The Ottawa Citizen from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • 28

BRIEFS REVIEW YOU TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016 OTTAWA CITIZEN Librarians laud children's books Matt de la Last Stop on Market Street has won the Newbery Medal for the best children's book of 2015. Finding Winnie, Lindsay Mattick's story behind A.A. Milne's famous literary creation, has won the Caldecott Medal from the American Library Association, for the top illustrated book. Last Stop on Market Street, a story of race and class illustrated by Christian Robinson, also was a finalist for the Caldecott. Finding Winnie was illustrated by Sophie Blackall.

Singer Shondell dies at 76 Rock 'n' roll singer Troy Shondell, who had a hit song in 1961 with This Time (We're Really Breaking Up), has died. He was 76. Shondell, born Gary Shelton, died Dec. 7 at a nursing facility in Picayune, said family friend K.J. Vigue.

Vigue says Shondell's wife, Trina, told him about the death. The cause was complications related to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Originally from Fort Wayne, Shondell started singing and writing as a teenager. This Time (We're Really Breaking Up) spent four months on the Billboard Top 100 chart in 1961 and charted on the U.K. singles chart.

He later became a songwriter and publisher in Nashville, Tenn. Otis Clay Guitarist Clay dies at 73 Rhythm and blues artist Otis Clay, a hall of fame musician who also was a community activist on Chicago's West Side, has died. He was 73. Miki Mulvehil was the one-time Grammy nominee's manager. She said Clay died of a heart attack on Friday.

Clay was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2013. Oliver! star became rocker Brett Smiley, who appeared on Broadway in the musical Oliver! in 1965 and went on to become a glam rocker, has died. He was 60. Richard Pyle, Smiley's brother-in-law, said the Indiana-born singer died Friday at his home in New York City. Smiley-written songs Va Va Va Voom and Space.

Ace, mastered by Mick Oakleaf, were released in London in 2003. In recent years, Smiley fronted bands in New York. Circus to retire its elephants in May The Ringling Bros. and Barnum Bailey Circus is ending its elephant acts a year and a half early, and will retire all of its touring elephants in May. The move comes amid increasing scrutiny in response to concerns over animal cruelty.

Parent company Feld Entertainment says all the iconic elephants will go to the company's 200- acre Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida. David Bowie performs back in 1987 the same year that Postmedia's Bob Thompson got a chance to follow the rock legend around as a member of his entourage on the Glass Spider tour, in Spain. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING Recalling memorable moments with David Bowie on his 1987 tour BOB THOMPSON I hooked up with his tour in POSTMEDIA NEWS Madrid, but a flu virus causing laryngitis created a problem David Bowie made me famous he could sing but could not do for a minute. Unlike Bowie, my my interview. I thought that was time was up after a few days.

it. Done. Almost, but not quite. His prominence lasted for I was wrong. I was asked to join generations.

his entourage until he felt better. My brush with distinction I can still remember a very ill was momentary and in-house. Bowie staggering off the stage in It arrived during Bowie's Glass Madrid, no encores, and being Spider tour in 1987. wrapped in a cotton sheet. I was covering rock 'n' roll for Seconds later, he was whisked the Toronto Sun, and I had man- away in his escape vehicle.

aged to land an interview with I was in the car behind the the man who would be king of fallen star, with the tour mancool rock. ager, who seemed concerned This was way after his Ziggy for Bowie and the possibility of Stardust, The Thin White Duke cancelled tour dates. and Serious Moonlight stadium It would cost hundreds of phases. thousands of dollars, so I was the Still, it was Bowie, a legend for least of their worries. all the right reasons.

I also remember this: I think IT'S THE END OF THE TOUR Bowie's latest album, Blackstar, is the soundtrack of his farewell SANDRA SPEROUNES Jan. 11, and I still can't stop cryEDMONTON JOURNAL ing. Bowie was supposed to live forever. This was supposed to be a "stan- And, of course, he will. Through dard" album review.

his visionary albums, of which, There I was, nestled in bed on a his last, Blackstar is his crowning Sunday night, listening to David achievement. Released on his Bowie's latest album, for the 69th birthday only two days umpteenth time, when the worst before his death the sevenimaginable news started filtering song jazz effort is the ultimate out on Twitter. farewell, or planned "parting gift" Like everyone, I thought it as Bowie's longtime producer was a hoax. Some idiot must've Tony Visconti calls it: "His death hacked Bowie's Twitter account, was no different from his life a right? Frantically, I checked his work of art." Facebook page and Instagram Wild. Graceful.

