Page 29 - ARUBATODAY

A29
PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 23 January 2020

In this Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010 file photo, Terry Jones arrives at
the Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.
Associated Press
'Naughty boy': Monty

Python star Terry In this Aug. 15, 2018, file photo, Joey Kramer, from left, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith
perform on NBC's "Today" show at Rockefeller Center in New York.
Jones dies at 77 Associated Press

By JILL LAWLESS ism and silliness — helped Aerosmith drummer sues to
LONDON (AP) — Terry revolutionize British com- rejoin band for Grammy honors
Jones, a founding mem- edy.
ber of the anarchic Monty "Terry was one of my clos-
Python troupe who was est, most valued friends. By PHILIP MARCELO their jobs. Wednesday,
hailed by colleagues as He was kind, generous, BOSTON (AP) — Aerosmith's Kramer wants a Massachu- But the band, in a public
"the complete Renaissance supportive and passionate drummer, Joey Kramer, is setts judge to order he be statement Tuesday, said it
comedian" and "a man of about living life to the full," suing his bandmates be- allowed to participate in has invited Kramer to join
endless enthusiasms," has Palin said in a statement. cause they won't let him two upcoming music indus- it as it is honored at the
died at age 77 after suffer- "He was far more than one play as the band is set to try events. Grammy events, saying
ing from dementia. of the funniest writer-per- perform and be honored at Aerosmith is slated to re- there just not enough time
Jones's family said he died formers of his generation. Grammy events this week. ceive the 2020 MusiCares to rehearse together.
Tuesday evening at his He was the complete Re- Kramer, a founding mem- Person of the Year award "Joey Kramer is our brother;
home in London "after a naissance comedian — ber of the band launched on Friday at the Los Ange- his well-being is of para-
long, extremely brave but writer, director, presenter, in Boston, said in a lawsuit les Convention Center. mount importance to us.
always good humored historian, brilliant children's filed this month in Mas- Alice Cooper, Foo Fighters, However he has not been
battle with a rare form of author, and the warmest, sachusetts Superior Court Jonas Brothers, John Leg- emotionally and physically
dementia." most wonderful company that he has been kept out end and John Mayer are able to perform with the
"We have all lost a kind, you could wish to have," of the band after he hurt his among the artists slated to band, by his own admis-
funny, warm, creative and Palin said. ankle last year and missed perform as the band is rec- sion, for the last 6 months,"
truly loving man whose un- Jones wrote and per- shows, including part of the ognized for its philanthrop- the statement reads.
compromising individual- formed for the troupe's band's lucrative residency ic work by the Recording "We have missed him and
ity, relentless intellect and early-70s TV series and films at a Las Vegas casino. Academy, which awards have encouraged him to
extraordinary humor has including "Monty Python The 69-year-old Magno- the Grammys. rejoin us to play many times
given pleasure to count- and the Holy Grail" in 1975 lia, Texas, resident says his Aerosmith is also set to per- but apparently he has not
less millions across six de- and "Monty Python's Life of bandmates required him form a "career-spanning felt ready to do so," the
cades," Jones's wife, Anna Brian" in 1979. to earn his job back by per- medley" at the Grammy statement continues. "Joey
Soderstrom, and children Playing the mother of Brian, forming a series of solo re- Awards show Sunday night has now waited until the
Bill, Sally and Siri, said in a a hapless young man who hearsals to prove he could at the Staples Center, last moment to accept our
statement. is mistaken for Jesus, he de- play "at an appropriate where the band is expect- invitation, when we unfor-
Born in Wales in 1942, Jones livered one of the Pythons' level," according to his law- ed to be joined onstage tunately have no time for
attended Oxford University, most famous lines: "He's not suit. by hip hop's Run-DMC, with necessary rehearsals dur-
where he began writing the Messiah. He's a very Kramer says the band is in which it has had collabo- ing Grammys week."
and performing with fellow naughty boy!" breach of contract, argu- rated. In his lawsuit, Kramer says
student Michael Palin. A more understated pres- ing the requirement is an "This is not about money," his fellow band members
After leaving university, he ence than the 6-foot-five- "an artificial, made-up and Kramer said in a statement deemed his "try out" wasn't
wrote for seminal 1960s inch (1.95 meters) Cleese undefined standard" that ahead of a court hearing "technically correct" and
comedy series, includ- or the energetic Idle, Jones no other member of the on the suit in Plymouth, Mas- lacked "energy," an assess-
ing "The Frost Report" and was a deft comic perform- band has been asked to sachusetts, on Wednesday. ment he strongly disputes.
"Do Not Adjust Your Set." er, who played many of do. "I am being deprived of the "Nothing could be further
At the end of the decade the Pythons' female char- He notes in his lawsuit that opportunity to be recog- from the truth," he said in his
he and Palin, along with acters. He was also, among singer Steven Tyler, guitar- nized along with my peers, statement. "I did everything
Eric Idle, John Cleese, Gra- many other characters, ists Joe Perry and Bradley for our collective, lifetime they asked."
ham Chapman and Terry a grinning nude organist, Whitford, and bassist Tom contributions to the music Kramer also says it's "dev-
Gilliam, formed Monty Py- Spanish Inquisitor Cardinal Hamilton have all been re- industry." astating" that he is being
thon's Flying Circus. The Biggles and the explosively cently sidelined with injuries Aerosmith's lawyer and prevented from being hon-
troupe's irreverent humor gluttonous restaurant pa- and illnesses and weren't manager didn't respond to ored on the music industry's
— a blend of satire, surreal- tron Mr. Creosote.q asked to re-audition for emails seeking comment biggest stage.q