Deacon Blue legend dies following 'short struggle with cancer'
Deacon Blue's James Prime has sadly passed away at the age of 64 after a "short struggle with cancer". The founding member and keyboard maestro of the band died after a short fight with the illness.
This comes in the wake of his hospital admission last week, which led to him bowing out of the group's imminent tour. The band conveyed their sorrow on social media, stating: "We announce with great sadness that our brother, James Prime, passed away this morning after a short struggle with cancer."
The band have expressed their heartfelt thanks for the flood of well-wishes from fans, saying: "Thank you so much for the messages of support that you shared over the last two weeks, they meant so much to Jim, his family and us."
Just a week ago, a report on James' condition described it as "serious". On X, the band communicated: "Unfortunately he is seriously ill and undergoing care in hospital. We would like you to join us in wishing him well and to share your love with him."
With James' blessing, Deacon Blue – also comprising Ricky Ross, Lorraine McIntosh, Dougie Vipond, Gregor Philp, Lewis Gordon, and Tom Gordon – have confirmed they will forge ahead with their planned tour, reports the Express.
Their message included: "We spoke to Jim yesterday about Deacon Blue's plans for the rest of the year, and he encouraged us to continue with love in our hearts and with his full blessing that the shows go ahead, even if it means replacing the irreplaceable James Miller Prime for the time being."
The band, alongside James' relatives, has paid tribute to the healthcare professionals looking after him, sharing their appreciation with the words: "Together with Jim's family, we want to thank all the nurses, doctors and ICU staff for their ongoing care, professionalism and compassion."
James has been an integral part of Deacon Blue since it first graced the music scene in the 1980s, contributing to smash hits like Dignity, Chocolate Girl, and Real Gone Kid.
Deacon Blue's lineup has evolved over time, with former members such as Graeme Kelling, Ewen Vernal, Mick Slaven, Scott Fraser, Taj Wyzgowski, Ged Grimes, and Chris Henderson moving in and out of the band.
Following a hiatus in 1994, the members of Deacon Blue reunited in 1999 and have continued to create music together up to the present day.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Inside the messy love lives of Gavin & Stacey cast..from groping claim to star's affair & James Corden's pass at singer
IT'S the TV series that proves that love conquers all - even culture clashes, long distance and in the case of Smithy and Nessa, the awkward fact that he's marrying someone else. But while our favourite Gavin and Stacey characters got their happily ever after in last year's 20 Ruth Jones, Mat Horne, Joanna Page and James Corden found fame and fortune in Gavin and Stacey Credit: Baby Cow 20 The sitcom was a hit, but its stars haven't been quite so lucky in love Credit: PA 20 Ruth Jones announced this week that she'd split from her husband, David Peet Credit: Rex Just take actress Yesterday, the 58 year old revealed that she'd She added in a statement, 'We remain good friends. Since our separation, Ruth is living in London and David is living in Canada, where he is in a new relationship'. It's since been revealed he's dating education assistant Jayne Charity Cook, 46, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the Gavin and Stacey star. READ MORE IN FEATURES As friendly as it may be, the break-up has still come as a shock to many - not least given the fact that Ruth and David were together for almost three decades. Yet their relationship wasn't without its drama early doors. The pair first met in the 1990s while filming the pilot episode of a BBC comedy; but while she was single, he was married with three children. She later admitted Most read in Showbiz She's since spoken about her guilt over the way things started, reflecting, 'Affairs cause a lot of pain; they're not something one aspires to do. You don't aspire to cause pain to people in their life." As for the rest of the Gavin and Stacey gang, nobody's had it quite so tidy in the love department. In fact, for most of them, it's been downright messy. So, what's occurring when it comes to their respective romantic foibles behind the scenes? Watch the sweet moment Ruth Jones reunites with Neil the Baby after Gavin and Stacey finale James Corden 20 He previously dated Sheridan Smith, who played his sister on the show Credit: Getty 20 He married his wife, Julia Carey, in 2012 Credit: Getty 20 James flirted with Lily in an awkward exchange Credit: Rex Features Before meeting his wife, The pair dated - on and off - for two years, before In the meantime, during one of their off-spells, James famously tried it on with Reports from the time suggested they did in fact go on several dates, but Lily shut down the rumours quickly, revealing, 'No, I wasn't horny for James Corden…he came on to me in front of a studio audience. 'If I'd have shut him down, I would have been labelled cold or up myself or snobbish.' James admitted he had been trying to hook up with the star, explaining: "I made it my aim to make Lily mine. I guess we were friends but, for my part, I definitely wanted more than that." His efforts may not have made the singer Smile, but James had better luck with Julia, who he met after finally ending things for good with Sheridan. They got together in 2009 and married three years later, with James revealing on Good Morning Britain, 'I absolutely knew minute one that I couldn't do any better than this. 