Godspeed Chris Dreja of The Yardbirds

Chris Dreja, the rhythm guitarist and later bassist of The Yardbirds who became a professional photographer, died on September 25, 2025, at the age of 78. The case was from complications from multiple strokes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chris Dreja was born on November 11, 1946, in Surbiton, Surrey. He grew up in n Kingston upon Thames, Surrey. His father was a Polish immigrant. Chris Dreja was a teenager when he took an interest in rock 'n' roll. His brother Stefan was in the same pre-college art program as original Yardbirds lead guitarist Anthony "Top" Topham. Chris Dreja and Top Topham met and then began playing music together.

Chris Dreja and Top Topham joined a band called the Metropolitan Blues Quartet, which also featured vocalist Keith Relf and bassist Paul Samwell Smith. Over time, the Metropolitan Blues Quartet evolved into The Yardbirds. It was in October 1963 that Top Topham left the band. He was replaced by guitarist Eric Clapton. The Yardbirds served as a back-up band for Sonny Boy Williamson II during a tour in late 1963 and early 1964. It was after this tour that The Yardbirds were signed to the Columbia label. 

The Yardbirds proved to be a success, producing such hits as "For Your Love," "Heart Full of Soul," "Evil Hearted You," "Shape of Things," and others. The band also experienced frequent changes in its lineup. Eric Clapton left The Yardbirds when they decided to go for a more pop-oriented sound. Paul Samwell-Smith tired of touring and became more interested in record production. He then left the band and Chris Dreja then switched from rhythm guitar to bass.

Chris Dreja co-wrote several Yardbirds songs. Along with the other members of the group, he was credited as a writer on their album Yardbirds (also known as Roger the Engineer and Over Under Sideways Down). He also drew the cover for the album. On their album Little Games, he co-wrote the songs "Smile on Me," "Drinking Muddy Water," "Glimpses," and "Stealing Stealing." 

The Yardbirds broke up in 1968, and Chris Dreja became a professional photographer. In fact, he photographed Led Zeppelin for the back cover of their first album. He worked out of a studio in New York City, and he photographed such people as Bob Dylan, The Righteous Brothers, Tina Turner, Andy Warhol, and others. It was in 1983 that he returned to music when he and other former Yardbirds Paul Samwell-Smith, and Jim McCarty formed a Box of Frogs with vocalist John Fiddler. Box of Frogs would release two albums, a self-tilted album in 1984 and Strange Land in 1986. Chris Dreja later performed with The Yardbirds when they were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. 

It was following their induction into the Hall of Fame that The Yardbirds would begin touring again. The reformed band released a new album, Birdland, in 2003. Chris Dreja continued to play with The Yardbirds until he had a series of strokes in 2012 and 2013. 

For the most part, Chris Dreja would be overshadowed by The Yardbirds' lead guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, but the band would not have been the same without him. As rhythm guitarist and later bassist, Chris Dreja was the engine that drove the band forward. Both his rhythm guitar and bass playing was very tight, but at the same time powerful. Chris Dreja would set the pace for many rhythm guitarists to come. 

The Late Great John Lodge of The Moody Blues

John Lodge, singer, songwriter, and bassist with The Moody Blues, died on October 10, 2025, at the age of 83. 

John Lodge was born on July 20 1943, in Erdington, Birmingham. He took an interest in music while he was very young, and he received his first Fender bass guitar when he was 16. He was 14 years old when he met future band mate Ray Thomas. The two of them formed their own band, El Riot & The Rebels while they were still in high school. He attended Birmingham College of Advanced Technology, where he studied engineering. He took a year off from music while he did so.

It was in 1966 that John Lodge was contacted by Ray Thomas to replace bassist Clint Warwick. John Lodge would remain a member of The Moody Blues until they stopped touring in 2019. He made his first appearance with The Moody Blues on their classic album Days of Future  Passed. Over the years he would contribute several songs to Moody Blues albums, including "Ride My See-Saw" (from In Search of the Lost Chord), "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)" from Seventh Sojourn,  and"Nervous" from Long Distance Voyager. He co-wrote "Gemini Dream," from Long Distance Voyager, with Justin Hayward. Altogether John Lodge played on 15 studio albums with The Moody Blues.

