Canadian-born singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot passed away aged 84. He became famous during the 60s and the 70s with hits such as Early Morning Rain and If You Could Read My Mind. According to a statement shared on his official Facebook page, he died of natural causes at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto on Monday, May 1.
Throughout the years, many of his songs were covered by the big names of the music scene including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Barbra Streisand.
Following his passing, tributes came poring in. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke of Lightfoot as one of the best and most recognized musicians of the country.
“Gordon Lightfoot captured our country’s spirit in his music – and in doing so, he helped shape Canada’s soundscape,” he said on Twitter. “May his music continue to inspire future generations, and may his legacy live on forever.”
“I can’t think of any Gordon Lightfoot song I don’t like,” Bob Dylan once said. “Everytime I hear a song of his, it’s like I wish it would last forever…. Lightfoot became a mentor for a long time. I think he probably still is to this day.”
Lightfoot’s funeral was held at the Orilla church, where he had participated in the choir as a young man, and according to his family, it was what musician wished. Blair Bailey, director of the St. Paul’s choir, told CTV News that “he is the one who wanted it to be here, in this church that he grew up in.” His funeral was attended by his closest family and friends but the public had the chance to pay their condolences at a public viewing on Sunday.
During the viewing, the fans were deeply touched by a very special and quite emotional moment. Taurus, the dog of one of the band’s members, wouldn’t leave the casket’s side.
“He used to go on the road with him and wait for Gordon side stage,” Lightfoot spokeswoman Victoria Lord told Newsner. “Gordon loved dogs.”
Lightfoot and Taurus formed a special bond throughout the years and the late musician was known as a huge animal lover.
As a tribute to Lighfoot, President of the Mariposa Folk Foundation announced that the main stage at Mariposa would be renamed the Lightfoot Stage. “Gordon was such a huge supporter of the Mariposa Folk Foundation that we wanted to find a way to honour his memory,” Carter said. “It needed to be something lasting. We could have had artists come up and present tonight, but we wanted to leave something. So, naming it the Lightfoot Stage will live on forever and will always keep Gord in our memories.”
May he rest in peace.
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Even before he became The King of Britain, Charles announced he would be making changes within the Royal Family. In the past, sources claimed that then Prince Charles spoke of slimming down the monarchy.
“Charles has never made any secret of the fact that he wants a slimmed-down Monarchy when he becomes King. He realizes that the public don’t want to pay for a huge Monarchy and, as he said, the balcony at Buckingham Palace would probably collapse,” he was reported to have said.
Now as his mother Queen Elizabeth II passed away and he acceded to the throne, King Charles didn’t waste time in making changes.
As reported by The Guardian, a dozen Clarence House staff were given notice of redundancy during the Monday service for the Queen in Edinburgh on Monday. The news was received as ‘unsettling’ by King Charles’ secretary.
Shutterstock/Howard Cheng
He and Camilla have been living at Clarence House for nearly 20 years.
In his speech, King Charles said that the new duties imposed on him would mean cutting down on certain charitable work. Sadly, he could also cut down the number of employees, who were said to be left heartbroken by his decision to hand them in notice of redundancies.
Over 100 employees were told they could lose their job, some of whom spent decades serving the royal family.
At the time they were handed in the notice, they were working tirelessly to make King Charles’ elevation to the throne go without any issues.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: King Charles III reacts as the coffin of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth arrives at Westminster Hall from Buckingham Palace for her lying in state, on September 14, 2022 in London, United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin is taken in procession on a Gun Carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall where she will lay in state until the early morning of her funeral. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Alkis Konstantinidis – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“The change in role for our principals will also mean change for our household,” the letter written by Sir Clive Alderton, King Charles’s private secretary, said, as reported by The Guardian.
“The portfolio of work previously undertaken in this household supporting the former Prince of Wales’s personal interests, former activities, and household operations will no longer be carried out, and the household … at Clarence House will be closed down. It is therefore expected that the need for the posts principally based at Clarence House, whose work supports these areas will no longer be needed.”
This came as a shock to many as they were convinced their service will still be needed. The only change they expected was to be relocated to the King’s new household.
A source told the magazine that “Everybody is absolutely livid, including private secretaries and the senior team. All the staff have been working late every night since Thursday, to be met with this. People were visibly shaken by it.”
Shutterstock/ITS
Apparently, the staff in question would be offered alternative positions in other households.
As this decision was made amid the period of mourning, the staff described it as ‘heartless.’
