Celebrity Gossip

[Perdita]

Former US child star Jackie Cooper, who went on to work as a TV producer, film director and feature in four Superman movies, has died at the age of 88.

Cooper died in Santa Monica, California, on Tuesday of complications related to old age, his lawyer said.

Aged nine he became the youngest player to be nominated for an Oscar for best actor, for the 1931 film Skippy.

Late in his career he appeared as Daily Planet editor Perry White in the four Christopher Reeve Superman films.

As a child, Cooper became a familiar face to many in Hal Roach's Our Gang series of short comedy films.

He went on to star in Skippy, an adaptation of a popular comic strip.

In one scene where he was required to cry, the director, his uncle Norman Taurog, pretended to have his dog shot off-set in order to bring on the tears - a ploy that worked.

Although the young Cooper did not win the Academy Award for best actor, his uncle did take best director for that film.

Fifty years later, Cooper entitled his 1981 autobiography Please Don't Shoot My Dog.

He followed his success in Skippy with roles in films including The Champ, The Bowery and Treasure Island, and continued acting through his adolescence.

He served in the US Navy during World War II and returned to find his film career had waned. So he took to the stage in New York in a number of Broadway shows.

He went on to star in TV sit-oms and dramas, before turning his hand to directing and production.

His appearances as gruff Daily Planet editor Perry White in the Superman films brought him back to the big screen in the twilight of his career.

Born John Cooper in Los Angeles in 1922, he was married three times and had four children. Two sons survive him.

RIP Jackie

[Perdita]

Bryan Adams and personal assistant Alicia Grimaldi have reportedly welcomed their first child.

A rep for the singer - who first announced the pregnancy in March - announced last month's birth of daughter Mirabella on Thursday.

People quotes a statement from the 'Cuts Like A Knife' star which reads: "I'm really proud to announce on 22 April, Mirabella Bunny was born.

"She arrived like all good Easter bunnies on Easter Friday. Mother and baby are both well and happy. Thanks in advance for your kind thoughts and wishes."

The musician was recently honoured with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He will tour mainland Europe in June and July and returns to the UK in December for a 20th anniversary tour of his sixth studio album Walking Up The Neighbours. The record includes his breakthrough hit '(Everything I Do) I Do It For You.'

DS

[Perdita]

Emma Bunton and Jade Jones have announced the birth of their son.

The former Spice Girls confirmed on Twitter that she had given birth to her second child, Tate.

Bunton confirmed that she and fiancé Jones were expecting their new arrival last November. She confirmed the sex of the unborn child in February.

Writing on Twitter, Bunton and Jones both said: "Our beautiful son Tate has arrived safe and sound! We are all so happy and excited. Thanks and love to you all."

Tate is a brother to the couple's 3-year-old son Beau.

The 35-year-old's former bandmates Victoria Beckham and Mel B are also both expecting new children.

DS

[Chloe O'brien]

Seve Ballesteros condition is deteriorating, say family

Seve Ballesteros's condition is worsening, according to the family of the Spanish golf legend.

Ballesteros, 54, has had health problems since being diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2008 after losing consciousness at Madrid Airport.

He had four operations to remove the tumour and reduce swelling in his skull as well as undergoing chemotherapy.

The five-time major winner is being cared for at home in the northern Spanish town of Pedrena.

A statement on his website said: "The family will provide information on his state of health when more news becomes available."

They also expressed their thanks for the support they had received and added that any updates would be published on the website.

Ballesteros, who claimed 87 titles over his career, won the Open in 1979, 1984 and 1988 and became the first European to win the Augusta Masters in 1980, repeating the feat in 1983.

He also enjoyed a successful Ryder Cup career as both player and captain - playing in eight Ryder Cups and winning 20 points from 37 matches before guiding Europe to victory over the United States at Valderrama in 1997.

He appeared in public for the first time following the surgery in May 2009 when he went to watch his local football team Racing Santander and was given a standing ovation.

He has called his battle against the tumour the "hardest challenge of my life."

[Perdita]

[Perdita]

SEVERIANO Ballesteros, who died aged 54, was one of golf's all-time greats, a charismatic figure who lifted five majors, led the European challenge to the decades-long US supremacy and turned a new generation onto the sport.

For two decades, from the mid-1970s to the 1990s, 'Seve' was one of the sport's most celebrated personalities.

He collected 87 career titles and was a crucial ingredient in Europe's rediscovered love affair with the Ryder Cup, before retiring in 2007 with back problems.

Known for his flamboyant and imaginative style of play, he famously won one of his three British Open titles by playing a shot from a temporary parking lot.

Ballesteros was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour after losing consciousness at Madrid airport on October 6, 2008.

He underwent four operations to remove the tumour and reduce swelling in his skull, as well as chemotherapy. He called his battle against the tumour the "hardest challenge of my life".

"During my career I was one of the best at getting around obstacles on golf courses. Now I want to be the best at confronting the most difficult match of my life with all my strength," he had said in a statement when he revealed his illness.

Born in the village of Pedrena near the northern port of Santander on April 9, 1957, he rose from humble beginnings (his father was a greenkeeper) in Spain, a country with little or no track record for golf.

But his three older brothers were all golf pros as well as his uncle, who was Spanish professional champion four times and was sixth in the 1965 Augusta Masters.