'When I met Jules, I was like it's a miracle every day. She must just look at me and think, 'What did I do? This was a huge mistake.' Despite his concerns, it seems the feeling's mutual. The couple, who share three children together - Max, 14, Carey, 10, and Charlotte, seven - are still going strong, and A marriage that survives Hollywood? As Smithy would say, sounds like they're two peas in a bag. Mat Horne 20 Mat Horne was previously engaged to Evelyn Hoskins 20 After they split, he met and fell in love with Celina Bassili Credit: Getty The pair announced their engagement in October 2018, but the happy news was short lived as - months later - he was spotted kissing Norwegian set designer But Evelyn's loss was Celina's gain - As for previous rumours that he once dated Kylie Minogue, the actor's jokingly rubbished the very thought of it. The 46-year-old previously told The Sun, 'If I'd shagged Kylie everyone would know about it. I would have a T-shirt and a tattoo telling them. 'The idea of people camping outside my mum's house last year to ask her if i'm seeing Kylie is ridiculous. Of course nothing happened…she's Kylie!' Joanna Page 20 Joanna's been with husband James Thornton since 1999 (pictured here in 2012) Credit: Getty 20 They hit a rough patch during Covid, but have since come back stronger Credit: Getty As Stacey, And, for the most part, her personal life has followed suit. She met fellow actor They now share four children - Eva, 12, Kit, 10, Noah, eight, and Boe, three - and live happily in Henley-on-Thames. However, she did admit things 'We spent the whole of the first lockdown arguing and threatening to divorce each other,' she's previously said. 'Then we went through a month of literally not saying a single word to each other.' They've since come back fighting - and Joanna's spoken about spending more time together one-on-one. Speaking to Natalie Cassidy on the She said: 'I thought stuff it, I'm going to take me and him away for a couple of days because we've never really been away for a good few days, just the pair of us." Sounds lush to us. Alison Steadman 20 Alison was previously married to director Mike Leigh (pictured here in 1993) Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd 20 She's since been loved up long-term with actor Michael Elwyn Credit: Rex The pair met at East 15 Acting School in 1967, and got married in 1973, before welcoming two sons together - Toby, now 46, and Leo, now 43. During their marriage, Alison often appeared in Mike's films, including Abigail's Party, Nuts in May and Life is Sweet. They split in 1995 and divorced in 2001, but always remained close - and are now dedicated grandparents to Freddy, seven, and Milo, one. What's more, Alison got her second stab at happily ever after when she met Welsh actor The pair have now been together for 27 years and enjoy a cosy life in north London, which includes a mutual love of bird watching. In 2022, she paid tribute to her long-term partner, saying, "I really appreciate how wonderful it is to enjoy doing things with someone at this stage of life, knowing we'll be together until one of us flies away up to heaven." Larry Lamb 20 Larry pictured with his third ex-wife, Linda Martin, and their son George Lamb Credit: Getty 20 He's since found love with Marie Victorine Credit: Brian Roberts - The Sun As Mick, Larry played the patient and down-to-earth antidote to his wife Pam's theatrics. But in real life, Larry's love life reads a little more dramatically. Sadly, he only met her once, when she was seven months old, as Vanessa was subsequently adopted by her mother's new husband. Larry has since expressed his sadness and longing to connect with Vanessa, stating that he thinks about his 'long-lost daughter' often and wondering if she ever had children herself. As for his romantic life, he didn't let divorce slow him down. His second short-lived marriage was to an American nurse named Jacquie Parris. Then, following a brief fling with The pair had one son together - TV presenter And since then, it seems Larry's had a different attitude when it comes to marriage, deciding that three was enough after all. In the mid-1990s, he entered into a long-term relationship with actress They then split in 2016, and Larry's since been happily coupled up with artist Marie was there to greet Larry when he left the I'm A Celeb jungle soon after he split from Clare, and the pair now share a happy life - splitting their time between London and Marie's native France. Despite the fact that she's the great granddaughter of Rob Brydon 20 Rob and his second wife Clare Holland (pictured in 2015) Credit: Getty 20 The actor was hilarious as Uncle Bryn Credit: Handout In real life, he hasn't always had such glowing praise. The actor was married to his first wife But the pair split in 2001, leaving Rob 'traumatised'. He's since said it took him 16 years to be able to open up about his heartbreak, not even including it in his 2011 autobiography Small Man In A Book. Happily, he recovered from the turmoil and found love again with second wife