Murder inquiry after gran dies at hospital stroke unit
THE death of a 75-year-old woman at a hospital’s stroke unit is being treated as murder, police said yesterday.
Three staff – two women and a man – were arrested on suspicion of poisoning patients after Blackpool Victoria Hospital informed Lancashire Police of mistreatment and neglect allegations in November last year.
Police said yesterday that a postmortem examination
Valerie Kneale, 75, died last year on Blackpool pensioner Valerie Kneale, who died at the unit on November 16, revealed an “unexplained injury” believed to be suspicious in nature.
The force said the cause of Mrs Kneale’s death was not yet established, but it was being treated separately as a murder inquiry.
Mrs Kneale’s family said: “We, as a family, are completely and utterly devastated and heartbroken to have these circumstances.
“She was the most precious wife, mother and grandmother, our constant friend and problem solver who we will miss dearly.
“We kindly ask our privacy is respected while we continue to come to terms with our loss.”
Detective Chief Inspector Jill Johnston of Lancashire Police said: “A dedicated team of detectives are working on the investigation and we are still at the early stages of gathering evidence.
“Specially trained officers are providing support to Mrs Kneale’s family and my thoughts are with them at this difficult time.” lost Val in movie Lady Gaga in the Oscar-nominated A STAR IS BORN: Cooper and
IN her Oscar-nominated film A Star Is Born, the pop star Lady Gaga, who plays struggling artist Ally, is singing in a gay bar among drag queens when she is talent-spotted by an alcoholic down-on-his-luck country music star. Yet in real life Lady Gaga was “discovered” in a far more prosaic setting.
Thirteen years ago she was a university drop-out known by her real name of Stefani Germanotta, and working as a secretary at a music publisher. When singer-songwriter Wendy Starland first saw the overweight brunette sitting at a desk in a business suit, she could be forgiven for not appreciating the incredible talent that stared back at her.
“Wendy Starland changed my life,” Lady Gaga later wrote in a personal letter of recommendation that Starland still treasures. “I will proclaim my loyalty and eternal thanks to the incredible Wendy Starland for discovering me.”
But Starland wasn’t convinced at first glance. “I had no idea I was looking at a future mega-star,” admits Starland, aged 36. “I didn’t realise that she was also an artist.”
It was weeks later, when Starland was performing at New York’s legendary club The Cutting Room, that she saw Gaga again, this time sharing the bill. “I was immediately struck by how magical she was on stage,” says Starland. “Her talent was undeniable. She was like a lion on stage. A great powerful force that you couldn’t take your eyes off. I immediately saw her potential. I told her right after the show, ‘I believe I can make you into a star’,” says Starland, echoing the words of Bradley Cooper’s country singer in A Star Is Born.
How right she was. Lady Gaga went on to sell more than 150 million singles, with five of her hits making it to No 1 in the UK – including Poker Face, Bad Romance and Telephone – and generated a fortune of more than $50million in the process.
Sin Los Angles TARLAND not only helped transform Germanotta into Gaga, she created the legend we know today: bleaching her brown locks, inspiring her to shed her extra pounds and aiding in the genesis of Lady Gaga’s signature fashionforward look, which peaked with the so-called “meat dress” made of raw beef that she wore to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards in LA.
And Gaga’s big break came just in time: she had only weeks left to make good on a promise to her father that she would return to New York University and complete her degree if her music career didn’t take off within a year of dropping out.
Starland was working at the time
COURT ROWS
Fusari vs Gaga, May 2010 Lady Gaga’s former producer, Rob Fusari, who was also a one-time boyfriend,
filed a $30.5million lawsuit against her, alleging she ditched him when her career soared. He argued that he was instrumental in her early success, even claiming responsibility for her stage name.
Gaga defended the action, arguing that Fusari had misled her into signing a contract that entitled him to “unlawful compensation”. They later came to a private agreement.
Starland vs Fusari, November 2014
A US court found Fusari had broken a deal with Starland to split profits from their involvement with Lady Gaga 50-50.
She argued that the deal was made in recognition of her role in bringing him an “edgy and bold” future star.
After a four-year court battle, a jury ruled that Starland was entitled to an equal split of Fusari’s earnings from Lady Gaga and awarded her $7.3million.
with top record producer Rob Fusari, who had created hits for stars including Beyonce and Jessica Simpson. He asked her to find an edgy female singer, and Lady Gaga fitted the bill.
At first Starland tried to persuade her songwriting partner to sign Gaga, but admits that he “was not initially interested in signing her, and in fact walked out of one of her shows”. It’s a mistake that ranks up there with Decca Records deciding not to sign The Beatles in 1962.
“I told Gaga not to worry, that I had her back, and would get this handled,” Starland recalls. “I identified her raw talent, fought to sign her to the production company, and helped develop the ‘Lady Gaga Project’. I stood up for her and made sure the deal got signed.”
Lady Gaga’s personal letter recalls Starland’s enthusiasm after seeing her first perform, finally finding Fusari’s future star.
“‘It’s you!’ she said with conviction,” wrote Gaga. “You’re the one he’s been looking for.’ Before I knew it Wendy and I were standing outside The Cutting Room, and I was speaking with Rob (of whose successes I had no idea) and was carefully and precisely articulating my MySpace address and telephone number to him. After closing her black razor cell phone, she looked at me and said, ‘I just changed your life for ever.’
“And this was, and I mean this, the one thing I’d been promised after seven arduous years in the industry, that was actually true. Wendy Star-