In 1975, Justin Hayward and John Lodge collaborated on the album Blue Jays. He released three solo albums: Natural Avenue (1977), 10,000 Light Years Ago (2015), and Days of Future Passed – My Sojourn (2023). His EP Love Conquers All was released earlier this year. 

The Moody Blues have been one of my favourite bands ever since childhood, and John Lodge was much of the reason for that. He hade a melodic style of playing bass, which was perfectly suited to The Moody Blues' progressive rock/psychedelic rock music. Like the other members of The Moody Blues, he was also a great songwriter. As mentioned above, he wrote some of The Moody Blues' most iconic songs. A musician of immeasurable talent, he was much more than a singer in a rock and roll band.

The Late Great Diane Keaton

I think most movie buffs are just a little bit in love with Diane Keaton. I know that I have had a crush on her ever since I first saw her in the movie Sleeper (1973).  And there should be little wonder that people would be crazy about Miss Keaton. She was beautiful. She was intelligent. She was charming. And she had more talent than several other actors combined. Quite simply, she was one of the greatest actors of the late 20th Century. Sadly, Diane Keaton died on October 11, 2025, at the age of  79. 

Diane Keaton was born Diane Hall on January 5, 1946, in Los Angeles, California. Her mother participated in the "Mrs. Los Angeles" pageant, which took place at the Highland Park Theatre. The event inspired young Diane to become an actress. She attended Santa Ana High School, where she took part in the school's acting club. After graduating from high school, she attended Santa Ana College, where she acted in various plays. Among her classmates was comedian Steve Martin. She moved to New York City, where she studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse under Sanford Meisner. There was already an actress registered with the name "Diane Hall" at the Actors' Equity Association, so she used her mother's maiden name "Keaton."

Diane Keaton made her professional acting debut as a replacement in Hair on Broadway in 1968, although reportedly she refused to take off her clothing. She appeared on Broadway in 1969 in Play It Again, Sam. She made her television debut in 1970 in a segment of Love, American Style. The same year she appeared in a segment of Night Gallery. She made her film debut in Lovers and Strangers (1970).

Diane Keaton was a movie star very nearly from the beginning of her career. In the Seventies, she played Kay in The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather II (1974). She reprised her role as Linda in the movie adaptation of Play It Again, Sam (1972). She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Annie Hall (1977). She also appeared in the movies Sleeper (1973), Love and Death (1975), I Will...I Will...For Now (1976), Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977), Interiors (1978), and Manhattan (1979). On television, she guest-starred on the shows The F.B.I. and Mannix. She appeared in the TV movie Men of Crisis: The Harvey Wallinger Story. 

In the Eighties, Diane Keaton appeared in the movies Reds (1981), Shoot the Moon (1982), The Little Drummer Girl (1984), Mrs. Soffel (1984), Crimes of the Heart (1986), Radio Days (1987), Baby Boom (1987), The Good Mother (1988), The Lemon Sisters (1989), and The Godfather Part III (1990). 

In the Nineties, Diane Keaton appeared in the movies Father of the Bride (1991), Manhattan Murder Mystery (1994), Look Who's Talking Now (1993), Father of the Bride Part II (1995), The First Wives Club (1996), Marvin's Room (1996), The Only Thrill (1997), The Other Sister (1999), and Hanging Up (2000). On television, she appeared in the TV movies Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight (1994) and Northern Lights (1997). She provided her own voice for an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

In the Naughts, Diane Keaton appeared in the movies Town & Country (2001), Plan B (2001), Something's Gotta Give(2003), The Family Stone (2005), Because I Said So (2007), Mama's Boy (2007), Mad Money (2008), Smother (2008), and Morning Glory (2010). On television, she appeared in the TV movies Sister Mary Explains It All; Crossed Over; On Thin Ice; and Surrender, Dorothy.

