Entertainment

Popular ‘Love Rock ‘N’ Roll’ Songwriter Dies Of Coronavirus

Published

5 years ago

March 30, 2020

Editor

The co-writer and original singer of I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll, Alan Merrill, has died after contracting coronavirus.

His daughter Laura shared the news, saying the 69-year-old had been healthy enough to play shows a few weeks ago.

“He played down the ‘cold’ he thought he had,” she wrote, before warning other families not to be complacent.

“You don’t think It’ll happen to you or your strong family. It has,” she wrote. “Stay home if not for you, for others. For my dad. This thing is real.”

I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll became a global hit for Joan Jett in 1982 and has been covered by artists ranging from Britney Spears to Weird Al Yankovic.

A parody version, I Love Sausage Rolls, was last year’s Christmas number one in the UK, with proceeds going to charity.

Musicians hit by coronavirus

Coronavirus also claimed the life of country singer Joe Diffie over the weekend, while the family of Nashville legend John Prine said he was critically ill on a ventilator and being treated for Covid-19 symptoms.

Prine, an influential singer-songwriter who is known for lyrical, melancholy folk songs like Hello In There and Angel From Montgomery, has previously survived cancer twice.

As news of his condition broke, musicians including Joan Baez, Bette Midler and Kacey Musgraves sent the Grammy Award winner their love and support.

Alan Merrill, who was born Allan Preston Sachs in New York, had a long and varied career as a musician. He signed his first record deal as lead singer of the band The Lead, who had a big hit in Japan with Aoi Bara (Blue Rose).

After releasing two successful solo albums and hosting TV shows and acting in soap operas, he left Japan for the UK in 1974 to form The Arrows, who put a glam rock sheen on classic pop melodies.

The group scored hits with A Touch Too Much and My Last Night With You, and I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll was written by Merrill and guitarist Jake Hooker as “a knee-jerk response to the Rolling Stones’ It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It)” in 1975.

Originally issued on the B-side of The Arrows’ single Broken Down Heart, it became a hit after DJs started playing the flip side instead.

Its success led to the band getting a weekly ITV series, with musical guests including Marc Bolan, Slade and The Bay City Rollers – and that was where US singer Joan Jett first heard, and fell in love with, I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll.

In the mid-1970s, Jett tried to convince her band The Runaways to cover it but they refused. When the band broke up, Jett recorded it and spent seven weeks at the top of the Billboard chart.

After his death, she paid tribute to Merrill on Instagram, writing: “My thoughts and love go to his family, friends and music community as a whole. I can still remember watching The Arrows on TV in London and being blown away by the song that screamed hit to me.

“With deep gratitude and sadness, wishing him a safe journey to the other side.”

Merrill later joined Meat Loaf’s band for two albums and played with Rick Derringer.

Writing on Facebook, Meat Loaf said: “Let this be a lesson to all of us, try to stay in touch with the people you really love and care about. Life is very short. Alan I am sorry that I didn’t reach out to you years ago. I love you very much.”

(BBC)

(PHOTO: bbc.com)

Entertainment

VIDEO: Fire Guts Actress Iyabo Ojo’s Office

Published

3 days ago

July 9, 2025

Editor

Nollywood star Iyabo Ojo has confirmed that a fire broke out at her office in Lagos on Tuesday evening, destroying parts of the property and several valuables.

The actress shared a video on Instagram showing the aftermath of the blaze—smoke-stained walls, scorched furniture, and charred debris scattered across the staircase and office space.

“This just happened today the 8th of July 2025, around 7pm. My office building caught fire,” she wrote.

Ojo praised the Nigerian Fire Service for their swift response, which helped contain the flames before they could cause further damage.

“Thank you to the Nigerian Fire service and my staff for salvaging what was left. Thankfully no lives were lost. The devil tested us today but God said no.

“With God on my side we will bounce back bigger and better,” she added.

She also thanked her team, describing the experience as shocking but expressing relief that no one was hurt.

The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined.

This incident comes just months after a similar tragedy struck fellow actress Mercy Aigbe, whose Lagos home was destroyed by fire in December 2024.

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Entertainment

Tiwa Savage Shares Emotional Moment With Son

Published

5 days ago

July 7, 2025

Editor

Afrobeats sensation, Tiwa Savage, has opened up about the emotional rollercoaster of motherhood, describing it as both challenging and deeply fulfilling.

In a heartfelt video shared via her Instagram story, the award-winning singer shared a touching experience involving her son, Jamil Balogun. Tiwa revealed that after scolding him for misbehaving, she was taken aback by his quiet response.

“I expected him to be upset. But instead, he came to sit beside me on the couch, just seeking comfort.”

ALSO READ:Tiwa Savage Inspires Fans With Honesty, Strength As A Single Mother

The moment, Tiwa explained, reminded her of the deep emotional connection between a mother and her child, and how those little gestures can make even the toughest parenting moments worthwhile.

“Last night, I was reminded of one of the hardest things about being a mom: you still have to discipline your child and be strict, even when it breaks your heart.

“I’m a very, very strict mother. Everyone knows this. But last night, I went off on him. And this is why he melts my heart so much… I woke up and saw that he had quietly come to sleep next to me. I had slept on the couch, and he still came to lie beside me, my baby. I was shouting earlier… ahhh. Yet he still came close, seeking comfort,” she said.

Tiwa concluded by expressing how, despite the difficulties, motherhood remains the most rewarding experience in her life.

“Being a mother is tough. But it’s also the best feeling in the world,” she added.

Entertainment

Linc Edochie Told Me His Ex-wife Cheated On Him, Smokes Weed – Yinka Theisen [VIDEO]

Published

5 days ago

July 7, 2025

Editor

Yinka Theisen has disclosed that she started a relationship with Linc Edochie after he told her that his estranged wife cheated on him.

Edochie got married to his estranged wife, Amaka Paula, in December 2010, and they shared two children together.

In May 2025, Linc Edochie got engaged to his new partner, Yinka Theisen.

A month after their engagement, Linc broke up with Yinka for getting involved in Queen May and Yul Edochie’s divorce drama on social media.

However, reacting to the controversy in an interview with actor Uche Maduagwu, Yinka Theisen narrated that she started a relationship with Linc after he accused his ex-wife of cheating on him and smoking weed.

“What Linc did to me, I’m shocked. I can’t lie to you, I’m shocked. This is a man a lot of people don’t know, the family (Edochie) had a tragic event recently. And I was there for him. I came to stay with him in Lagos, I supported him. I will just leave it at that because it’s a sensitive thing, and I don’t want to bring out a family secret that a lot of people don’t know about.

“I started a relationship with him after he told me a very, very sad thing about how his wife was sleeping around in Abuja with all the Alhajis, all these things I have text messages of and that she’s a weed head. She smokes weed every day, and that she withdraws the medication of their last child that had seizures.

“So we became very close in the sense of just emotionally supporting him because I couldn’t believe that a woman would repeatedly cheat on such an awesome man.”

Watch the video below: