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Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Singer Dave Dobbyn is left broken-hearted after legendary music manager dies: 'It's a very sad day'
New Zealand singer Sir Dave Dobbyn has led the tributes after his beloved long-time manager Lorraine Barry died on Monday. Originally hailing from Northern Ireland, Barry found her second home in New Zealand, where she played a pivotal role in managing icons such as Dobbyn, rapper Tom Scott, and bands like Avantdale Bowling Club and Home Brew. She died at her Auckland home, after suffering a long illness. Her death was confirmed in a heartbreaking social media statement. 'Our wonderful Lorraine died yesterday. She was at her beautiful Titirangi home, lying in the sun and very peaceful,' the statement began. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'To everyone who knew her, was mentored, inspired or supported by her, we know you will be feeling this loss too. We are sending love to the music industry and wider community on her behalf.' Barry's illustrious career included a 16-year tenure as international marketing manager at Virgin Records in the UK. Across her career, she collaborated with legendary figures like the Spice Girls, Massive Attack, John Lee Hooker, the Chemical Brothers, Ice T and Soul II Soul. Slice of Heaven singer Dave Dobbyn paid tribute to her by sharing a heartfelt throwback photo of them together, which he captioned with some heartfelt words. 'It's a very sad day for my family and friends and for anyone who knew Lorraine. She was a straight shooter, her aim was true,' Dave began. 'We clicked from the start. I got so used to confiding in her as she had great instinct and a canny intelligence.' He added she had been an incredible manager in the two decades she had represented him. 'She had a great way with people and didn't suffer foolishness. Twenty-one years later and I'm at a loss to be without her. 'What would Lorraine think about this and that moving forward? Well she would tell me not to be anxious and to stick to the path we have nurtured. 'All who dealt with her had a deep respect for her. Rest in eternal peace.' NZ Six60 bassist Chris Mac also paid tribute, writing: 'She will be missed. Grateful to have known her.' 'Sending so much love. Such a kind brilliant woman,' NZ radio presented Sharyn Casey chipped in. 'A gem of a woman. Heartbroken for us all,' added NZ country singer Tami Neilson. Barry is survived by her long-term husband Ross.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Respected music manager Lorraine Barry dies
Lorraine Barry in 2018. The international music manager has died at home in Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Yadana Saw New Zealand's music community is paying tribute to a well-respected manager who has died. Lorraine Barry came from Northern Ireland but made her home in New Zealand managing Sir Dave Dobbyn, Tom Scott, and groups such as the Avantdale Bowling Club and Home Brew. She was a board member for the New Zealand Music Commission and a mentor of developing artists. During her 16 years as international marketing manager for Virgin Records in the UK, she worked with international artists including John Lee Hooker, Massive Attack, Chemical Brothers, Ice T, Soul II Soul and the Spice Girls. Sir Dave Dobbyn and Lorraine Barry at the Silver Scrolls in 2019. Photo: RNZ In an interview with RNZ's The Mixtape in 2018, Barry said music was a personal thing that said so much about someone and she liked to stay in the background. "I think that's my role as a manager... My musical tastes have sort of been mine and people don't really know much about me and now you are totally exposing me to the world." Barry said she grew up in "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland - the conflict from 1968 to 1998 between Protestants and Catholics over whether Northern Ireland should stay part of the UK or become part of Ireland. Barry said it began when she was about 10, and nightlife was restricted, forcing teenagers out of Belfast and into the suburbs. This influenced her exposure to music and in her mixtape the first song she chose was the 1980 hit My Perfect Cousin by The Undertones, a rock band from Derry in Northern Ireland - partly for the accent. A death notice online said Lorraine Elizabeth Barry passed away peacefully at home in Auckland after a short illness. "Loving partner to Ross, daughter to Betty and sister to Denise. Lorraine will be sadly missed and remembered by brother in law Kenny, her nephews Robert, Philip, Andrew and David and the wider family circle." The notice said a service would be held in her home town of Whitehead, north of Belfast, at a later date. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
