Astrud Gilberto, dreamy voice of classic song ‘Girl from Ipanema’, dead at 83 — rest in peace

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Monica Pop
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Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto, who enchanted millions with her iconic song The Girl from Ipanema, has died aged 83.

This song was the first ever that this singer recorded and it remained her greatest hit which helped her rise to stardom. Even today, The Girl from Ipanema is considered one of the most famous and most influential bossa nova recordings which impacted Brazilian music profoundly.

Almost overnight, Astrud helped create what became known as a new global pop music fashion, introducing sophisticated Brazilian musical style to the people from the States and all around the world. 

Over the years, she recorded 16 albums and worked with some of the greatest names in the music industry such as Quincy Jones and George Michael.

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The news of the singer’s passing was shared by her granddaughter.

“I’m here to bring you the sad news that my grandmother became a star today, and is next to my grandfather João Gilberto,” wrote Sofia, who is also a musician.

“She was a pioneer and the best. At the age of 22, she gave voice to the English version of Girl from Ipanema and gained international fame.”

Another person close to the late singer, Paul Ricci, a New York based guitarist who collaborated with Astrud, also took to the social media to share the sad news. 

“I just got word from her son Marcelo that we have lost Astrud Gilberto,” he wrote. “He asked for this to be posted. “She was an important part of ALL that is Brazilian music in the world and she changed many lives with her energy. RIP from ‘the chief’, as she called me.”

How Astrud came to perform the English version of her iconic song is not certain, but there are different versions surrounding that story. According to Astrud herself, it was her husband, João Gilberto, the Brazilian guitarist called the “father of bossa nova,” who suggested it in 1963, at a recording session in New York with jazz great Stan Getz for an album called Getz/Gilberto. “João casually asked me to join in and sing a chorus in English after he had just sung the first chorus in Portuguese,” she recalled in an interview.

Astrud wasn’t credited for her vocals and only got $120 for the session, but she recorded her solo version after that. 

American saxophonist Stan Getz made an estimated million dollars off the track and “made sure that [Astrud] got nothing,” referring to her as to a “housewife.”

“I had fun doing it, and I enjoy being a part of it,” she explained in a 1978 interview with WHYY’s Fresh Air. “But I have never envisioned it as becoming an important thing in my life, or the beginning of a career, or anything like it.”

“The funny thing is that after my success, stories abound as to Stan Getz or Creed Taylor having ‘discovered me’, when in fact, nothing is further from the truth,” she said in 1982. “I guess it made them look important to have been the one that had the ‘wisdom’ to recognise potential in my singing.

“I suppose I should feel flattered by the importance that they lend to this, but I can’t help but feel annoyed that they resorted to lying.”

Singer Astrud Gilberto attends the March 15th Grammy Awards dinner presented by New York chapter of National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

When the song reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, it became an international hit which brought Astrud the Grammy Award for Song of the Year, and a nomination for Best Vocal Performance by a Female.

None of her other songs ever reached the fame of The Girl from Ipanema, but Astrud did have a very successful career as a singer in her home country. 

No further details surrounding her passing have been revealed. May she rest in peace.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger calls heaven a ‘fantasy,’ and people who believe in it ‘f*g liars’

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Monica Pop
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Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger sat down with Interview Magazine recently and what he had to say left many speechless. His words, considered by many believers as controversial, caused a stir on the social media.

Speaking of what happens to us after we die, the seven time Mr. Olympia said that everyone who believes in the afterlife is a “f****** liar.”

When asked “What’s in the future for us?” the former California wasn’t afraid to speak his mind.

“It reminds me of Howard Stern’s question to me,” Arnie replied. “‘Tell me, governor, what happens to us when we die?’

“I said, ‘Nothing. You’re six feet under. Anyone that tells you something else is a f****** liar’.”

HOLLYWOOD, CA – AUGUST 15: Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger arrives at Lionsgate Films’ “The Expendables 2” premiere on August 15, 2012 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

He further said that once we die, we’ll never see each other the way we see us now.

“I said, ‘We don’t know what happens with the soul and all this spiritual stuff that I’m not an expert in, but I know that the body as we see each other now, we will never see each other again like that.”

His interview made many angry and he experienced backlash, but that didn’t prevent him from expressing his honest opinion stating later in the interview that he believed the idea of heaven to be mere “fantasy.”

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“When people talk about, ‘I will see them again in heaven’, it sounds so good, but the reality is that we won’t see each other again after we’re gone,” Schwarzenegger said. “That’s the sad part. I know people feel comfortable with death, but I don’t.”

Schwarzenegger’s upcoming Netflix documentary Arnold is set to be released on June 7.

COLUMBUS, OHIO – MARCH 05: Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks to fans during the Slap Fighting Championships at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus Convention Center on March 05, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gaelen Morse/Getty Images)

What are your thoughts on the comments made by the Terminator?

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Kindness shown by a man is just amazing to watch

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Monica Pop
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When you think about it, it is the kindness that we offer to those around us that makes this world a much beautiful place. Whether it is the smile we offer to a neighbor or someone who’s feeling down, or we go to greater lengths to help someone in need, being kind is the most rewarding trait a person can possess.

A man named Chris was taking a ride with his wife Tara and their two children when they spotted an elderly man mowing the lawn. Doing such an activity at advanced age seemed like a tiring task to Chris who stopped his car and landed a helping hand. He got outside and offered to mow the lawn. The elderly man was surprised but gladly accepted the help.

At that moment, Tara and her kids, who are probably still too young to understand how much their dad’s action meant to the elderly man, felt proud of Chris.

“There are many reasons I adore my husband, but one is his thoughtfulness. Chris instructed me to go home first, and he would come to pick me up today when I returned home from picking up our kids. Although I did not understand what was happening, I knew Chris had a strategy. He had stopped at a flower shop and purchased some flowers for me. It turned out. I was pleasantly surprised and delighted by the lovely gesture,” Tara said.

Tara hopes her boys will become good people just like their dad who teaches them the right values through examples.

Most times, being kind doesn’t require much effort and it can still mean the world to those who receive it. And as the proverb goes, “When given the choice between being right or being kind always choose kindness.”

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Queen Elizabeth’s friend reveals sad details of the late monarch’s final days

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Monica Pop
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For a huge number of Britons, Queen Elizabeth II was more than just a monarch who led their country for incredible 70 years. She was their strength and a motherly figure, thus her passing brought immense grief and sadness.

When the news of her ill-heatlh was shared in the media on the day of her passing, a huge number of people gathered together and filled the streets of the major cities around United Kingdom as a sign of support. The number of those that arrived at Balmoral Castle, the Queen’s summer residence where she passed away, was even bigger.

When members of the royalty started arriving one by one, everyone assumed the Queen was living her last moments. Sadly, that happened to be the truth which left millions of people from all around the world heartbroken.

In a statement on Thursday, September 8, Buckingham Palace said:

“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images

Following her passing, people started speculating of what the exact cause of death could be. Back then, The Daily Mail reported how a Scottish government department had been accused of being secretive and blocking legitimate attempts to obtain a copy of Her Majesty’s death certificate, although many believed it should be a matter of public record.

“Despite MailOnline and other media outlets attempting to obtain the information from the National Records of Scotland (NRS), the public body has blocked its staff from providing any details relating to the Queen’s death on September 8,” the Daily Mail wrote.

When the registered cause of death was listed, it was revealed that the late monarch died of ‘old age.’

The document – signed by the Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne – states that Her Majesty passed away at 3.10 P.M. on September 8 at Balmoral Castle. Buckingham Palace announced Queen Elizabeth’s passing around three hours after she died.

Danny Lawson – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Prince Harry, the Queen’s grandson, spoke of his beloved grandmother in an interview with 60 Minutes and gave details about the tumultuous hours surrounding her majesty’s passing.

“I asked my brother — I said, ‘What are your plans? How are you and Kate getting up there?’ And then, a couple of hours later, you know, all of the family members that live within the Windsor and Ascot area were jumping on a plane together,” Harry told Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes.

Harry only learned his grandma passed away as he landed, so he didn’t get the chance to see her alive for one last time.

“I walked into the hall and [Princess Anne] was there to greet me,” Harry told 60 Minutes. “And she asked me if I wanted to see her. I thought about it for about five seconds, thinking, ‘Is this a good idea?’ And I was, like, ‘You know what? You can do this. You need to say goodbye.’ So went upstairs, took my jacket off and walked in and just spent some time with her alone.”

Harry continued: “She was in her bedroom. [She] was actually — I was really happy for her. Because she’d finished life. She’d completed life, and her husband [Prince Philip] was waiting for her. And the two of them are buried together.”

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

In his all-tell memoir Spare, Harry wrote of his grandmother and her sudden passing.

In his memoir, Harry wrote more about getting to say his last goodbyes to the Queen.

“I stayed in one place without moving, gazing at her for a long time, gathered strength and continued going forward,” Harry recalled and added that he whispered a very precious thing to her.

“I hoped she was happy and that she was with grandpa,” he whispered to the Queen, telling her how he “admired her for having carried out her functions to the end… the Jubilee, welcoming the new Prime Minister.”

Shutterstock/Usama-Abdullah Designer

Despite the official document stating the cause of death to be old age, royal author Gyles Brandreth wrote in a serialization in the Daily Mail that the late Queen had bone cancer which explained the “tiredness and weight loss and those ‘mobility issues’ we were often told about during the last year or so of her life.”

