in front of label executives to secure a record deal.
Among the “essential” Prine songs nominated by Rolling Stone are Angel from Montgomery, Sam Stone and All The Best.
“Over here on E Street, we are crushed by the loss of John Prine. John and I were “New Dylans” together in the early 70s and he was never anything but the loveliest guy in the world. A true national treasure and a songwriter for the ages. We send our love and prayers to his family,” Bruce Springsteen posted.
While mainstream success eluded him, Prine was revered by his peers and won two Grammys from 11 nominations.
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He became a hero to a new generation of musicians and roots music lovers as the Americana genre gained prominence in the past decade with popular artists including Brandi Carlile and Jason Isbell singing his praises to their fans.
“We’re so lucky to have had you,” posted Carlile who was also supposed to be touring Australia this Easter for the annual Bluesfest in Byron Bay.
“You were always free. Now that you’re home and free of pain, I’m gonna pray for Fiona and the kids with everything I’ve got.
“Thank you for every single time I got to stand beside you and sing those once in a lifetime songs.
JK ROWLING ‘FULLY RECOVERED’ FROM VIRUS SYMPTOMS
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has revealed she may have contracted the coronavirus and found a specific remedy that helped her symptoms.
The British author tweeted that “for last two weeks I’ve had all symptoms of C19 (tho haven’t been tested),” but that she used a specific technique recommended by her doctor husband, Neil Murray, which she shared in a video from a doctor at a London hospital.
The doctor, via a YouTube video, suggests taking two sets of five deep breaths in, and on the sixth breath taking a “big cough and covering your mouth” to open up the throat and lungs. Then, he urges viewers to lay face down with a pillow, taking deep breaths for 10 minutes.
Rowling told fans that the “technique helped a lot”.
She also said that she has “fully recovered” and thanked fans for their good wishes.
Please watch this doc from Queens Hospital explain how to relieve respiratory symptoms. For last 2 weeks I've had all symptoms of C19 (tho haven't been tested) & did this on doc husband's advice. I'm fully recovered & technique helped a lot.https://t.co/xo8AansUvc via @YouTube
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 6, 2020
Thank you for your kind and lovely messages! I really am completely recovered and wanted to share a technique that’s recommended by doctors, costs nothing, has no nasty side effects but could help you/your loved ones a lot, as it did me. Stay safe, everyone x
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 6, 2020
Rowling is one of a number of celebrities and public figures who have spoken out in recent weeks after testing positive for coronavirus or experiencing similar symptoms, including Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Idris Elba, Pink, and Richard Wilkins.
60s LEGEND DIAGNOSED WITH CORONAVIRUS
Last week, swinging sixties icon and musical treasure Marianne Faithfull has been admitted to a London hospital with COVID-19.
The 73-year-old artist’s manager confirmed the singer has the virus and is “stable and responding to treatment” for pneumonia which developed last week.
The As Tears Go By legend, who was famously in a long-term relationship with Mick Jagger during London’s swinging sixties cultural heyday, developed a cold and then tested positive for the virus after being hospitalised.
Her friend Penny Arcade urged fans and followers to “please pray for her”.
“She has withstood and survived so much in her life – including being Marianne Faithfull, that to be taken down by a virus would be such a tragedy,” she posted.
Pop star Pink has revealed she tested positive for coronavirus, issuing a plea to her fans that “this is serious and real”.
The So What singer revealed her diagnosis for COVID-19 in an emotional Instagram post today, revealing she was still in isolation at her US home but had recovered from the illness.
She said she and her son had experienced symptoms “two weeks ago” and she was tested by her doctor.
“Two weeks ago my three-year old son, Jameson, and I are were showing symptoms of COVID-19,” Pink wrote on Instagram.
“Fortunately, our primary care physician had access to tests and I tested positive. My family was already sheltering at home and we continued to do so for the last two weeks following the instruction of our doctor. It is an absolute travesty and failure of our government to not make testing more widely accessible,” she wrote.
“We must make testing free and more widely accessible to protect our children.”
She continued: “People need to know that the illness affects the young and old, healthy and unhealthy, rich and poor, and we must make testing free and more widely accessible to protect our children, our families, our friends and our communities”.
Pink also revealed she had donated $US1 million to hospitals and emergency funds in the US, in the fight against the deadly disease.
“These next two weeks are crucial: please stay home,” Pink said.
ACTOR PATRICIA BOSWORTH CLAIMED BY CORONAVIRUS
Patricia Bosworth, an actress who once starred alongside Audrey Hepburn and later wrote biographies on several stars including Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift, died in New York due to the coronavirus. She was 86.
