Celebrities pay tribute to Irish singer Bernie Nolan

LONDON (Reuters) - Celebrities paid tribute on Friday to the Irish singer and TV star Bernie Nolan, who has died at the age of 52 after a three-year battle with cancer.

Nolan was the youngest of the original Nolan Sisters lineup, whose middle-of-the-road pop made the five siblings one of Britain's best known acts from the late 1970s to the mid-80s, with regular appearances on various television shows.

The band is best known for its 1979 hit "I'm in the Mood for Dancing", which reached No. 3 in the British charts and No. 1 in Japan.

A statement on Nolan's website said she had died on Thursday with her family around her, an "irreplaceable" wife, mother and sister.

"Peace and love to Bernie Nolan. Thoughts of course with her family," tweeted another pop star-cum-actor, the Australian Jason Donovan.

Nolan, born in Ireland, was involved in the entertainment business from an early age as part of a family troupe that performed in pubs and clubs at night.

Their father Tommy was their manager, and she recalled how he had a volatile temper, especially when drunk.

After his death in 1998, Anne, the eldest sister, revealed that her father had sexually abused her from the age of 11.

Bernie, the lead vocalist on many of the Nolans' recordings, quit the group in 1994 and went on to build a career as an actor, appearing in the soap opera "Brookside" after being spotted in the stage musical "Blood Brothers" in London.

In 2009, she rejoined her sisters for the Nolans' reunion tour but in 2010 she announced she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, the third Nolan sister to have the disease.

After being told she was clear of the cancer, in October last year she revealed that it had returned and had spread throughout her body and was incurable.

Nolan is survived by her husband, drummer Steve Doneathy, and their daughter, Erin.

(Reporting by Belinda Goldsmith; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

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A Pride Tribute To The World's Greatest Gay Icon

In what is becoming a New York tradition, the legacy of Judy Garland will be celebrated with an evening of eclectic performances honoring lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth.

Now in its third year, "Night of A Thousand Judys" will feature Broadway's Carolee Carmello and Christiane Noll along with Manhattan cabaret stars Justin Vivian Bond and Molly Pope. Also making their "Judy" debut in 2013 are "Glee" Warbler Telly Leung, original Weather Girl Martha Wash and singer Madeleine Peyroux.

Acknowledging that the evening's set will comprise both classic tunes and lesser-known material from the Garland songbook, the participating artists were nonetheless tight-lipped about the specifics of their performances; last year's show featured nods to Garland's seminal 1961 Carnegie Hall concert as well as her starring roles in "Meet Me In St. Louis" and, of course, "The Wizard of Oz." Still, they nonetheless praised Garland as being more than just a stage and screen icon with the troublesome private life.

Check out the poster for "Night of A Thousand Judys," then scroll down to keep reading:

"She wasn’t the kind of performer who teared up or was over-the-top about her emotional demonstration, but there was something so heartbreaking about her performances when she was singing about love and relationships," Carmello says. The Tony nominee believes Garland's much-publicized, behind-the-scenes turmoil only adds to the enduring myth: "Performers who have their own personal struggles outside of their stage persona are appealing to people who are struggling themselves because they see in that person a way to rise above. They feel a personal empathy from that performer."

Added Leung: "Like many artists, Judy sought refuge from her personal life through the performing arts ... the best performances are an escape, so I think everyone can relate to that."

As in previous years, "Night of A Thousand Judys" -- which is a special presentation of New York-based actor, writer and performer Justin Sayre's variety show "The Meeting*" and timed to coincide with Pride month -- will benefit the Ali Forney Center, a New York advocacy group dedicated to homeless LGBT youth. New to the event this year is an auction of artwork based on Garland, which includes pieces donated by Charles Busch and Tommy Tune.

Sayre says his passion for Garland herself, who he deems the ultimate "comeback kid," is matched only by his dedication to the cause at hand, which is more relevant than ever following what appears to be a spate of disturbing attacks targeting the city's LGBT community.

"I really hope it's a great Pride event to show how proud we are of everything the Ali Forney Center does," Sayre says. Though he points to the show's emphasis on "honoring who Judy was and what she represents," he adds, "Homeless LGBT kids can be such a target for violence ... we're all under attack right now and we really have to watch out for our kids, because our kids are really the most vulnerable."

"Night of A Thousand Judys" plays New York's Kaufman Music Center on June 17. For more information, click here.

Check out 18 of Judy Garland's most legendary performances below:

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Discovery To Air Tribute To Storm Chasers Killed In Oklahoma Tornado

LOS ANGELES -- Discovery Channel says it will honor three veteran storm chasers who died in Oklahoma with a special airing this week.

The program, "Mile Wide Tornado: Stormchasers Tribute," will feature scenes of Tim Samaras, his son Paul and Carl Young from the former series "Stormchasers." It airs at 10 p.m. EDT Wednesday.

The men spent years capturing and sharing storm videos with TV viewers and weather researchers. They died Friday when a tornado with winds of up to 165 mph turned on them in the Oklahoma City area. The storm and flooding claimed more than a dozen other lives.

"Mile Wide Tornado" originally aired Sunday and focuses on the May 20 tornado that devastated a wide swatch of Oklahoma. Discovery says it has been updated with "Stormchasers" footage of the researchers.

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