Further, the expert claimed, “The most common symptom of myeloma is bone pain, especially in the pelvis and lower back, and multiple myeloma is a disease that often affects the elderly. Currently, there is no known cure, but treatment — including medicines to help regulate the immune system and drugs that help prevent the weakening of the bones — can reduce the severity of its symptoms and extend the patient’s survival by months or two to three years.”

Other sources believe this might be true and that it is the reason why the Queen withdrew from most public events during the last years of her life.

Royal expert and author Robert Joobson claims that Queen Elizabeth used wheelchair when she wasn’t out in public, as well as during the Platinum Jubilee, but people didn’t notice.

“On her insistence, a military-style exercise was put in place so that no one could see she was having to use a wheelchair,” Jobson wrote. “In considerable discomfort, Her Majesty was taken by wheelchair to the helicopter pad at Windsor.”

“At the Palace, she was wheeled right up to the balcony doors, then helped to her feet so that she could stand – with the aid of a walking stick – alongside Charles and Camilla, plus William and his family.”

“After a firework display, the Queen smiled with delight. It was her last salute to her people,” he concluded.

Jane Barlow – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Now, a close friend of the late Queen also opened up of her final days and revealed that monarch was in ‘a lot of pain’ and that her sight and hearing had deteriorated considerably in the weeks leading to her death.

“For the last years of her life, certainly from when her husband died [in April 2021], the Queen was in a lot of pain,” the source close to the late Queen’s told The Daily Beast.

“In the final months, of course, it got very much worse; by the time of the Platinum Jubilee, she couldn’t see very much, she couldn’t hear very much, and she was easily confused,” the friend of Queen Elizabeth added.

“She barely moved from her apartments in Windsor Castle. Appearing on the balcony at Windsor Castle for the Jubilee required a titanic effort.”

Queen Elizabeth was a much-love monarch who is still dearly missed.

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At 62, Susan Boyle has confirmed the reason for her long absence from the spotlight

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Monica Pop
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Susan Boyle taking part in one of the most popular music shows, Britain’s Got Talent, and showing the whole world that what’s on the inside matters most was enough inspiration for many “ordinary” people to show the world their own talent. She made millions of people believe that they can change the world and trust in themselves, just like she did.

It feels like yesterday when this fierce lady told the world how she wanted to become a professional singer like Elaine Paige. The audience that took her for granted regretted their cynical attitude once she let her voice loose and charmed the 10 million viewers.

Over the years, she became one of the most famous celebrities there are, but she remained grounded.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 20: Susan Boyle attends “America’s Got Talent” Season 14 Live Show Red Carpet at Dolby Theatre on August 20, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)

Susan has never been quiet about the things happening in her life. Some time ago, she shared with her fans that she had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Doctors warned her that this condition could affect her singing career in a long term and advised her to lose some weight. As performing live is her thing, Susan decided to take things in her own hands and go on a mission to transform herself.

The first thing she did was cut the sugar out of her diet and turn to a healthier lifestyle. Speaking to The Mirror, she said, “I need to stop eating sweeties and cakes. It’s the bane of my life.”

NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 03: Singer Susan Boyle leaves the “Today Show” taping at the NBC Rockefeller Center Studios on December 3, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images)

Recently, she opened up about another health issue and said it was the reason why she disappeared from the spotlight for some time.

“It’s hard to believe that you appeared on this show in 2009, 14 years ago. How does it feel to be back at BGT?” show hosts Ant and Dec asked her.

“It feels great. It’s really good.

“It’s extra special for me actually, last April there, I suffered a minor stroke and I thought it’d be crazy to be back on stage and I have done it,” Boyle responded.

Simon Cowell praised Susan thereafter and confessed that he had known about her health struggles.

Her fans, however, weren’t aware that Boyle suffered a minor stroke up until that point.

The good thing is that she’s back to her music and to performing.

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Toby Keith makes surprising announcement while battling cancer

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Monica Pop
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Back in 2021, country music singer, songwriter, and actor Toby Keith was diagnosed with cancer, but wasn’t right away that he disclosed the news with the fans. In fact, he only opened about his illness a year later and explained how he had been receiving chemo treatments during the six months following the diagnosis.

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Throughout the entire time, his wife of forty years, Tricia Lucus, has been by his side.

The two met at a bar while he and his band were performing and they spent the night dancing together. At the time, Lucus was a 19 years old working as an oil company secretary and had a child she was raising on her own.

Speaking of Keith, she said that what attracted her to him was that “He was one of those larger-than-life guys, full of confidence.”

The couple tied the knot on March 24, 1984, after three years of dating. Keith adopted Lucus daughter and the two also have children on their own.

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Keith wasn’t a famous name at that point. On the contrary, he worked various jobs at the same time and only performed when he had free time.

However, once he married, his wife knew he would make it big and and Keith went full-time on his music career and focused on making music and performing although it didn’t bring much money at that point. The couple did struggle financially, but Lucus supported her husband’s dream.

