Oscar-winning character actress Dame Ms Maggie Margaret Natalie Smith (Maggie Smith)[Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) and Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE)] (Dec. 28th 1934 − Sept. 27th 2024), has sadly passed away while in the care of staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Road, London, aged 89.
The talented British actress; best known for her outstanding roles in ‘Harry Potter’(portraying the wise and formidable head of Gryffindor House) and ‘Downton Abbey’(portraying the Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet Crawley, together with her Academy Award-winning performance in ‘The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie’, and her Best Supporting Actress role in ‘California Suite’, passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning.
Moments that made Maggie Smith in ‘Downton Abbey’.
The intensely private lady, passed away surrounded by close friends and family, leaving behind two sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens and five loving grandchildren all devastated by the loss of their extraordinary talented mother and grandmother.
Born in Ilford, Essex, on December 28, 1934, Ms Smith began her career in the early 1950s with notable performances in theatre. She gained recognition in ‘The Royal Family’ and won her first Oliver Award, in 1971, for her performance in ‘The Private Ear/The Public Eye’. Her film debut began in 1958 in the crime film ‘Nowhere to Go’.
She was also Oscar-nominated for ‘Othello’ (1965), ‘Travels with My Aunt’ (1972), ‘A Room with a View’ (1985), and ‘Gosford Park’ (2001).
Ms Smith received an early BAFTA award for Promising Newcomer in 1959 for ‘Nowhere To Go’. This was followed by BAFTA nominations for ‘Young Cassidy’ in 1966, ‘Death On The Nile’ in 1979, ‘California Suite’ in 1980, ‘Quartet’ in 1982, ‘The Secret Garden‘ in 1994, ‘Tea With Mussolini’ in 2000, ‘Gosford Park’ in 2002 and ‘The Lady In The Van’ in 2016.
She also won Best Actress Awards for ‘The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie’, ‘A Private Function’ and ‘The Lonely Passion Of Judith Hearne’.
One of her final roles included ‘The Miracle Club’, which follows a group of women from Dublin, Ireland, who go on a pilgrimage to the French town of Lourdes.
Ms Smith married actor Robert Stephens on June 29th 1967. They had two sons, Chris (b. 1967) and Toby (b. 1969), and they were divorced on April 6th 1975. Ms Smith married playwright Alan Beverly Cross on June 23rd 1975, at the Guildford Register Office. They remained married until his death on March 20th 1998. Once, when asked in 2013 if she was lonely, she replied, “It seems a bit pointless, going on, on one’s own, and not having someone to share it with”.
Lyrics: Canadian singer and songwriter, the late Rita MacNeil(1944 – 2013). Vocals: The melodic voice of Irish country, pop and folk singer Mary Duff.
Working Man.
It’s the workin’ man I am, And I’ve been down underground, And I swear to God if I ever see the sun, Or for any length of time, I can hold it in my mind, I never again will go down underground. At the age of sixteen years, Oh, he quarrels with his peers, Who vowed they’d never see another one, In the dark recess of the mines, Where you age before your time, And the coal dust lies heavy on your lungs. It’s the workin’ man I am, And I’ve been down underground, And I swear to God if I ever see the sun, Or for any length of time, I can hold it in my mind, I never again will go down underground. At the age of sixty-four, Oh, he’ll greet you at the door, And he’ll gently lead you by the arm, Through the dark recess of the mines, Oh, he’ll take you back in time, And he’ll tell you all the hardships that were had. It’s the workin’ man I am, And I’ve been down underground, And I swear to God if I ever see the sun, Or for any length of time, I can hold it in my mind, I never again will go down underground. It’s the workin’ man I am, And I’ve been down underground, And I swear to God if I ever see the sun, (see the sun), Or for any length of time, (any length of time), I can hold it in my mind, (in my mind), I never again will go down underground.
Lyrics: Singer, producer, and musician Adam Wright(nephew of Alan Jackson), American country music singer-songwriters Hailey Whitters and Sarah Turner. Vocals: American country music singer-songwriter, Alan Eugene Jackson.
The Older I Get.
The older I get, The more I think, You only get a minute, better live while you’re in it, ‘Cause it’s gone in a blink. And the older I get, The truer it is, It’s the people you love, not the money and stuff, That makes you rich. And if they found a fountain of youth, I wouldn’t drink a drop and that’s the truth, Funny how it feels I’m just getting to my best years yet. The older I get, The fewer friends I have, But you don’t need a lot when the ones that you got, Have always got your back. And the older I get, The better I am, At knowing when to give, And when to just not give a damn. And if they found a fountain of youth, I wouldn’t drink a drop and that’s the truth, Funny how it feels I’m just getting to my best years yet, The older I get. And I don’t mind all the lines, From all the times I’ve laughed and cried, Souvenirs and little signs of the life I’ve lived. The older I get, The longer I pray, I don’t know why, I guess that I’ve, Got more to say. And the older I get, The more thankful I feel, For the life I’ve had and all the life I’m living still.