His brother Manuel gave him a 3-iron as a present, and he sharpened his skills on the beach near his home on moonlit nights. At the age of 12, he won a caddies tournament with a score of 79.

Ballesteros announced his presence as a teenager in 1976 when he finished second at the British Open, just two years after turning pro aged 16.

He could have won. He led at the midway point but a final round of 74 left him six shots behind eventual champion Johnny Miller at Royal Birkdale.

Topping the European Tour Order of Merit that year - he would go on to do so on another five occasions - was a measure of compensation.

In 1979, aged 21, he became the youngest winner of the British Open.

A year later, he was the first European to make the breakthrough at the Augusta Masters, opening the floodgates for the likes of Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Sandy Lyle and his Spanish compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal.

That first of two Masters titles made him, at 23, the youngest winner before Tiger Woods reduced the bar in 1997.

Across the 1980s Ballesteros bestrode the green like a sporting behemoth, adding further British Open titles in 1984 and 1988 and also winning five World Match Play Championships.

His Ryder Cup exploits were equally impressive, spearheading the landmark 1985 win over the Americans, the first since 1957.

Two years later the Ballesteros-inspired Europeans won on American soil for the first time and what had been a one-way contest had been changed for ever.

His Ryder Cup partnership with compatriot Olazabal proved the most successful in the history of the event - the pair notched 11 wins with two further matches halved out of 15 pairs.

He also skippered the 1997 Ryder Cup winning team on home ground in Valderrama.

Back problems though started to trouble him in the late 1990s and his form and confidence gradually ebbed away. On July 16, 2007, he announced his retirement, although having turned 50 he was eligible for the Champions Tour and European Seniors Tour.

"I no longer have the desire and I am no longer willing to give away the things I did before," an emotional Ballesteros said at the time.

"I gave away all my teenage years and fought day and night to give my all and focus 100 percent on my golf game. I have a number of good years ahead of me and want to spend some time with my three children and friends and family."

He had already been limiting his schedule in the preceding years - a 2005 Madrid Open showing marked a brief comeback which saw him also enter the 2006 British Open Championship.

In 1988, he married Carmen Botin, the daughter of Emilio Botin, head of Santander bank and one of Spain's richest men. The couple had three children and divorced in 2004.

Ballesteros was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1999, where he joined the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

Golf Digest magazine in 2000 ranked him as the greatest golfer Europe has produced.

Herald Sun


RIP

[Chloe O'brien]

I'm not a golf fan to be honest I think it's one of the most boring sports but Seve was a great character for the sport and a true gent. He will be greatly missed. R.I.P

[Perdita]

John Walker of '60s pop group The Walker Brothers has died.

The musician passed away following a battle with liver cancer.

An official statement on Walker's website read: "It is with our deepest sadness to report that Mr John Walker passed away in his Los Angeles area home on May 7, 2011.

"He was a beloved husband, brother, father, grandfather, friend and artiste."

Born John Maus in New York City, Walker first started acting and appearing on talent shows as a child.

He formed The Walker Brothers in 1964 alongside Scott Engel and Gary Leeds, who also took the surname Walker professionally.

The group topped the UK charts twice in the 1960s with 'Make It Easy On Yourself' and 'The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore'.

Writing on his official website, Gary Walker said: "It's a very sad fay for John's family, myself and all of our many fans.

"John was the founder member of the group and lead singer in the early days... He was a compassionate songwriter and a gentleman with lots of style."

DS

RIP John

[tammyy2j]

Jemima Khan has criticised internet users for sending her "vile hate tweets" after she vehemently denied taking out a super-injunction to prevent the publication of intimate pictures of her and Jeremy Clarkson.
The socialite was named on Twitter alongside a host of other celebrities who, it was claimed, had taken out draconian gagging orders to prevent details of their private lives emerging.

This morning she tweeted: “I hope the people who made this story up realise that my sons will be bullied at school because of it. Plus I'm getting vile hate tweets.”

The socialite said she was particularly concerned about her elder son, adding: “My 14 year old would never talk to me again. He's painfully shy and hates any fuss.”

[Perdita]

Des O'Connor wants to become a father again - at the age of 80.

The veteran TV presenter - who already has five children - reaches the milestone birthday in January and has admitted he would love for his youngest son, six-year-old Adam, to have a brother or sister.

Speaking about his decision to have another baby with his 41-year-old wife Jodie, Des said: "It hurt when people said I was selfish to become a dad at my age. I don't feel my age and I'm not planning on leaving this earth anytime soon.
"When he's 19 and I'm 90, I'll still be cheering him on at football games. You'd have to ask the wife if we'd have another. She told me she's late at the moment."

Des - who has been divorced three times - says he felt he owed it to Jodie to let her have a baby because she wanted it so much.

He told Piers Morgan on his 'Life Stories' series: "I think it would have been selfish not to give my wife a child when that's what she wanted."

As well as planning more offspring, Des also revealed how he wants to get back on TV, as he still thinks there's a place for him on the nation's screens.

He added: "There is life in the old dog yet. I have a couple of really string ideas in the pipeline and I'm writing a lot of comedy poetry, like Pam Ayres."#

(C) BANG Media International

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