In the Teens, she appeared in the movies Tilda (2011), Darling Companion (2012), The Big Wedding (2013), And So It Goes (2014), 5 Flights Up (2015), Love the Coopers (2015), Hampstead (2017), Book Club (2018), Poms (2019), and Love, Weddings & Other Disasters (2020).  She appeared on television in the mini-series The Young Pope. She provided the voice of Michellee in the animated series Green Eggs and Ham. 

In the 2020s, she appeared in the movies Mack & Rita (2022), Maybe I Do (2023), Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023), Arthur's Whisky (2024), and Summer Camp (2024). 

Diane Keaton also had a directorial career as well as her acting career. She made her directorial debut with the short "What Does Dorrie Want?" (1982). She directed the movies Heaven (1987), Unstrung Heroes (1995), and Hanging Up (2000). On television, she directed episodes of the TV show CBS Schoolbreak Special, China Beach, Twin Peaks, and Pasadena, as well as the TV movie Wildflower. She directed music videos for Belinda Carlisle's songs "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" and "I Get Weak." She also produced several films, among them The Lemon Sisters (1989), Elephant (2003), Smother (2008), and Mack & Rita (2022).

Diane Keaton was a remarkable actress from the very beginning of her career. In the Godfather movies, she played Kay Adams, Michael Corleone's girlfriend and later wife. Kay is a total outsider among the Corleones, a Baptist school teacher among Catholic mobsters. Diane Keaton was impressive in the role. She was also impressive in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, playing a young teacher who spends her nights frequenting bars and seeking sexual encounters with men. It was the same year that she played the title character in Annie Hall, a very different character from Theresa Dunn in Looking for Mr. Goodbar. While Annie lacked confidence and could be awkward, she also displayed a good deal of independence and strength. In Reds, she convincingly played historical figure Louise Bryant, the journalist who sympathetically covered the Bolshevik Revolution. Diane Keaton could play nearly any role she chose and play them very well.

Of course, Diane Keaton was more than just a remarkable actor. She was a remarkable woman as well. I know more than one person who met her in person, and they each said they she was "everything you expected and more." She was known for her advocacy for animals, and one fan on Instagram told how Miss Keaton saw them trying to rescue a stray dog on Sunset Boulevard. Miss Keaton spent two and a half hours helping the fan try to get the dog. According to the president of the Helen Woodward Animal Center, it was not unusual for them to get a call from Diane Keaton about a stray animal on the street. 

In addition to advocating for animals, Diane Keaton also fought for the historic architecture of Los Angeles. She served as a board member of the Los Angeles Conservancy and she was a trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She fought to preserve such landmarks as the Century Plaza Hotel and the Ennis House. She fought hard to save the Ambassador Hotel, and was disappointed when it was demolished anyway. Diane Keaton was a remarkable human being who truly cared for her fellow human beings and other living things.  

Godspeed John Woodvine

John Woodvine, who appeared on such television shows as Danger Man and The Avengers and such movies as The Devils (1971) and American Werewolf in London (1981), died on October 6, 2025, at the age of 96.

John Woodvine was born on July 21, 1929, in South Shields, County Durham. He attended Lord Williams's School in Thame, Oxfordshire. His national service was in the Royal Air Force. Afterwards, he was a clerk for a wool merchant. He studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. In 1954, he joined the Old Vic, at which he appeared in several productions of Shakespeare plays. He made his debut on Broadway in 1956 in King Richard II. In the Fifties, he appeared on Broadway in Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Troilus and Cressida. He made his television debut in 1958 in a guest appearance on the TV show Murder Bag. He appeared on the shows Champion Road, The Terrible Choice, and The Haunted House. 