CNBC
13-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Richard Branson: People have told me I'd fail on many occasions—how I know when to trust myself anyway
Richard Branson says the biggest reason he's a billionaire today is because he trusts his instincts — and he's not discouraged when people tell him a new venture is "crazy" or doomed to fail. Instead, Branson takes those doubts to heart: He listens to his advisors so as to consider every possible pitfall of a new venture. Once those issues are identified, Branson says he takes the necessary precautions to "protect the downside" before forging ahead. That mindset has helped the British founder push past the objections of naysayers, particularly when he strongly believes that one of his seemingly "crazy" ventures can bring something new to a market that's ripe for disruption, Branson, 74, wrote in a LinkedIn post on April 28. "Since we launched, there have been many occasions where people told me we'd fail. But we've stuck by our belief that if you can create something better than everybody else, then you at least have a chance of succeeding," Branson wrote. Branson's risky decision to launch Virgin Atlantic in 1984 is a prime example of the billionaire's philosophy, he wrote in the LinkedIn post. "People thought we were crazy to launch an airline," wrote Branson. "I went against everyone's advice. Friends, experts, the press, the pundits — and on paper, they were right." Branson "had no idea how the aviation world worked" at the time, having previously only worked in the music industry since founding Virgin Records more than a decade earlier, he wrote. But he was convinced that he could improve upon the flying experience offered by most traditional airlines, mostly because it was so "subpar," he noted. It was a huge challenge — one that Branson acknowledged "was very risky" due to the fact that he was taking on much larger, established rivals in a highly competitive industry, he told CNBC Make It in April 2024. Branson took those risks seriously. Rather than dismiss anyone who disagrees with him, Branson advocates for surrounding himself with intelligent people and then spending "as much time as possible listening" to alternative points of view, he wrote on LinkedIn in February 2015. Branson prioritized "protecting the downside" by starting out small and negotiating an escape hatch in case he was wrong. In the case of Virgin Atlantic, that meant starting the company by leasing just a single 747 aircraft from Boeing: "In case my instinct was wrong, I negotiated the right to hand [Virgin's first plane] back to Boeing at the end of the first year," Branson said. "The most the airline was actually going to cost — apart from my reputation, which is obviously very important — was roughly a year's profits at Virgin Records." Fortunately for Branson, his instincts ultimately paid off: Virgin Atlantic is still in business after more than four decades. It has overcome ups and downs, even emerging from bankruptcy proceedings in 2021. More recently, the business posted record annual revenue of nearly $4.5 billion in 2024 that returned the company to profitability, the company announced in March. "Virgin Atlantic is proof that you don't need to stay in your lane," Branson wrote. Without that mindset, Branson never would have launched Virgin Atlantic, much less continued branching out into new industries like telecommunications, hospitality, and even spaceflight. "There's many things that we've done that we wouldn't have done if we'd listened to accountants," Branson told CNBC Make It. Not every decision has been a success. He launched some short-lived brands, like Virgin Cola and Virgin Clothing, that never panned out. Even Branson's spaceflight play, Virgin Galactic, has suffered "significant losses since inception," including losing $346 million in 2024, the company said in its annual report in February. In the case of Virgin Galactic, Branson mitigated the risk to Virgin Group by selling the bulk of its stake in the public space tourism company to investors. Ultimately, though, Branson's overall track record speaks for itself. He boasts a net worth that Forbes currently estimates at $2.8 billion. At the same time, Branson still refuses to think of himself purely as a businessman. "[I'm] somebody that loves to create things that I can be proud of," he told CNBC Make It.