Bosworth’s stepdaughter, Fia Hatsav, told The New York Times that pneumonia brought on by the virus was the cause of death.
Bosworth played a nun opposite of Hepburn in the 1959 classic The Nun’s Story. Along with penning bios for Brando and Clift, she also wrote biographies on actress Jane Fonda and famed photographer Diane Arbus, who photographed Bosworth in a Greyhound bus advertisement.
Her biography on Arbus served as the base for the 2006 film Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus, which starred Nicole Kidman.
Under the tutelage of Lee Strasberg, Bosworth studied acting at the Actors Studio alongside Marilyn Monroe, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen and Fonda. Bosworth worked on Broadway and starred in television shows including Naked City and The Patty Duke. Bosworth turned her attention from acting to focus on a career in journalism as a successful editor and writer. She wrote for The New York Times and New York magazine, and was an editor for several publications including Screen Stars, McCall’s and contributed to Vanity Fair.
REVERED ITALIAN SHOE DESIGNER DIES
Italian shoe designer Sergio Rossi has died in hospital as a result of coronavirus complications.
The 84-year-old passed away on Friday, according to the Maurizio Bufalini Hospital in Cesena, in northern Italy.
Rossi’s designs have been worn by celebrities including Adriana Lima, Rihanna, Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift.
“He loved women and was able to capture a woman’s femininity in a unique way, creating the perfect extension of a woman’s leg through his shoes,” wrote Riccardo Sciutto, CEO of the Sergio Rossi Group on Instagram.
“Our long and glorious history started from his incredible vision and we’ll remember his creativity forever.” Last month Rossi donated €100,000 ($A180,000) to the Sacco hospital in Milan to help in the fight against coronavirus.
STAR WARS ACTOR DEAD
Star Wars actor Andrew Jack has died aged 76 in the UK as a result of coronavirus, his agent says – and tragically he was unable to say goodbye to his wife who is in quarantine in Australia.
The news comes as the popular US TV host Chris Cuomo, younger brother of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, tested positive to the virus.
The actor Andrew Jack, who also worked as a dialect coach, was unable to “see or talk to” his wife, who he was “madly in love with”, at the end of his life as she was quarantined in Australia, Jack’s agent Jill McCullough said.
She added that he had died in hospital “of COVID-19”.
Jack had appeared in Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi as General Ematt, as well as Solo: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens.
We lost a man today. Andrew Jack was diagnosed with Coronavirus 2 days ago. He was in no pain, and he slipped away peacefully knowing that his family were all 'with' him.
— Gabrielle Rogers (@GabrielleRoger1) March 31, 2020
Take care out there, lovers x@RealHughJackman @chrishemsworth @RobertDowneyJr pic.twitter.com/fm5LevA8n2
“Andrew lived on one of the oldest working houseboats on the Thames, he was fiercely independent but madly in love with his wife, also a dialect coach, Gabrielle Rogers.
“Tragically she is stuck in quarantine in Australia, having just flown in from New Zealand last week.
“She was unable to see or talk to him at the end of his life and there is a chance a funeral may not be held.” Jack was “full of life”, “funny, charming and a joy to be around”, she added. “He was still working full-pelt, currently coaching on the new Batman.” His agent said that she had been inundated with messages about the late actor, adding: “Our community has lost one of its brightest and clearest voices.”
Jack’s clients for his dialect coaching included the actors Robert Downey Junior and Chris Hemsworth.
McCullough added: “Dialect coaching isn’t just about being good at accents, you need to make your actors feel safe and confident, and Andrew’s actors adored him.”
The actor, who also worked as a dialect coach, was unable to “see or talk to” his wife, Gabrielle Rogers, who he was “madly in love with”, at the end of his life as she was quarantined in Australia, Jack’s agent Jill McCullough said.
Chris Cuomo is a prime time anchor on CNN. He is continuing to shoot his show from his basement in New York, where he is in quarantine.
OTHER CELEB VICTIMS
The co-writer behind the legendary song I Love Rock N’ Roll has died from the coronavirus, as more celebrities are hit disease.
Singer and songwriter Alan Merrill, who co-wrote Joan Jett’s signature hit, died of coronavirus in New York, his daughter announced on social media.
Meanwhile, Spanish tenor Placido Domingo said he is recovering from the virus at home after being released from hospital in Mexico.
It comes as the ABC’s medical expert Norman Swan returned a negative result after being tested for coronavirus.