To quote Uncle Bryn: 'It was complicated, Stacey. Very, very complicated.' Sheridan Smith 20 Sheridan gave birth to her and Jamie Horn's son Billy in 2020 Credit: Getty 20 She later rekindled things - briefly - with ex boyfriend Alex Lawler Credit: Instagram It's no secret that Sheridan, 43, has had a long and tumultuous dating history. After splitting from co-star James Corden - who played her brother on Gavin and Stacey - Sheridan briefly dated Scottish actor Ross McCall, and celebrity stylist Graham Nation, who tragically died earlier this year. She then went on to date Hollyoaks actor Unfortunately, their tattoos outlived their fling, which ended later that year. Sheridan then went on to date insurance broken They later got engaged, and she gave birth to their Meanwhile, amid their relationship, Sheridan was rocked by reports she'd 20 In 2018, hairdresser Shelley Cloud alleged that Sheridan had groped her 20 She briefly dated boxer Dave 'Rocky' Ryan but things fizzled out Credit: instagram Shelley alleged that Sheridan had boasted, 'I swing both ways you know' and had also complained about having to pay for her own £10,000 engagement ring. The actress never responded to the allegations, and she and Jamie remained committed for a while - before Later that year, Sheridan revealed she'd rekindled things with actor The pair seemed to delighted to be back in each other's lives, with Sheridan telling fans, 'Life works in mysterious ways', before calling things off again in 2022. She then went on to date As for her current dating life, the actress is keeping her cards close to her chest. But, safe to say, events so far have been distinctly untidy.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
I'm the Irish artist who created world's most famous image but refused cash – I lost my home but my reason mattered more
HE created the iconic image that's adorned the walls of millions of homes across the globe - but passed up the opportunity to make hundreds of thousands in royalty cash. And Dublin artist 10 Artist Jim Fitzpatrick created the iconic poster of Che Guevara Credit: Reuters 10 Jim met Guevara by chance in Co Clare during the 60s Credit: Alamy 10 Jim created the famous image of Che in 1968 Credit: Jim Fitzpatrick 10 Jim also did various artwork for Thin Lizzy which An Post made into stamps He told The Irish Sun: "I never sought royalties for the The artist, who is also famous for his work designing Explaining the move to leave the potential cash unclaimed, he said: "I never wanted to accumulate money, all I wanted was to put a roof over my head." The Skerries native, who battled He told us: "I never thought I'd still be on the planet at this age. It's way beyond my expectations. "I had cancer in 2017, but survived that, and I am still walking around even after a hip replacement. "Getting to 81 means I am getting to do all the things I wanted to do and that's sending me down all sorts of highways and byways." And Jim's focus remains keenly on revolutionary figures - but this time just closer to home. He continued: "I was working on a project about the women of 1916 and now I am switching over onto a series about the rebels of 1798." Aside from creating stunning album sleeves for the likes of Thin Lizzy, Some of the notable album covers he's produced over the years include Sinead O'Connor's Faith And Courage and Thin Lizzy's Black Rose: A Rock Legend - which has been a tattoo choice for celebs such as Jim also produced a striking portrait of But despite commissions from around the world throughout his long career, Jim lost his house to vulture funds a few years ago, and now owns an apartment where he creates his art. The talented craftsman missed out on a fortune by refusing to copyright or charge for his most famous work - arguably the world's most recognisable image. The renowned piece on Marxist revolutionary and guerrilla leader Ernesto 'Che' Guevara was based on a photograph by Alberto Diaz Gutierrez - known as Korda - in German magazine Stern in 1967. 10 Jim's artwork of Che Guevara was based on a photograph by Alberto Diaz Gutierrez Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd 10 One of Jim's latest pieces is of 1798 Irish Rebellion hero John Kelly Credit: Jim Fitzpatrickv 10 The artwork for Thin Lizzy's album Black Rose: A Rock Legend Credit: Jim Fitzpatrick While the image was later reproduced on t-shirts, cups, posters and other merchandise worldwide, Jim did not assert his copyright until 2010, more than four decades after its creation. In 2013, Jim attempted to hand over the rights to the picture to the Cuban people to be administered by the Guevara family. However, because Che's family never signed and ratified the documents, the copyright on the picture remains with Jim. He said: "It's not valid until they sign those papers, but the family don't want to be dragged into the courts for every copyright violation, and I don't want to spend my time in the courts either. 