Tributes are being paid to Primal Scream keyboardist Martin Duffy, who also performed with The Charlatans, following his death at the age of 55.
The news was confirmed by The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess and Creation Records founder Alan McGee, who signed Primal Scream to his label in the 1980s, with lead singer Bobby Gillespie later sharing a poignant tribute.
Duffy died on Sunday after suffering a brain injury following a fall at his home in Brighton, Gillespie said, describing his friend and bandmate as “a beautiful soul” and his “soul brother”. He died on the same day as fellow music star Terry Hall, frontman of ska band The Specials.
“More sad news,” McGee wrote on Instagram. “Martin Duffy gone .. lovely guy so sad.”
Duffy, who grew up in Birmingham, joined indie-pop band Felt when he was 16, before later joining Gillespie’s Primal Scream – going from part-time to a full-time member.
He was part of the line-up when the band released its third album Screamadelica in 1991, their first commercially successful album and the winner of the inaugural Mercury Prize the following year.
The musician also famously stepped in at the last minute to play with The Charlatans when they supported Oasis at Knebworth in 1996, following the death of their own keyboard player Rob Collins in a car crash just a few weeks earlier. He also went on to help finish the band’s fifth album Tellin’ Stories, which was being recorded that year.
Paying tribute to “a true friend”, Burgess described Duffy’s death as “another tragic loss of a beautiful soul”.
In an emotional tribute shared on Primal Scream’s Instagram account, Gillespie wrote: “We in Primal Scream are all so sad. I’ve known Martin since he was a teenager in Felt. He played keyboards on every album of ours from the first to the last. Finally joining the band in 1991.
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“Martin was a very special character. He had a love and understanding of music on a deep spiritual level. Music meant everything to him. He loved literature and was well read and erudite. An autodidact. A deep thinker, curious about the world and other cultures. Always visiting museums in every city we played or looking for Neolithic stones in remote places. Opinionated and stubborn in his views.”
Gillespie went on to say that Duffy played piano “to the level where he was feted not just by his peers in British music” but also “old school master American musicians” such as pianist and singer James Luther Dickinson, drummer Roger Hawkins, bassist David Hood and producer Tom Dowd.
He continued: “Martin was the most musically talented of all of us. His style combined elements of country, blues and soul, all of which he had a God given natural feel for. He never played the same thing twice, ever. He was all about ‘the moment’, better have that ‘record’ button on when Duffy was on fire…
“Martin was also in possession of a unique wit. He had a swift eye for the absurd, the surreal and the ridiculous. He lived to laugh and play music. He was loved by all of us in the Scream. A beautiful soul. We will miss him.”
Duffy was also a member of the rock supergroup The Chavs, formed in 2004 by former Libertines guitarist Carl Barat and Burgess alongside drummer Andy Burrows from Razorlight. In 2012 he performed as part of another supergroup at a fundraising concert at Manchester Cathedral, this time featuring Burgess and Mark Collins of The Charlatans with Peter Hook of New Order.
In recent years he toured as part of Burgess’s live band, playing music from the singer’s solo albums.
Throughout his career, he also contributed keys to songs by Oasis, The Chemical Brothers and Beth Orton.
Oasis star Liam Gallagher was among those paying tribute.
Cherry Red Records, Felt’s first label before Creation, shared a statement, saying: “We’re sad to hear the news that Martin Duffy has passed away. An amazing musician who made incredible contributions to every album he played on, he will be missed. A true rock ‘n’ roll star.”
Music journalist Paul Stokes posted a photo of Duffy on Twitter, and wrote: “Martin Duffy made so many important contributions to so many great records. His performance with @thecharlatans at Knebworth in the aftermath of Rob Collins death was a moment of pure emotional brilliance. He will be truly missed.”
Electro band Asian Dub Foundation tweeted: “Very sad news, someone we toured with alongside #PrimalScream and a fantastic person all round has left us. Brilliant keyboardist #MartinDuffy ADF salute you, thanks for all the good vibes.”
Happy Mondays singer Rowetta shared a series of heartbroken emojis, while former Oasis guitarist Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs tweeted in response to Burgess: “Sad sad news Tim.”
