Death Bed Scene

Celebrities always die "surrounded by their families". It has just happened to James Rado- co-author of Hair. He was 90. In my experience people (non-celebrities anyway) choose to die alone- often just after the family they've been surrounded with have given up for the night and gone home. It's as if they want a bit of space and privacy to do it in- and not have to be distracted by all the weeping and wailing. But, facts be damned- it's one of the cliches of obituary-land that the family was there- en masse.

I picture one of those poky little hospital side rooms into which people are wheeled when they're no-hopers- and it's crammed with grieving relatives, all pressing forwards to catch the famous last words or drop a tear on the snowy sheets. Does it ever happen like that? Rarely, I should think, but on the law of averages I suppose it must sometimes.

I loved Hair. I never saw it on stage, but we had the original cast recording. How liberating it was to sing along to "Sodomy, fellatio, cunnilingus, pederasty" or "Let the sun shine in" or that great anthem of my generation, "Aquarius"! I still believe in most of the things Ragni and Rado were banging on about in their scattershot libretto.

Many thanks Jim!