“The Duke of Edinburgh’s staff were paid for many months after his death. Some of these people are mourning the Queen – it is a bit too soon to be sending out redundancy letters when we haven’t even had the funeral. They are grieving. It is heartless,” an insider shared with The Guardian.
Mark Serwotka, the general secretary of The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), condemned the King’s act and stated, “While some changes across the households were to be expected, as roles across the Royal Family change, the scale, and speed at which this has been announced is callous in the extreme.”
He added, “Least of all because we do not know what staffing the incoming Prince of Wales and his family might need.”
Serwotka assured that PCS will “continue to work with the Royal Households to ensure that those staff have full job security.”
“We remain committed to supporting those colleagues across the wider Royal Family’s estates, whose futures are thrown into turmoil by this announcement at this already difficult time.”
Youtube/Inside edition
Grant Harrold, who served as a butler to the King when he held the title Prince of Whales says he wasn’t surprised by this decision.
“Trust me, it’s not a shock for the household,” Harrold said. “When I joined, I was fully aware that if the Queen passed I would be redundant because my boss is no longer the Prince of Wales.”
Further, he added that “The good thing is, I know they will do everything possible to make sure that people are put into positions where possible – and, as I said, there will be people that want to retire or want a change of career.”
The top two staff members, King Charles’ private secretary Sir Clive Alderton and Queen Camilla’s private secretary, Ms. Sophie Densham, have been with the couple for years, and it was widely known that both earn quite a vast amount of money for their services. Even so, following the annual Sovereign Grant Report being disclosed, other staff members are reportedly furious.
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 17: King Charles III and Queen Camilla leave St Paul’s Church also known as Actors’ Church, during a visit to Covent Garden on May 17, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Daniel Leal – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
According to this report, Alderton is paid between £205,000 and £210,000 – $260,000 and $266,000.
Meanwhile, Sophie Densham only receives somewhere between £90,000 and £95,000 – $114,000 to $120,000 – yearly from the taxpayer-funded account.
“I’m really shocked by the disparity, and I’m astonished by Sophie’s salary — that is a kick in the teeth. She is a real grafter, and hers is a massive, bloody busy job,” a former senior courtier told The Times.
And while Densham accompanies the Queen at every royal event, Alderton only attends King Charles’ “most high-profile outings” and he’s provided with housing for “better performance” of his duties and lives at Marlborough House, a short walk from his office at Buckingham Palace.
“Whether you think there’s a disparity in the pay because of their sex rather than their seniority, there is a question there,” a royal source said. “Sophie is known as being a very capable and dedicated support to the Queen.”
CULLOMPTON, UNITED KINGDOM – SEPTEMBER 12: Sophie Densham, Private Secretary for the Duchess of Cornwall, accompanies the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall during a visit to Cullompton Farmers’ Market September 12, 2008 in Cullompton, England. (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
The Palace official said that “Her [Densham] remuneration package is set to a comparable position of the private secretary to the late Duke of Edinburgh.”
Do you think King Charles’ decision to give staff notice of redundancy came at the worst time possible?
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Many people believe how young generations lack certain values their parents and grandparents lived by, such as compassion and understanding. However, this doesn’t have to be true for every young kid. There are still those who would never have a second thought when it comes to stepping in for those in need. Kids like these restore our faith in the youth and remind us that no good deed ever goes unnoticed.
An old couple was struggling to get back in their car after they stopped at a gas station trying to take a break from the driving. Three young men noticed the husband and the wife and rushed to offer help. The whole thing unfolded in front of the eyes of a police officer who recorded the incident. She believes how the video will serve as an inspiration for others to do the same thing when in a similar situation.
Facebook/Kanesha Carnegie
Joc Koe Stoe, Marty, and Freddie G were getting soda and chips at the gas station in Williston, Florida in which Rose and David Griest were buying some gas.
However, the couple who were both over 100 years old couldn’t get back into the SUV. They were traveling to Orlando where Rose was about to get her medical treatment. She was uncontrollably shaking and could barely stand on her feet. The guys hold her firmly and safely placed her inside the vehicle. They also helped her husband by handling him the walker and making sure he got inside too.
Police officer Kanesha Carnegie of the Levy County Sheriff’s Office who happened to pass by the parking lot was glad the guys offered to help.
Facebook/Kanesha Carnegie
She later said how her first thought was to approach the couple, but once she saw the young men were willing to lend a helping hand, she just stood there and decided to put everything on tape.