No details of the cause of Duffy’s death have been announced.
Can the influence of celebrities sway voters when it comes to the US election?
With many of the biggest music and movie stars in the world backing her, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris will certainly be hoping so.
Democrats have long enjoyed a celebrity advantage, which has only grown during Republican Donald Trump‘s rise in politics. However, as Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign showed, star power is not always enough.
According to a recent YouGov poll, about one in 10 Americans (11%) say a celebrity has ever caused them to reconsider their stance on a political issue, while 7% say they have supported a political candidate because of a celebrity endorsement.
As the 2024 US presidential electionapproaches, here are the stars backing each of the two candidates – starting with Ms Harris.
The Avengers
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In a clip shared by Hulk star Mark Ruffalo on social media, the Avengers assembled to show their support for Ms Harris.
Black Widow actress Scarlett Johansson, Captain America star Chris Evans, and Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr all feature in the video, along with Don Cheadle and British star Paul Bettany.
Ruffalo cited climate change, education and women’s reproductive rights among the issues voters should consider.
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“We’re back,” he captioned the post. “Let’s #AssembleForDemocracy. In the #ElectionEndgame, every vote counts.”
Taylor Swift
The pop mega star confirmed her support for Ms Harris in September, posting a picture of herself holding her cat Benjamin Button – a reference to Mr Trump’s running mate JD Vance’s “childless cat lady” comments.
Swift told her 283 million followers: “I’m voting for Kamala Harris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”
The action movie star is a former Republican governor of California.
However, he has said he is voting for the Democrats this time, saying: “I will always be an American before I am a Republican.”
In a lengthy post on social media, Schwarzenegger said he did not “like either party right now” and that he does not “really do endorsements”, but felt he had to speak out.
He went on to harshly criticise Mr Trump for rejecting the results of the 2020 presidential vote, saying this was as “un-American as it gets”.
He ended by saying the country needs to “close the door on this chapter of American history, and I know that former President Trump won’t do that. He will divide, he will insult, he will find new ways to be more un-American than he already has been, and we, the people, will get nothing but more anger.”
Jennifer Lopez
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“You can’t even spell American without Rican,” she responded.
Lopeztold supporters she was “an American woman” and a “proud daughter and son of Puerto Rico”.
Madonna
Pop royalty Madonna revealed she returned home to the US following a trip to Paris to vote for Ms Harris.
Alongside a selection of photos of her time in the French capital, the singer, 66, posted on social media: “Paris was so fun! It was hard to leave, but I had to come home to VOTE Kamala Harris for president!!!!”
Beyonce
Beyonce appeared at a Democratic rally in Houston, Texas, in October, telling voters: “We need to sing a new song.”
She added: “A mother who cares deeply about the world my children and all of our children live in, a world where we have the freedom to control our bodies, a world where we’re not divided.”
It came after the singer-songwriter, whose real name is Charlotte Emma Aitchison, wrote in a post on X: “kamala IS brat”.
She later told New York Magazine: “To be on the right side of democracy, the right side of women’s rights, is hugely important to me… I’m happy to help to prevent democracy from failing forever.”
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Springsteen calls Trump a ‘tyrant’
Rock icon Bruce Springsteen is also among the stars who have appeared at Democratic rallies.
Performing on stage in Clarkston, Georgia, he used time between his numbers to argue Ms Harris will protect democracy and fight for women’s reproductive rights.
“He does not understand this country, its history or what it means to be American,” Springsteen said of Mr Trump.
Eminem
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Obama raps Eminem
The rapper attended a rally in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan, where he introduced Barack Obama.
The former president joked he had “noticed my palms are sweaty” before rapping several lines from the Grammy award-winning artist’s hit song Lose Yourself.
Eminem told the crowd Ms Harris “supports a future for this country where these freedoms and many others will be protected and upheld”.
Billie Eilish, Jennifer Aniston, Samuel L Jackson, Spike Lee and Cher are also among the stars who have endorsed Ms Harris.