Lyrics: American country musician and song writer, the late Dallas Frazier(1939 – 2022). Vocals: American singer and song writer, the late Kenny Rogers(1938 – 2020).
Son of Hickory Holler’s Tramp.
The corn was dry, the weeds were high when Daddy took to drinkin’. Then him and Lucy Walker they took up and run away. Mama cried a tear and then, she promised fourteen children, I swear you’ll never see a hungry day. When Mama sacrificed her pride, the neighbours started talking, But I was much too young to understand a thing they said. The things that mattered most of all was Mama’s chicken dumplings, And a goodnight kiss before we went to bed. Oh, the path was deep and wide, from footsteps leading to our cabin, Above the door there burned a scarlet lamp, And late at night, a hand would knock and there would stand a stranger, Yes, I’m the son of Hickory Holler’s tramp. When Daddy left and destitution came upon our family, Not one neighbour volunteered to give a helping hand. So let ’em gossip all they want, she loved us and she raised us, The proof is standing here, a full grown man. Last summer Mama passed away and left the ones who loved her. Each and every one was more than grateful for their birth. Each Sunday she receives a fresh bouquet of fourteen roses, And a card that says, “The greatest Mom on earth”. Oh, the path was deep and wide, from footsteps leading to our cabin, Above the door there burned a scarlet lamp, And late at night, a hand would knock and there would stand a stranger, Yes, I’m the son of Hickory Holler’s tramp. Oh, the path was deep and wide, from footsteps leading to our cabin, Above the door there burned a scarlet lamp, And late at night, a hand would knock and there would stand a stranger, Yes, I’m the son of Hickory Holler’s tramp. Oh, the path was deep and wide, from footsteps leading to our cabin, Above the door there burned a scarlet lamp, And late at night, a hand would knock and there would stand a stranger, Yes, I’m the son of Hickory Holler’s tramp. END
‘Dancing In The Dark’ was the first single released ahead of Bruce Springsteen’s 1984 album, ‘Born in the U.S.A. and became his biggest hit, thus helping the album become the best-selling album of his career. This above named song was composed in one night by ‘The Boss’, following a row with his manager American music critic, writer, and record producer Jon Landau. Landau wanted “Born in the USA” to become a massive commercial hit, which went against Springsteen’s ethos with regards music and creativity. His lyrics discuss the difficulties of being a music artist (“check my look in the mirror, I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face”), and highlight the pressures of commercial success, while maintaining artistic integrity. “Can’t start a fire… can’t star a fire without a spark”. “This gun’s for hire, even if we’re just dancing in the dark”, confirms that despite his creative mind, it is impossible to just click your fingers and immediately produce a hit song; which of course is what this Rock Music genius actually achieved.
Vocals and Lyrics: American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist, (Nicknamed “The Boss”)Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen and the E Street Band.
Dancing In The Dark.
I get up in the evenin’, And I ain’t got nothin’ to say. I come home in the mornin’, I go to bed feelin’ the same way. I ain’t nothin’ but tired, Man, I’m just tired and bored with myself, Hey there, baby, I could use just a little help, You can’t start a fire, You can’t start a fire without a spark, This gun’s for hire, Even if we’re just dancin’ in the dark. Messages keeps gettin’ clearer, Radio’s on and I’m movin’ ’round my place, I check my look in the mirror, Wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face, Man, I ain’t gettin’ nowhere, I’m just livin’ in a dump like this, There’s somethin’ happenin’ somewhere, Baby, I just know that there is, You can’t start a fire, You can’t start a fire without a spark, This gun’s for hire, Even if we’re just dancin’ in the dark. You sit around gettin’ older, There’s a joke here somewhere and it’s on me, I’ll shake this world off my shoulders, Come on, baby, the laugh’s on me, Stay on the streets of this town, And they’ll be carvin’ you up alright. They say you gotta stay hungry, Hey baby, I’m just about starvin’ tonight, I’m dyin’ for some action, I’m sick of sittin’ ’round here tryin’ to write this book, I need a love reaction, Come on now, baby, gimme just one look, You can’t start a fire, Sittin’ ’round cryin’ over a broken heart, This gun’s for hire, Even if we’re just dancin’ in the dark. You can’t start a fire, Worryin’ about your little world fallin’ apart. This gun’s for hire, Even if we’re just dancin’ in the dark. Even if we’re just dancin’ in the dark. Even if we’re just dancin’ in the dark. Even if we’re just dancin’ in the dark. Hey baby! END
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