Carnegie knew the boys who are local rappers from before. She told Fox 5 DC how they are all good guys who are a valuable part of the community. She is honest when she says how she didn’t expect anything less from them.
“I know these men from the neighborhood, and I wanted them to have that moment to show who they really are.”
Facebook/Kanesha Carnegie
The video of Joc Koe Stoe, Marty, and Freddie G’s good deed was posted on Facebook and it took the Internet by storm. It has been seen by around 5 million people who agree how these guys are just awesome.
The old couple’s grandson, Tommy, saw the video and said how his grandparents don’t use social media but he was more than happy to show it to them.
After they got into the SUV, David thanked the men for what they did and wished them good luck. The boys are, however, impressed how people who are over 100 years old could still travel at such an old age.
We hope this video and this young men’s act will serve as an example for other young people to show their kindness whenever possible.
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Besides being a famous name in the world of film and winning a Golden Globe among the rest, actor Charlie Sheen is also well known for his rebellious lifestyle which is now taking its toll. Back in 2017, he opened up about his HIV diagnosis and said he’s “carrying the torch” for others battling the disease that causes AIDS.
Speaking of the moment he received the diagnosis, he said during an appearance on Good Morning America, “The day I was diagnosed, I immediately wanted to eat a bullet. But my mom was there, I wouldn’t do that in front of her, or let her find me to clean up that mess.”
Sheen then added: “But then, something else came over me. They gave me a handful of pills and said, ‘You can go home now, and you’re going to live.'”
Sadly, it looks like that the One and a Half Man star is battling other health issues as well, including memory loss and mood swings, according to people close to him. As reported by Radar Online, it’s because of the medicines he’s taking to keep his illness in check he’s having a hard time to complete even the simplest of tasks.
Speaking of the medications he’s taking, Sheen has said they “kept me suppressed and alive, but I struggled with a constant migraine and, at times, borderline dementia.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 12: (L to R) Charlie Sheen, Tom Parker Bowles and Kelsey Grammer attend the Snow Queen Cigar Smoker of the Year awards at Boisdale of Canary Wharf on December 12, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
During the last couple of years Sheen has tried to get his life back on track and stay away from scandals which he has become a synonym of throughout the years. Sadly, Dr. Stuart Fischer believes Sheen’s change of attitude may be too little, too late.
“The symptoms of dementia may not be an outgrowth of his medications alone,” Dr. Fischersaid. “You cannot discount the years of drugs and alcohol abuse along with dangerous sexual promiscuity.”
The doctor continued: “He has caused untold damage to himself. Hopefully, his brain function can be restored, but after a lifetime of self-destructive behavior, it may be too late to head off possible long-term effects.”
The good thing is that Sheen is determined to take things into his own hands and do everything it takes to leave his old habits behind.
“Charlie knows he’s not the only person he’s damaged and he’s desperately hoping his medical care and lifestyle changes will give him time to work his way back into their hearts,” an insider reportedly told Radar Online.
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 08: Charlie Sheen seen leaving Radio City Music Hall on April 8, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/FilmMagic)
At the height of his fame, Sheen was axed from Two and a Half Man due to alcohol abuse. He was admitted to rehab for crack cocaine abuse and was ostracized from Hollywood following the shocking revelation that he had unprotected sex besides being HIV positive.
We truly hope Charlie Sheen would be able to recover from everything he’s going through.
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We never get tired of jokes that are old but gold. We have stumbled upon these fun ‘stories’ and couldn’t help by re-share them with you. We hope you’ll have a great laugh just as we did.
Two elderly women were having a late lunch and a drink at a local pub one afternoon when Ethel noticed something funny about Mable’s ear and said, “Mable, did you know you’ve got a suppository in your left ear?”
Mable answered, “I have? A suppository?” She pulled it out and stared at it.
Then she said, “Ethel, I’m glad you saw this thing. Now I think I know where my hearing aid is.”
The second joke is about a woman and her lover.
A housewife takes a lover during the day, while her husband is at work.
Not aware that 9-year-old son was hiding in the closet. Her husband came home unexpectedly, so she hid her lover in the closet.
The boy now has company.
Boy: “Dark in here.”
Man: “Yes it is.”
Boy: “I have a baseball.”
Man: “That’s nice.”
Boy: “Want to buy it?”
Man: “No, thanks.”
Boy: “My dad’s outside.”
Man: “OK, how much?”
Boy: “£250.”
In the next few weeks, it happens again that the boy and the mom’s lover are in the closet together.