He would often tell his wife, “He’d say, ‘Trish, one of these days, my time is coming. Hang in there,’” and he was so right.

Those close to them would often tell Lucus to tell he husband to find a real job. But she would answer back because she believed in her husband’s qualities. “It took a strong-hearted and loving woman to say, ‘He’s good enough at his music that I’ve got to let him try,” Keith once revealed.

And as we all know, today, Keith is one of the best country singers America has ever seen and he’s making millions of dollars.

It was in June 2022 that the As Good as I Once Was singer decided break from the limelight and focus his time and energy on regaining his health back through treatments, chemo, and surgery.

Knowing just how much his fans support him, Keith makes sure he posts updates regarding his health condition. Just recently, he took the time to thank them for their love and support, writing, “Thank you all for your love and support. I have the best fans in the world.”

Recently, the multi-platinum-selling artist shared a major career update on his Instagram account, announcing that he’s acquiring the legendary bait and tackle brand, Luck E Strike. This came as a surprise to some, but we believe it’s a good thing he’s expending his business ventures and has things to keep him busy while he isn’t performing.

We wish Toby Keith only the best life brings.

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When an elderly woman can’t afford to get tires replaced, a Texas state trooper steps in

By
Monica Pop
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The kindness we do for others always comes a long way. In fact it is the kindness we offer to those in need that makes this world go round.

An elderly woman, 92-year-old Mary Summers of Texas, ended up with a flat tire after she picked up a nail while driving her car so she was forced to visit the repair show. Once she entered Integrity Tires in Richmond, Texas, she received some bad news. The punctured tire couldn’t be repaired. Sadly, the rest of the tires needed to be replaced as well because they were in irreparable condition and imposed risk of sliding off the road while driving.

This meant that Mary was supposed to pay around $600; money she didn’t even have.

“The tire on her vehicle wasn’t repairable, and the other tires were shot,” Omar Oregueda, the mechanic who assisted Mary, explained. “They were already completely destroyed.”

Mary couldn’t afford to pay for all the four tires, so she insisted Omar only change the punctured one. As she was trying to explain that she didn’t have the money, she had no idea a Public Safety trooper was just behind her, listening to her every word and sensing the sense of unease in her voice.

As the trooper became aware that if the tires won’t be changed it would pose danger for both the elderly woman and to the public, he decided to step in and pay the full price for four brand new tires.

He, however, did it without Mary’s knowledge. Trooper Drew Stoner approached Omar and told him to do what needed to be done, paid for the service, and left the place.

When Omar told Mary what the kind trooper did, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Inspired by this, Omar himself decided to do good and offered to give Mary an oil change free of charge. “For a stranger to take care of another stranger like that … let’s all just take care of each other,” Omar said. “That’s what it’s about.”

Mary was very thankful and wanted to express her gratitude in person so she asked for help to track the officer down. Luckily, she was able to find him and tell him just how much his act meant to her.

Trooper Stoner said he did what he believed was right and didn’t want to be praised for his good deed. “I’m thinking, ‘What if she goes out on the road, and a tire goes out on her, kind of falls apart on her, and she’s on the side of the road?’” he explained.

“I’m just so thankful for you,” Mary told Trooper Stoner during a tearful reunion and added: “I’m so proud, I’m proud to meet someone that has a heart that big. I just love you to death.”

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Conjoined twins were connected from birth, but surgery permanently changed everything

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Monica Pop
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When they exhibit a close bond, people are said to be joined at the hip. The same is true for two beautiful sisters, Isabelle and Abby Carlsen, who were welcomed into the world back in 2006. These twins, however, shared a lot more than their parents. They were conjoined at birth from their chest down to their stomach.

Their mom and dad wished their girls to be separated, but doctors told them such a surgery was a very risky one. Despite that, doctors in Minnesota decided to perform the complex procedure and separate the two sisters. Luckily, it was a huge success and Isabelle and Abby made headlines around the world.

The organs in their abdominal cavity were mixed together, and Isabelle’s heart was tangled up inside Abby’s chest. The doctors were aware that the quality of these girls’ lives was in their hands and they did all in their power to provide them with a bright future. They trained for months for the marathon surgery. There was a cardiac team, a liver team, a plastic surgery team, you name it.

The sisters live in North Dakota and don’t remember being conjoined as the separation surgery took place when they were just six months old. Today, they definitely share an infectious spunk, but that’s where the similarities end. When it comes to their character, Isabelle and Abby are complete opposites. They don’t like the same things, nor they dress the same.

“Every night we look in the mirror in our room, and we’re like, how do people get us mixed up?” Abby says. These two are without a doubt totally unique individuals.

They were once considered miracle babies, and today, they are all grown up and live completely normal lives. For more on their incredible story go to the video below.

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