This January has taken a heavy toll on the stars of Rock with demises of David Bowie, Paul Kantner of the Jefferson Airplane, Lemmie from Motorhead, Glenn Frey of the Eagles, and Georgio Gomelsky, who managed the Stones in the USA, but these rocking dead were accompanied into the Here-after by the great movie actor Christopher Lee who passed from this life at the age of 93.

Born well back in the last century Mr. Lee survived a brutal bullying at public school to volunteer for the Russo-Finnish War and then fight with the RAF in North Africa and Italy before joining the secret services about which he said according to Wikipedia, “I was attached to the SAS from time to time but we are forbidden – former, present, or future – to discuss any specific operations. Let’s just say I was in Special Forces and leave it at that. People can read in to that what they like.”

Upon returning from the war Christopher Lee became an actor and achieved stardom as Dracula for Hammer Films and finished out his career as the evil wizard Saruman in the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy.

Several years ago I saw him at the Worseley restaurant in Mayfair. I wanted to say hello and offered him thanks for terrifying me as a youth, but he seemed to be having a good time with his lunch companions and I was taught at an early age to never interrupt a man when he’s having fun.

Strangely Christopher Lee recorded several heavy metal records in his 90s.

He shall be missed, but not forgotten.

To hear Christopher Lee’s The Bloody Verdict of Verden, please go to the following URL

And I love Christopher Lee’s Ghost Riders in the Sky

To hear this song, please go to this URL