Mr Trump’s famous backers might not be as starry, but he has several who hold a deep appeal with his core base of voters.
Here are some of the big names who are supporting the former president.
Muskpreviously supported the Democrats but has become a vocal backer of Mr Trump in recent months, and joined the Republican candidate on stage at a rally in Pennsylvania.
At the event, Musk, who runs Tesla and SpaceX, jumped around on the stage and described the election as a “must-win situation”.
Hulk Hogan
The wrestling star is among the celebrities publicly endorsing Mr Trump, appearing at the Republican National Convention in the summer and at a rally in New York last month.
He told “Trumpamaniacs” at Madison Square Garden that he had won heavyweight titles and body-slammed “giants” there, but the energy at the rally was “something like I’ve never felt”, and “the most powerful force in the universe”.
The retired wrestler, whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea, has shared several photographs of himself and Mr Trump on social media.
Mel Gibson
Hollywood star Mel Gibson will reportedly be voting for Mr Trump.
According to US entertainment site TMZ, when asked about the election, the actor replied: “I don’t think it’s going to surprise anyone who I’ll vote for.”
He said voting for Mr Trump would be “a pretty good guess”, and reportedly added: “I know what it’ll be like if we let her in and that ain’t good. Miserable track record – appalling track record. No policies to speak of. And she’s got the IQ of a fence post.”
Dennis Quaid
The US actor, known for films including The Parent Trap and The Day After Tomorrow, gave a speech at a Trump rally in Coachella, California, in October.
“It’s time to pick a side,” he told the crowd. “Are we gonna be a nation that stands for the constitution? Or for Tik-Tok?
“Are we gonna be a nation of law and order? Or wide open borders?”
Jon Voight
Veteran actor Jon Voight, who is Angelina Jolie’s father, has long been a supporter of Mr Trump.
In a video shared on social media, he told his followers: “We’re now in a time of the darkest plague ever. And our chance, our only chance, is this November.”
Voight accused Hollywood peers supporting Ms Harris of “putting out videos trying to brainwash the American people to do the most dangerous vote ever”.
Jake Paul
YouTuber and professional boxer Jake Paul has also shared a video message endorsing Mr Trump.
He captioned the clip, “Who I’m supporting for president and why you should too…” but began by saying he had been “nervous, scared” to make it because of potential repercussions for his career.
Encouraging his followers to do their own research and not just listen to “your favourite pop star”, he said he had rescinded his right to vote after moving to Puerto Rico for his boxing career – but that he wanted to present his millions of followers “with proper facts, numbers and data to encourage them to vote in the proper direction to quite literally save America”.
Things “don’t feel right” in the US at the moment, he said, which shows “that we are more divided than ever”. He added: “What is the problem? Democrats have been in power for 12 of the last 16 years, so if we aren’t happy… then who is to blame?”
Kelsey Grammar
The Frasier star – who has reportedly spoken of his support for Mr Trump in the past – was asked about being a Republican in Hollywood in an interview with the New York Times in September.
“For me to be anything else would be a problem,” he replied. “I don’t go along with a lot of what is preached in Hollywood. I go along with what is preached in Christianity. I go along with do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
“And I believe in all people: I believe in their desires and their lives and their worth. I want to make shows about that. I don’t want to hate anybody.”
Kid Rock
The musician has appeared at several Trump rallies and has been vocal in his support for the Republican presidential candidate on social media.
In a recent video, he responded to Eminem’s support for Ms Harris, saying he had been friends with the rapper for years but he does not agree with his politics.
He credited both Eminem and “people like Taylor Swift for standing up and not being afraid to be vocal”, but said his stance is “unequivocally MAGA, because I know in my heart, mind, body and soul that President Trump will make America great again”.
“Amateurish” thieves have made off with a screen print of Queen Elizabeth II by Andy Warhol as part of a botched gallery heist in the Netherlands.
The thieves blew open the gallery doors, stealing two works from the iconic American pop artist, the gallery’s owner Mark Peet Visser said.
Another two prints were left badly damaged in the street after the thieves discovered they wouldn’t fit in the getaway car, he added.