Boy: “Dark in here.”
Man: “Yes, it is.”
Boy: “I have a baseball glove.”
Man: “That’s nice.”
Boy: “Want to buy it?”
Man: “No, thanks.”
Boy: “I’ll tell.”
Man: “How much?”
Boy: “£750.”
Man: “Fine.”
A few days later, the father says to the boy,“Grab your glove. Let’s go outside and toss the baseball!”
The boy says, “I can’t. I sold them.”
The father asks, “How much did you sell them for?”
The son says, “£1,000.”
The father says, “That’s terrible to over-charge your friends like that. That is way more than those two things cost. I’m going to take you to church and make you confess.”
They go to church and the father alerts the priest and makes the little boy sit in the confession booth and closes the door.
The boy says, “Dark in here.”
The priest says, “Don’t start that sh*t again!!”
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David and Victoria Beckham, one of the most powerful and most influential celebrity couples, celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary alongside their children and fans can’t enough of the adorable photos the famous footballer shared of the occasion.
The adorable throwback photo showing the couple, who look like they haven’t aged even a bit, holding their Rottweiler puppies. Alongside the photo, David wrote: “On this day 4.7.99. 24 years and counting. To the best wife, mummy & drinking partner (most of the time). Happy Anniversary love u so much.”
The post gathered plenty of messages of congratulations from his 80 million followers and other celebrities, among which Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria, former England defender Gary Neville, and designer Kim Jones.
Neville, who reportedly was David’s best man on his wedding, shared a lovely tribute and wrote, “Happy Anniversary to both of you and all my love.”
Victoria added to the anniversary magic by posting a video of their wedding day on Instagram, showing the couple wearing matching purple outfits and cutting a cake with a sword. She captioned the video, “4.7.99 24 years ago. I love you so much.”
Back in 2016, Victoria opened up about her love for David and said that the moment she first laid eyes on him it felt like “love at first sight.”
Speaking to Vogue, Posh Spice shared, “And yes, love at first sight does exist. It will happen to you in the Manchester United players’ lounge – although you will get a little drunk, so exact details are hazy.”
Tributes from fans came pouring in, with one person writing, “She was world famous musician and he wasn’t even selected for England National Team. But still she married him & give up her successful career for him. Her sacrifice made her real winner.” Another fan added: “You guys are a couple I have been rooting for. So glad you are making it and will continue to make it. An inspiration beyond the tabloids.”
David and Victoria exchanged vows on July 4, 1999, in Luttrellstown Castle in Ireland. Their ring bearer was their oldest child, Brooklyn Beckham, who was four months old at the time.
“He’s my soulmate, and we really support each other,” the Spice Girls said of her husband in a 2017 interview.“I’m so proud of him. He’s such a good, kind person. He’s the most fantastic dad, supporting husband as well,” she said. “And we’re partners.”
Asked about the secret behind a long-lasting marriage, David said in 2015, “We’ve got four amazing children, and you know, they’re our priority, but you have to make time for each other as well. We’re busy, but we make it work.”
The Beckhams are parents to four children, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, and Harper. In 2022, their eldest son tied the knot to Nicola Peltz.
In 2017, David and Victoria renewed their vows.
Happy anniversary to the charming couple.
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Steve Hartman from CBS News has been “On The Road” once again and he’s returned with another extraordinary story of ordinary people that teaches us how life is a huge roller coaster and can change in a blink of an eye. Now you are up, and the next day you are down, and vice versa. But that’s what living and existing is all about.
This story is about the faithful encounter between a very successful woman named Roberta, and a homeless man named Elmer. And no matter how different these two seem to be at first sight, there’s something they have in common.
Roberta is a real estate broker, a media personality, and the woman behind Ms. Millionaire Mindset Academy and Training Seminars. She is wealthy and good with money, except for that time when she lost a $10,000 check. Losing that much money is never a good thing, but this time it led to something good.
Source: YouTube
When Elmer Alvarez stumbled upon the piece of paper while walking down the street, he had no idea it was a check. Once he realized how much money it was on, he knew it could change his life, but this kind man never thought of cashing it. From the moment he took it in his hand, he knew he had to track the money owner down. That’s how he ended up meeting Roberta.
Elmer didn’t expect anything in return, but got something that no money can buy. A chance to start his life over again.
Namely, when Roberta heard Elmer’s life story it reminded her of her own life and the time when she was a homeless teenage mommy who was determined to succeed all for the sake of her kids’ well-being.
