Kate McGarrigle, Canadian folk singer and mother of musicians Rufus and Martha Wainwright, passed away Monday night at the age of 63. According to Reuters, McGarrigle had been suffering from clear cell sarcoma cancer for over three years.
Her sister, Anna, who was also a member of the songwriting team, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, shared the news on their official website:
Last year, Rufus Wainwright took a break from pop music, and started writing for the stage. Prima Donna, Wainwright’s first opera, opened last weekend (July 10) at the Manchester International Festival to “mixed” reviews.
Wainwright dressed up like the 19th century Italian composer Verdi, complete with the characteristic beard, top-hat and cane, and though he received much applause at the debut, some of the critics’ initial responses imply that 35 year-old Wainwright doesn’t yet compare with centuries-old opera classics. See some of the reactions below:
Today, National Anthem Day, American’s celebrate the moment when the poem, “Defense of Fort McHenry” by Francis Scott Key combined with a popular British drinking song to create what is now known as the Star Spangled Banner. In honor of the national anthem, we at BeatCrave have come up with a list of anthems of a different sort. America is full of a bargain bin combination of people and, as an individualistic nation, it seems appropriate that different categories of persona should have their own anthem.
While not everyone is honored with an anthem here, we’ve tried to cover a broad spectrum of people. From your emo kid to your drug addict, from the gay guy next door to the drunk girl in the gutter, we’ve provided an appropriate anthem for them all. So, sing along and celebrate the diversity of American dysfunction with each of these awesome songs!
Elvis Costello has a new television show titled “Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…” debuting on the Sundance Channel on December 3. Each show will be one hour and feature Costello having in-depth conversations with a variety of high-profile guests including The Police, Elton John, Jenny Lewis, Loud Reed and even President Bill Clinton among many others. The guests will also perform songs and Costello will join them.
The show will air every Wednesday at 9 PM EST/PT between December 3 and February 25. Elton John will be the first guest on December 3. Check out the entire guest schedule after the break.