“The coronavirus took my father this morning,” Merrill’s daughter Laura wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday.
“I was given 2 minutes to say my goodbyes before I was rushed out.”
Laura said her 69-year-old father “seemed peaceful” and she left Mount Sinai Hospital still hoping he would not become “a ticker on the right hand side of the CNN/Fox news screen”.
“By the time I got in the doors to my apartment I received the news that he was gone,” she wrote.
Spanish tenor Placido Domingo said he was now at home and “feeling good” after being released from hospital in Mexico.
The 79-year-old opera star said on March 22 he had tested positive for the coronavirus. He was later admitted to hospital.
On Sunday he wrote on his Facebook page that he was back at his Apaculpo home and credited the early treatment he had received with easing his recovery.
“I am at home and I feel good. Fortunately from the first symptom I was, as always, under medical supervision, given my age and my comorbidities, so COVID-19 was immediately suspected and this helped me a lot,” he wrote.
The Spanish icon, who won worldwide acclaim in the 1990s as one of the Three Tenors alongside Jose Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti, has since August been engulfed in a sexual harassment scandal.
He is accused of forcibly kissing, grabbing and fondling women over a period of more than 30 years.
“At this time, my thoughts are with those who suffer and with all those who are fighting generously to save lives. I thank everyone for your love and once again I recommend everyone stays at home.”
AUSSIE TV EXPERT CLEARED OF COVID-19
The ABC’s medical expert Norman Swan has returned a negative test result for coronavirus after experiencing flu-like symptoms.
Swan, the network’s go-to expert on all matters coronavirus, said it was good news for those who may have come into close contact with him recently.
“After an interesting couple of days with flu like symptoms, worried about the innocent contacts who might have been close, there is good news: the test was negative. Not a licence to party. Distancing makes so much sense,” he wrote on Twitter.
FOLK STAR CRITICAL AFTER TESTING POSITIVE
The family of John Prine says the singer-songwriter is critically ill and has been placed on a ventilator while being treated for COVID-19-type symptoms.
A message posted on Prine’s Twitter page said the Angel from Montgomery singer has been hospitalised since Thursday and his condition worsened on Saturday.
“This is hard news for us to share,” Prine’s family added.
“But so many of you have loved and supported John over the years, we wanted to let you know, and give you the chance to send on more of that love and support now. And know that we love you, and that John loves you.”
Prine’s wife and manager Fiona Whelan Prine earlier this month said that she had tested positive for the coronavirus. She said the couple were quarantined and isolated from each other.
The 73-year-old Prine, one of the most influential in folk and country music, has twice fought cancer. Most recently, he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2013 and had part of a lung removed. The surgeries affected his voice but Prine continued to make music and to tour. Before the onset of the virus, Prine had shows scheduled in May and a summer tour planned.
AMERICAN COUNTRY SINGER DIES
Country singer Joe Diffie, who had a string of hits in the 1990s with chart-topping ballads and honky-tonk singles like Home and Pick-up Man, has died after testing positive for COVID-19. He was 61.
Diffie on Friday announced he had contracted the coronavirus, becoming the first country star to go public with such a diagnosis.
Diffie’s publicist Scott Adkins said the singer died on Sunday in Nashville, Tennessee, due to complications from the virus.
Diffie, a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a member of the Grand Ole Opry for more than 25 years.
His hits included Honky Tonk Attitude, Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die), Bigger Than the Beatles and If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets).
His mid-90s albums Honkey Tonk Attitude and Third Rock From the Sun went platinum. Eighteen of Diffie’s singles landed in the top 10 on the country charts, with five going No. 1. In his 2013 single 1994, Jason Aldean name-checked the ‘90s country mainstay.
Diffie shared in a Grammy award for best country collaboration for the song Same Old Train, with Merle Haggard, Marty Stuart and others.
His last solo album was 2010s The Bluegrass Album: Homecoming.
Diffie is survived by his wife, Tara Terpening Diffie, and seven children from four marriages.
VIRUS CLAIMS LIFE OF ROYAL
Princess Maria Teresa of Spain has died aged 86 after testing positive for coronavirus.
The princess, of the Bourbon-Parma Royal Family in Spain, passed away last Thursday her younger brother, Prince Sixtus Henry of Bourbon-Parma, announced, according to The Sun.
Members of the late princess’ family once ruled as King of Etruria and as Duke of Parma and Piacenza, Guastalla, and Lucca until 1859.
Princess Maria did not have any children of her own, but she is survived by a number of nieces and nephews, including Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, Princess Margarita and Prince Jaime.