'ACT OF SOLIDARITY' " "I've been told I need to be patient. All I want to know is that when I pop my clogs, that piece of paper exists and I have done the right thing. I never wanted to accumulate money, all I wanted was to put a roof over my head." Jim created his two-tone masterpiece by making a line drop-out of Korda's photograph. He then submitted it to Dublin's Scene to accompany a feature about the revolutionary's move from Cuba to Shortly after, Guevera was captured and killed by the Bolivian army. The following year, when Fitzpatrick showed his stark poster at the Viva Che exhibition in 'DEMAND WAS INSANE' Jim explained: "The demand was insane. It went off like a rocket. I just kept supplying, supplying, supplying. "I couldn't afford to keep getting it photographed, which is why I had to make all these variations." Pop artist Despite his image gaining popularity, Fitzpatrick didn't pocket a penny from its global success due to his copyright stance. 10 Jim has done a collection of works on Irish revolutionaries, including James Connolly Credit: Jim Fitzpatrick 10 Jim has previously said he thinks Johnny The Fox is the best Thin Lizzy album cover he produced Credit: Jim Fitzpatrick 10 A close-up section of Jim's original painting titled Oisin And Niamh Tir Na Nog Credit: Jim Fitzpatrick He explained: "I never sought royalties for the Che image because I was absolutely enraged by the manner of his death. "He was shot in the neck and left to drown in his own blood, because they didn't want to harm his face. "The Bolivians wanted his face intact so they could prove it was him. I was trying to get people to notice this man had been murdered." "I never thought I'd still be on the planet at this age. It's way beyond my expectations." Jim Fitzpatrick Fitzpatrick said he took the murder personally because he met the doomed CHAT WITH CHE Jim said: "What happened was Che was flying back from "He ended up staying the night in Ireland and walked into the pub I was working in. I recognised him straight away. "I remember him saying his father's grandmother, Isabel Lynch, was from "He was very proud of the fact that the Irish were the first to begin to bring down the AN IRISH ED ON HIS SHOULDERS THIN Lizzy album designer Jim Fitzpatrick has said that Ed, 34, came under attack on However, Celtic artist Jim has defended the Shape Of You hitmaker. He told The Irish Sun: "Yes, Ed Sheeran is entitled to say his father's family are Irish. Anybody with Irish blood is entitled to be Irish, it's that simple. "My friend Phil was born in West Bromwich, outside "Like Phil, Ed Sheeran is an amazing, talented songwriter, and I'd be very proud to add him to the list of Irish diaspora. "President Jim claims he is delighted that we are living in a time where Ed can boast of his Irishness. He said: "I knew "Once it was viewed in England as a sign of inferiority and then during The Troubles people clammed up about Irish pride and heritage, but now The Troubles are over, groups like "I only wish Phil was around to see this because he was proudly Irish at a time when it was wiser to keep your mouth shut about your Irishness in Britain. "But Phil never tried to hide or disguise it. He strutted around England being an Irish man." The creative talent added: 'When Che was murdered, the first thing his father said was, 'Che died like a true Irish revolutionary'. That kind of stuff had a lot of resonance with me." Jim recently donated a print of 1916 hero Elizabeth O'Farrell to The Moore Street Preservation Trust, which is And, like most of Jim's work, the limited edition signed print quickly sold out. This Friday, Jim is donating another new work, a painting of 1798 Irish Rebellion icon John Kelly - who was immortalised in the Dubliners' song Kelly, The Boy From Kilanne - to the National 1798 Rebellion Centre in Enniscorthy,
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- RTÉ News
Deacon Blue keyboard player James Prime dies after short battle with cancer
Deacon Blue keyboardist James "Jim" Prime has died aged 64 after a short battle with cancer. The Scottish pop-rock band announced the news shortly after Prime, from Kilmarnock, died on Thursday morning. They wrote on social media: "Dear friends, We announce with great sadness that our brother James Prime passed away this morning after a short struggle with cancer. "Thank you so much for the messages of support that you shared over the last two weeks, they meant so much to Jim, his family & us. With love, DBx." Founded in 1985, Deacon Blue consist of Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh on vocals, Dougie Vipond on drums, Gregor Philp on guitar, and Lewis Gordon on bass. The group have released 11 studio albums to date, as well as two live albums, eight compilation albums, and an album that features both studio and compilation elements. They are best known for their hit single Dignity, which propelled them to success in their early years. Earlier this month, the band said Prime, who was also a lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland, was seriously ill. They wrote on social media on June 11: "We wanted to share some news with you about our brother, Jim. "Unfortunately, he is seriously ill and undergoing care in hospital. We would like you to join us in wishing him well and to share your love with him. "We spoke to Jim yesterday about Deacon Blue's plans for the rest of the year, and he encouraged us to continue with love in our hearts and with his full blessing that the shows go ahead, even if it means replacing the irreplaceable James Miller Prime for the time being. "Together with Jim's family, we want to thank all the nurses, doctors and ICU staff for their ongoing care, professionalism and compassion."