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Scotsman
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Album reviews: Van Morrison Mary Chapin Carpenter Marianne Faithfull
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Van Morrison: Remembering Now (Exile Productions/Virgin Records) ★★★★ Mary Chapin Carpenter: Personal History (Lambent Light/Thirty Tigers) ★★★ Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Marianne Faithfull: Burning Moonlight EP (Decca Records) ★★★★ Mike McKenzie: I'd Wait Again (Metro 13 Music) ★★★★ Such is his prolific flow that it seems barely a week goes by without a new album by Van Morrison. In fact, Remembering Now is only his first album of new material in three years, following collections of skiffle and rock'n'roll covers. Van Morrison | Lewis McClay The past and present ebb and flow across its 14 tracks, as Morrison continues to pay tribute to his musical and geographical roots. Down to Joy is already familiar from the soundtrack to Kenneth Branagh's Belfast while If It Wasn't For Ray ('I wouldn't be where I am today') is a lightly exultant ode to Mr Charles' rocking R&B. The self-soothing hymn Haven't Lost My Sense of Wonder features warm, brooding Hammond organ and gospel reassurance and, as if to prove the point, Back to Writing Love Songs sounds like the burden of grievance has been lifted off his shoulders. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He backs up his claims with the spiritual southern soul of Love, Lover and Beloved and makes light weather of the hard work needed to hold down a relationship on The Only Love I Ever Need Is Yours. Stomping Ground crosses over into whimsical nostalgia but the low-slung title track is a more intriguing exploration of what shapes us. Best of all, closing track Stretching Out is a soul jazz saunter which does indeed stretch out to a luxurious nine minutes and is a pleasure all the way. Mary Chapin Carpenter | Contributed Mary Chapin Carpenter also looks back in languor on her latest album. Arriving on the heels of her Looking for the Thread collaboration with Karine Polwart and Julie Fowlis, Personal History was recorded live at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios and produced by Bonny Light Horseman's Josh Kaufmann, with his bandmate Anais Mitchell providing sweet support on the yearning Home is a Song. Telling life stories through song is a running theme, introduced on What Did You Miss and refined on Paint + Turpentine, which ponders the mysteries of creativity. New Religion deals with finding her tribe while The Saving Things is Carpenter's spin on a favourite things list song. Musically, she moves from uncluttered acoustic confessionals to the rootsier rock of Bitter Ender and limpid piano waltz The Night We Never Met with her usual restrained mastery. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Marianne Faithfull | James Robjant Marianne Faithfull's swansong EP comprises four songs recorded in the last year of her life. Like Morrison and Carpenter, she drew inspiration from her own past, specifically her first two albums, Marianne Faithfull and Come My Way, which were released simultaneously in April 1965 on Decca Records. The opening lines of her debut hit As Tears Go By provided a jumping off point for Burning Moonlight, on which Faithfull's commanding voice is accompanied by sonorous strummed guitar. The fuller sound of classy cocktail pop track Love Is, written with her grandson Oscar Dunbar, incorporates spoken word samples of the younger Marianne and the EP is rounded off with two traditional songs attesting to her lifelong love of folk music. Three Kinsmen Bold was originally learned from her father Glynn, while She Moves Thru The Fair is a song she has turned to throughout her career, rendered here as a ghostly a capella. Edinburgh singer/songwriter Mike McKenzie is the spring chicken of the bunch but has lived enough of a life as a musician and frontman to present a sophisticated debut solo album, I'd Wait Again, recorded at Granton's Metro 13 studios. His natural pop voice hits the spot across the ebullient Mr Bang!, big brassy number Control the Tide and the easy, rootsy pop of Sunshine, while the light dusting of Bacharach brass, strings and plangent guitar on Mourn You and Breathe You In are effortlessly but elegantly arranged. Sign up to our FREE Arts & Culture newsletter at CLASSICAL Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Heinrich Biber: Complete Violin Sonatas - 1681 (Delphian) ★★★★★
Egypt Independent
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Egypt Independent
All you need to know about the first joint concert between Rappers Marwan Moussa and Pablo
Rappers Marwan Moussa and Marwan Pablo are preparing to perform their first concert together, titled 'Project Meem,' on May 23 at a major mall. Tazkarti revealed the ticket prices for the concert, which include five categories starting from LE550 to LE1,000. The first category, priced at LE550 has sold out. The second category is priced at LE650. The third category is priced at LE800 and has sold out. The fourth range is priced at LE900 and has also sold out. The fifth range is priced at LE1,000. The organizing body also issued a number of instructions to ensure the concert's discipline, most notably the non-refund or exchange of tickets after purchase, and the prohibition of entry for children under 12 years old. Moussa recently released his new album, 'The Man Who Lost His Heart,' with SALXCO UAM and Virgin Records, on various digital music platforms. The album includes 23 songs, in which Moussa takes his listeners on an trip through his deepest emotions. It consists of five parts, each embodying the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
