Someone no one has heard of, who played flute on a one hit wonder 29 years ago has died.

[Gromit]

Why is that 'News'?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...ainment-arts-17767264

I did like the record, but surely not worth our national broadcaster telling us about it.

[anotheoldgit]

You may have not heard of him, and I certainly haven't, but there must be many who have.

It is not unusual for certain 'celebrities' deaths to be in the news, even if we have not heard of them personally.

Apparently there was some trouble over the copyright of 'Down Under' way back in 2010.

http://news.bbc.co.uk...rtainment/8499973.stm

[MarkRae]

One-hit wonder? Who comes up with this garbage? Can't they do even this simplest bit of research...?

[FredPuli43]

It's news to us who didn't know he was alive! Also, BBC online tries to be something of a worldwide site; it may be of interest to Australians.

[Baldric]

"sold over 30 million albums worldwide"
hardly a one hit wonder.

[MarkRae]

^^ And had already had a No.1 single in the US before "Down Under".

[Gromit]

MarkRae

Just check and they only had one more record trouble the top 30 in the UK. (not sure many could name it without looking).

There is an error in the question though. It was a hit 31 years ago not 29.

[Gromit]

US No1 which didn't even get in the Top 40 over here.

[Davethedog]

So Gromit your saying You hadn't heard of him, so its of no interest to anyone.

Business as usual which I bought when it first came out, and still have, is a great album. Singer Colin Hay, whom I also assume you haven't heard of, is still very popular in the US.

For some of us, our musical boundaries are not limited to the top 40.

[SeaJayPea]

It's quite an interesting story, especially as there seems to be an implication that the death may not be natural causes. Bear in mind that it's just one page out of 8 million, if the numbering in the link is to be believed.

If they'd led the 10 o'clock news with this I'd agree. In fact, if it had made the 10 o'clock news at all, I'd agree. But just one page on a massive website like the beeb's, no problem.

[Gromit]

Fair point Davethedog.

Come to think of it, I have not heard of loads of people who get in the news. It does seem like an obscure claim to fame, but the song is well liked after all these years so I am wrong to belittle the news item.

[jno]

it's not on the Telegraph's front page online; instead they have "Thousands flock to Smurf village". The Guardian has an analysis of the Famous Five's diet
("Enid Blyton's heroes, now 70 years old, had an approach to food that we could all learn from").

Every outlet has its own take on popular culture, I suppose.

[ludwig]

It's in the entertainment and arts section. I'd say it qualifies as entertainment and arts news.

If you look at that section there's another article with the strapline '(Jason)Statham : 'I'm not a great character actor'. If you're looking for things that aren't news, surely that counts?

[youngmafbog]

Probably News is a bit thin today

[d9f1c7]

So you want to dictate what goes on the news now do you Gromit? Unless you are some sort of Oracle there must be thousands of things reported everyday that you are not familiar with. So presumbably you'd like the news gatherers to first check with His Royal Gromitness before deciding to publish!

[jno]

it was on the BBC's front page at first, so Gromit's comments were well founded. (It would still have been tagged as "entertainment".)

[AB Editor]

"Probably News is a bit thin today"

I've noticed a lot of fluff in the news recently. Is it summer already?

[jno]

no. People just aren't doing interesting things, like rioting, padding their expenses, invading Islamic countries etc. If you have a good cause you want to promote, or a campaign to put in the public eye, this would be a good time to launch it.

[chelle7272]

Well I remember Men at Work very well.... why would it not be entertainment news?