The heist was captured on security cameras, Mr Visser said, describing the whole thing as “amateurish”.
The gallery owner said “the bomb attack was so violent that my entire building was destroyed” and nearby stores were also damaged.
“So they did that part of it well, too well actually,” he added.
“And then they ran to the car with the prints and it turns out that they won’t fit in the car.
“At that moment the works are ripped out of the frames and you also know that they are damaged beyond repair, because it is impossible to get them out undamaged.”
The thieves struck the MPV Gallery in the Dutch town of Oisterwijk early on Friday.
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Mr Visser said they were attempting to steal four works from a 1985 Warhol series called Reigning Queens.
The series featured portraits of the then queens of the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark and Swaziland, which is now called Eswatini.
The thieves got away with the portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and Margrethe II of Denmark, Mr Visser said.
But the prints of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlandsand Ntombi Tfwala, who is now known as the queen mother of Eswatini, were abandoned.
Eddie Redmayne says he nearly ended up in hot water off-set whilst filming new Sky Atlantic show The Day of the Jackal.
Speaking to Sky News about the challenges of modernising Frederick Forsyth’s acclaimed novel, the Oscar-winning actor said it took months of intensive preparation to play a character that assumes a range of different ages and nationalities.
“What’s interesting about the Jackal is in some ways he is an actor and this whole series was a kind of actor’s playground,” he explained.
“I am a sucker for process… so it was languages, it was prosthetics, different costumes… and then all the gun work as well… I had about three or four months prepping, and it was pretty fun.”
From the first episode, the actor was required to casually be able to construct a gun out of the internal workings of a wheelie case. While he’d already been given advanced weapons training, his eagerness to take props home to practice could have nearly ended in his arrest.
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Eddie Redmayne’s kids want him to play a ‘goodie’.
“There is a moment at which the Jackal constructs this rifle…it is a beautiful bit of prop design…and I’m a really shoddy prop actor, so in Budapest, I asked the prop master if I could take home this case with me to work on it in the hotel,” he said.
“I was in the midst of eating some goulash and I suddenly went ‘Argh’ as I realised that I had left this gigantic sniper’s rifle – and the hotel was basically the equivalent of Trafalgar Square – pointing out a window and it was about to be the turndown service.
“I remember running down the corridor and the person that works in the hotel pushing down the towels [trolley] and some extra little toiletries and I just barged through the door and deconstructed this thing… otherwise that could have been a moment because it looked pretty persuasive.”
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Keeping the action mostly contained onscreen, the star acknowledges it is a risky gamble to attempt a modern reboot of a much-loved classic.
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He explained: “I loved it since I was a kid and so when the scripts arrived in my inbox there was definitely a moment of trepidation.”
Forsyth’s acclaimed novel has had many lives since it came out in the early 70s, but the 1973 film version is how most people will remember the cat and mouse thriller, including its leading man.
“The original film was very much a binary sense of good and evil,” Redmayne said.
“We live in a world now, certainly in social media, in which things dictate that there is a right and a wrong and the grey territory is harder to navigate, I suppose… the series makes some sort of gestures towards that.”
In the 10-part TV Sky Atlantic series, viewers will see that the Jackal is still an elite assassin carrying out a seemingly impossible hit. But, in this version, James Bond star Lashana Lynch plays an intelligence officer hunting him down.
The show takes in the rise of right-wing extremism, tech megalomaniacs and themes of assassination.
With the attempt on the life of Donald Trump, and a terrifying cycle of violence and assassination in the Middle East, there is something that feels eerily prescient about the timing of the modern reboot.
“What the series does [show] is that there’s ambiguity in everyone and I feel that that’s kind of where we’re at slightly in the world,” Redmayne said.
For the actor, the final pulse-raising moment will be finding out what fans and his family make of the drama, not that he’ll be tuning in personally.
“Truth be told, nothing would pain me more than watching myself on screen, so I won’t be doing that… but I will be encouraging my family to watch it… it was my dad’s favourite film,” he said.
The Day of the Jackal is out on Sky Atlantic and NOW on 7 November.