CROCODILE DUNDEE STAR DEAD
Actor Mark Blum, who starred alongside Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski in Crocodile Dundee, and Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan, has died at the age of 69 from coronavirus.
New York-based theatre company Playwrights Horizons revealed the New Jersey-born star had died last Wednesday via a tribute on social media.
“With love and heavy hearts, Playwrights Horizons pays tribute to Mark Blum, a dear longtime friend and a consummate artist who passed this week.
“Thank you, Mark, for all you brought to our theatre, and to theatres and audiences across the world. We will miss you.”
Madonna, Blum’s co-star in the 1985 classic Desperately Seeking Susan, paid tribute to the actor.
“I want to acknowledge the passing of a remarkable human, fellow actor and friend Mark Blum, who succumbed to coronavirus.
“This is really tragic and my heart goes out to him, his family and his loved ones,” the 61-year-old star wrote on Instagram
“I remember him as funny warm, loving and professional when we made Desperately Seeking Susan in 1985! Another reminder that this virus is no joke, nothing to be casual about or pretend (the virus) won’t affect us in some way.”
According to the New York Post, Blum also appeared on a string of TV series, including NYPD Blue, The Sopranos, The West Wing and recently the cult Netflix hit You, playing bookseller Mr. Mooney.
His on-screen wife in Desperately Seeking Susan, Rosanna Arquette, also expressed her sadness at Blum’s passing, after being told of it by author Sharon Waxman.
I am so devastated by Mark Blum’s passing. His performances in the dozens of plays I saw him in were unfailingly deep, subtle, hilarious and moving in equal measure. Seeing his name in the Playbill always meant you were in for a treat. Also just one of the loveliest humans ever. pic.twitter.com/vC5rlpRJtq
— Cynthia Nixon (@CynthiaNixon) March 26, 2020
Mark Blum was my brother’s first boss in NYC when we moved there. He was full of hilarious stories about this insane business & was always so kind to my brothers & me, back when we had nothing. Thank you, Mark. RIP. â¤ï¸ https://t.co/5xkCbLmUdq
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) March 26, 2020
When I was in drama school Mark Blum was exactly the kind of actor I aspired to be: constantly employed, deeply respected, total mensch. Gutted to hear of his passing. His wife Janet Zarish was my acting teacher at NYU. They were the loveliest couple. My heart breaks for her. https://t.co/J7MvHutdge
— Josh Radnor (@JoshRadnor) March 26, 2020
“Sharon Waxman informed me of this very hard news today,” wrote Arquette. “I’m so deeply sad for his family and for his fans. he was a wonderful actor and a very good and kind man. May you Rest In Peace and power, Mark. God bless you.”
Blum is recalled by his colleagues and critics for the intensely high quality of his work. He was particularly beloved in the theatre community.
“There are actors whose names appear in the announcement of a play, and you instantly think, without knowing any details: This will be work worth seeing,” Washington Post theatre critic Peter Marks posted. “Mark Blum was of that wonderful calibre. Made me believe, every time I saw him. It’s terrible to read of his death.”
Playwright Christopher Shinn also took to Twitter to salute Blum’s life and kindness.
“In 2011 Mark Blum starred in my play Picked @vineyardtheatre, in a tricky role — a narcissistic filmmaker whose more human instincts collide with the desire to protect himself from emotional risk,” Shinn wrote.
“Mark’s performance took huge risks. He was magnificent. And the kindest man. RIP.”
Blum leaves behind his wife and fellow actor, Janet Zarish, also 69, whose credentials include guest appearances on Law & Order, Seinfeld and Blue Bloods.
OLYMPIC SWIMMER SERIOUSLY ILL
An Olympic gold medallist has revealed he has contracted coronavirus and described the illness as “by far the worst virus I have ever endured.”
Retired South African swimmer Cameron van der Burgh, 31, said he has been struggling with the disease for the past two weeks, reports the New York Post.
“By far the worst virus I have ever endured despite being a healthy individual with strong lungs (no smoking/sport), living a healthy lifestyle and being young (least at risk demographic),” he tweeted.
Although his worst symptoms, like severe fever, have eased, Van der Burgh said he’s still grappling with serious fatigue and an unshakeable cough.
“Any physical activity like walking leaves me exhausted for hours,” said the 2012 Olympic 100-metere breaststroke champion.
He addressed athletes specifically, writing, “The loss in body conditioning has been immense and [I] can only feel for the athletes that contract COVID-19 as they will suffer a great loss of current conditioning through the last training cycle.”