Source: YouTube
This woman achieved everything she put her mind to. From living on the streets to becoming a millionaire. And now she was given the opportunity to do something similar for a man whose faith she once shared. Now, Roberta and Elmer are working on a huge project that is bound to change the lives of many people.
Elmer is no longer homeless. His new acquaintance found an apartment for him and she is paying rent for the first seven months, giving Elmer the time to get back on his feet. He is also attending the real estate school. She helped him turn his life upside down.
The project they are currently working on won’t bring them any money because the idea behind it is to help people in need. Profit is the last thing on their mind.
Source: YouTube
They are building a transitional house for struggling and homeless young people who need a push in life. Both Roberta and Elmer know how important it is for someone to lend you a helping hand when you are all by yourself on the streets.
Once the place is finished, Elmer will serve as adviser to the youngsters. Having experienced that kind of life, this job would be perfect for him. We are sure he’ll help lots of teenagers take their life in their own hands.
It’s amazing how a lost check led to something so beautiful like uniting two people who share same past and same future goals. Way to go Roberta and Elmer!
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Little People, Big World has helped raise awareness about people with dwarfism and made many realize that those who have this condition are just regular people like you and I.
If you are a fan of the Roloff family, you know that things have changed drastically since the show first aired years ago. Today, Amy is married to Chris Marek, and the patriarch, Matt Roloff, is engaged to Caryn Chandler.
Recently, Matt opened up about a health scare he experienced when he went for his routine endoscopy but things turned complicated.
“Turns out i have some unexpected twists n turns leading down to the stomac(h). good news is …i didn’t need the computer chip and monitor installed! scary news is more work to be done. worst news is i had to take a few days off working and lay low…,” he wrote.
Without going into details of what “more work” might mean, he posted that he’s “Back in action today!”
His fans were quick to wish him a speedy recovery. “Never a fun ride to the hospital to only stay there— You’ll fly through the next visit though, too! Keep well buddy!” Another fan asked for further information: “Hey Matt, I wanted to thank you for sharing this and keeping us up-to-date and posted what’s going on so you said you’re back in action today does that mean you’re all better? What exactly were you diagnosed with?”
A third said, “Thoughts to your kids, always stressful when your parent has complications like this. Hopefully this will help mend some bridges and extend some olive branches.”
This comment referred to the feud between Matt and his son Zach that took place during season 22 of the show.
Getty Images
What happened was that Matt blindsided his son and made it impossible for him to buy the family farm, which angered many.
Seeing the comments fans posted online, Matt decided to share what he thought of those comments and wrote: “I caught up a bit on recent social media posts … it’s very apparent that people are frustrated and angrier then normal. I understand. But getting on the internet and being a mean person is no way to live your life.” He also posted a photo of him and Zach and his family.
In one of the episodes, Zach was heard saying how he was looking forward to raising his children on the farm. “…we want to be somewhere that we can see our family a long time and where we’re at right now is not that place,” he said.
Thankfully, it looked like the father and son managed to smooth things down between them thanks to Zach’s young son, Josiah.
Wishing him a happy birthday, Matt wrote of his grandson, “What a whirlwind month. I can’t believe April is already over. Life is wonderful but always moving sooo fast. Today we celebrated Josia’s 1st birthday—- are you kidding me. Never mind April… where did the past year go??”
Then, on May 11, Matt shared yet another set of adorable photos. This time, of his children from the time they were still very young and wished his twin sons a very happy birthday. “Happy Birthday to my Twin boys @jeremyroloff and @zroloff07 I bet you don’t remember your first mule ride off the farm down Groveland Road.” Matt continued, “Zach having a ball. Jer thought he was driving in London (ie wrong side of the road). Happy birthday!!! Enjoy this trip down memory lane. I have so many fun clips to share.”
However, as most of the comments underneath the photos were of well-wishers, there were also those who slammed Matt.
“So you make money off of your children in order to be on a show for the majority of their lives, cheat them out of their childhood dreams of staying on the farm, want them to pay a ridiculous price to even remain on the farm, cheat on your wife with an employee, build a new home with your new girlfriend on the farm and wanting to sell the home your kids grew up in. Solid dad lol.” One user, defending Matt, added to the post, “Mind your business. What goes on is between him and his family.” The user added, “Matt has done a lot of back breaking work and dedication on that farm before they had the show and whatever issues they had is none of your business.”
We are glad Matt’s health scare wasn’t a serious one and we hope he and his children will continue getting along just like during the old good days.
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