British director and critic, key figure in Free Cinema and the British New Wave
A string of memorabilia from Freddie Mercury, George Michael and Dolly Parton headlines recent auctions, with guitars, jackets and other items fetching high prices as collectors chase iconic music-era artefacts. The Guardian and BBC Business report on canvassed items from Mercury’s staged charity appearances to George Michael’s Faith-era archive and Parton’s chart-topping legacy.
A new documentary uses archival Wham! footage to examine the 1985 China tour, its tensions with director Lindsay Anderson, and the broader cultural moment as China opened to the West. Ridgeley and Michael are featured, with new interviews and unseen material that cast their trip in a provocative light.
Carly Simon has announced her first album in years, Comes in Waves, while revealing a Parkinson’s diagnosis and skin cancer treatment. The collection revisits defining moments of her life and career, with songs touching on love, loss and renewal. Readers are invited to explore the full context of her career and health as she moves forward.