6/ Please, look after yourself everyone! Health comes first - COVID-19 is no joke!
— Cameron van der Burgh (@Cameronvdburgh) March 22, 2020
“Athletes will continue to train as there is no clarification re summer Games and thus are exposing themselves to unnecessary risk,” wrote Van der Burgh, who retired in 2018.
“And those that do contract will try [to] rush back to training most likely enhancing/extending the damage/recovery time,” he added.
“Please, look after yourself everyone! Health comes first – COVID-19 is no joke!”
The International Olympic Committee just this week agreed to postpone the summer games in Tokyo, which had a July starting date.
MERKEL NEGATIVE AFTER FIRST VIRUS TEST
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is “doing well” in self-imposed quarantine and awaiting further coronavirus testing after a first result came back negative, her spokesman said Monday.
The veteran leader decided to self-isolate as a precaution after learning earlier in March that a doctor who vaccinated her was infected with the novel coronavirus.
“The result of today’s test was negative,” her spokesman Steffen Seibert told DPA news agency.
He had earlier told reporters in the capital that Ms Merkel “is doing well and working from home”.
Further tests will follow in the coming days, Mr Seibert explained, since the initial test at such an early stage may not be conclusive.
In the meantime, the chancellor is getting on with the job from the comfort of her Berlin flat.
The 65-year-old last week dialled into a cabinet meeting that clinched a major rescue package for virus-stricken companies and employees in Europe’s top economy.
Seibert thanked everyone on Merkel’s behalf for “the many, many well wishes and messages for the chancellor to stay healthy”.
The spokesman declined to say whether Ms Merkel’s chemistry professor husband Joachim Sauer was quarantining with her, saying he would not share information about family members.
Asked if he himself, as a close Ms Merkel staffer, should self-isolate, Mr Seibert said he last met with the chancellor but had stuck to the advice of keeping a safe physical distance from people.
News that Ms Merkel was going into quarantine came shortly after she gave a press conference in Berlin where she showed no symptoms of ill health.
SA SENATOR TESTS POSITIVE
A South Australian Senator has tested positive for coronavirus after sitting in an inquiry with another politician who was unknowingly infectious after attending a NSW wedding where a “cluster” outbreak began.
Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick confirmed he had contracted COVID-19 almost two weeks after he sat through a hearing with NSW Senator Andrew Bragg when he had the virus.
Mr Patrick said he did not have any symptoms, but had been isolating since he was made aware of Mr Bragg’s positive test on March 17.
The Daily Telegraph understands while Mr Patrick did meet the criteria for 14 days of self-isolation due to his close contact with Mr Bragg on March 9, he did not technically meet the criteria for a test because he had no symptoms.
It is believed Mr Patrick only took a test after being referred by a GP last week as a precaution.
He had been isolating the entire time.
“SA Health has advised me that, despite being asymptomatic, my COVID-19 test has returned positive,” Mr Patrick said on Twitter.
“I have assisted them with comprehensive contact tracing and they’ll call anyone considered a) t risk.”
Mr Bragg contracted COVID-19 as a guest at a friend’s wedding in Stanwell Tops in NSW on March 6.
There have been 35 confirmed cases of the coronavirus among attendees at that wedding.
Two Labor Senators – Tony Sheldon and Jenny McAllister – have also self-isolated because they attended the same senate hearing on March 9 with Mr Bragg.
In a joint statement Ms McAllister confirmed she had self-quarantined and been tested for the coronavirus and had a negative result, while Mr Sheldon did not meet testing criteria but had also isolated.
The senate hearing went from about 9am to 4pm on March 9.
None of the four senators attended the current sitting week in Canberra.
WEINSTEIN IN ISOLATION
Convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein was put into sef-isolation in prison after testing positive for coronavirus.
A New York newspaper quoted unnamed officials confirming the diagnosis of Weinstein and two other prisoners. Weinstein’s spokesman told The Daily Beast “our team … has not heard anything like that yet”.
There have been a number of COVID-19 diagnoses in New York’s jails.
The Niagara Gazette quoted Mike Powers, the head of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association saying: “There is no better breeding ground for this virus than a closed environment such as a correctional facility.”
Weinstein, 68, was this month sentenced to 23 years prison for rape and sexual assault.
He has alternated between spending time in Rikers Island jail and a Manhattan Hospital, where he was being treated for chest pains and other ailments.
CNHI newspapers reported that Weinstein had been isolated in the Wende Correctional Facility, in the west of New York State.