Uncomproaccount- only to read the mising. Sad. Shocking. Witty. same words: "David Bowie died she punched me like a peacefully today surrounded dude," Bowie intones on 'Tis a by his family after a courageous Pity She Was a Whore, a dizzying 18-month battle with cancer.

sax-filled number.) Harsh. Soft. While many of you will share in Gorgeous. Tragic. this loss, we ask that you respect "Something happened on the the family's privacy during their day he died rose a metre time of grief." and stepped aside Minutes later, his son and else took his place, and bravely publicist confirmed the news.

As cried," his voice beams on the my heart dropped and my eyes sprawling title track, breakflooded with tears, I could hearing through the ghostly chants, Bowie's voice coming out of my mournful sax skronks and electro speakers. squiggles like a warm ray of "Look up here, I'm in heaven," sunshine. he warbled on Lazarus, as if he I Can't Give Everything Away, felt my pain and wanted to let me the final track, isn't quite as know he was all right. uplifting. As a harmonica wails, It's now Monday morning, drums skitter and synths gently we made it back to the hotel be- reporter on his tour to pay for fore the first fan left that Madrid a cab.

I had made an entourage concert. name for myself. The next day Bowie was again Assorted interviews sessions too sick to talk. Barcelona was with Bowie followed after Glass the next stop. Off we went.

Spider. By then, we had 'a nod By then I had the entourage hello' relationship. drill down stand back when He was always polite, smart photographers approach and and incredibly self-deprecating, don't talk to DB unless he talks and he always brought up the to you. cab fare as a subtle tribute to our It was at the Madrid airport past. that I managed my moment.

I Each time he did, I thought, paid for the cab. That was it. 'This is a classy rock When I paid, Bowie's publicist He also chuckled, instead of stared at me like I had forgotten groaning, when, during that first the lyrics to Let's Dance. Madrid interview, I asked him Later, I was in my coach-class what David Bowie stood for. seat on the commercial flight For all his fame and fortune, no private jet waiting when a Bowie had a sense of humour frail Bowie showed up, last one about the silliest things.

on for the brief trip to Barcelona. That's what I was thinking As he walked by me yes, he when I heard he had died of canwas in coach he whispered to cer complications. my seatmate, "Is this the one?" I grew up with David Bowie. The next day, Bowie finally I always figured we would grow healthy enough to chat, ex- old together. plained that I was the first And now I am so sad we won't.

David Bowie's final album, Blackstar, released only days before his death, is the ultimate parting gift. SONY MUSIC waft like waves, Bowie ponders the inevitable: "I know something is very wrong pulse returns the prodigal blackout's hearts, with flowered news skull designs upon my shoes." Even without these references to death, Blackstar is not an easy listen, especially if you're expecting a collection of pop songs with traditional verses and choruses. His 25th album is a beautiful cacophony of hyper rhythms, lush layers, and distorted arrangements, played by the likes of saxophonist Donny McCaslin, guitarist Ben Monder and keyboardist Jason Lindner. Bowie isn't always the star of Blackstar but his voice, which ranges from quivery to husky, always provides a calming oasis in the middle of the sonic chaos. In 2004, I was lucky to get a 10-minute phone interview with Bowie, and we talked about the reality of aging and evolving- in rock 'n' roll.

"There's not many of us left. I'm the youngest of the first batch," he said. (Actually, he laughed.) "The first batch being the Neil Youngs, the Jaggers, the Dylans and all that. I think for all of us, it's a brand new world. "I can see people like Neil Young, who is determinedly not going to cool it, who is still pushing the audiences and what he can do.

I thought coming out with Greendale (a concept album about a murder in a small town), was great. "I have such admiration for him. He really tries to experiment and always puts himself on the line. That, for me, is the one thing an artist must do. "An artist must be willing to embrace failure as one step to evolving what it is he does.

You have to be able to fail and accept it otherwise you're not going to go anywhere." With Blackstar, he kept true to this artistic statement until his body failed. We have to accept it the Starman is now returning to the heavens above. We can't begin to thank you enough for all your gifts..