In the Sixties, John Woodvine had a regular role on the British police series Z Cars. He appeared on such shows as Danger Man, Boyd Q.C., Call Oxbridge 2000, Ghost Squad, Man of the World, Moonstrike, Sergeant Cork, The Plane Makers, The Villains, Crane, Diary of a Young Man, Coronation Street, Theatre 625, R3, Emergecy-Ward 10, The Liars, Pardon the Expression, ITV Play of the Week, Armchair Theatre, The Saint, The Baron, Turn Out the Lights, Conflict, The Further Adventures of the Musketeers, Softly Softly, The Avengers, The Champions, Who-Dun-It, The Wednesday Play, The Dustbinmen Thirty-Minute Theatre, and BBC Play of the Month. He appeared in the mini-series The Caesars. He appeared in the movies Darling (1965) and The Walking Stick (1970).

In the Seventies, he was a regular on the TV series New Scotland Yard. He appeared on the shows Softly, Softly: Task Force, Take Three Girls, Aquarius, The Shadow of the Tower, Churchill's People, Against the Crowd, Shadows, When the Boat Comes In, Hadleigh, Play for Today, Return of the Saint, ITV Playhouse, Doctor Who, BBC2 Playhouse, and The English Programme. He appeared in the mini-series Elizabeth R. and An Unofficial Rose. He appeared in the movies The Devils (1971), Young Winston (1972), and Assault on Agathon (1978).

In the Eighties, John Woodvine was a regular on the TV show Knights of God. He appeared on the TV shows Strangers, Squadron, Studio, Juliet Bravo, Swallows and Amazons Forever!: Cool Club, By the Sword Divided,  The Tripods, All Creatures Great & Small, Lime Street, Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV, The New Statesman, Rockliffe's Babies, Alli n Good Faith, Room at the Bottom, Les Girls, Screenplay,  Chelmsford 123, and The Chief.  He appeared in the mini-series The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Edge of Darkness, The Prisoner of Zenda, Deceptions, The Modern World: Ten Great Writers, Melba,  and A Tale of Two Cities. He appeared in the movies An American Werewolf in London (1981) and Spaghetti House (1982). He appeared on Broadway in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.

In the Nineties, he had a recurring role on the TV show Runaway Bay. He appeared on the shows Jackanory, The War of the Roses, An Actor's Life for Me, Spender, Civvies, Medics, Demob, Screen Two, Finney, Harry, Crown Prosecutor, Performance, Heartbeat, Doctor Finlay, A Perfect State, Peak Practice, and Verdict. He appeared in the mini-series Tell Tale Hearts, A Pinch of Snuff, and Faith. He appeared in the movies Wuthering Heights (1992), Leon the Pig Farmer (1992), The Trial (1993), and  Dragonworld (1994).

In the Naughts, John Woodvine appeared on the shows Midsomer Murders, The Secret, Paradise Heights, The Brief,  Shameless, Distant Shores, Holby City, Doc Martin, The Bill, Casualty, Sold, Never Better, Emmerdale Farm, and Coronation Street. He appeared in the movies Vanity Fair (2004), Miss Potter (2006), The Midnight Drives (2007), Flick (2008), and  Burke & Hare.

In the Teens, he appeared on Midsomer Murders, Doctors, Hebburn, Vera, The Musketeers, and The Crown. He appeared in the mini-series Decline and Fall. His last screen appearance was in the movie Enys Men (2022).

At least in the United Kingdom, John Woodvine may have been best known for playing police officers. After all, he played Inspector Witty on Z Cars and Inspector Kingdom on New Scotland Yard, as well as playing police officers in various guest appearances. Of course, he played much more than cops. In An American Werewolf in London, he played  Dr. J. S. Hirsch, the surgeon who treats David (David Naughton) following an attack by a werewolf. He guest-starred on The Avengers four times, most notably as the sinister Robert Stone in "The Murder Market." He guest-starred on Danger Man three times (once on the half-hour version, twice on the hour-long version). In the episode "Judgement Day," he played a member of a terrorist group. He was the chief villain in the Champions episode "The Search," playing an unreformed Nazi who infiltrates a nuclear submarine along with his men. He played many different roles on many different British TV shows through the years. There should be little surprise as to why he was so prolific. Quite simply, John Woodvine was a very talented, very versatile actor.