Pictured with the friend who died at his side, Fast and Furious star Paul Walker, 40, who was killed in fireball after Porsche GT hit pole Read more:

Paul Walker was the passenger in the super-car which spun out of control and hit a pole and tree

The 40-year-old starred in five of the six films about illegal street racing and heists 

Actor had been at an event for his charity Reach Out Worldwide before deciding to take the car out for a drive

The fundraiser to benefit victims of Typhoon Haiyan was taking place in a race car shop near to the crash scene 

Guests rushed to the scene to put the flames out with fire extinguishers but the fireball had already engulfed the car

Walker was the father of daughter, Meadow, 15, who recently moved to California to be closer to him

The driver of the vehicle was former race car driver Roger Rodas, Walker's friend and financial adviser

Sheriff's Department has said that speed was a factor in the crash, while the bodies were so badly burned it will take days for them to be positively identified

Actor Paul Walker, best known for his role in the Fast & Furious action movies, has died in a car crash after his friend lost control of a Porsche GT which smashed into a pole and a tree. 

The high-powered super-car, which was being driven by Roger Rodas, burst into flames after it crashed in Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles, at 3:30pm on Saturday.

Walker, 40, who appeared in five of the six films about illegal street racing and heists, had been at an event for his charity Reach Out Worldwide before deciding to take the car, a cherry-red Porsche Carrera, out for a drive with his friend. 

The fundraiser, to benefit victims of Typhoon Haiyan, had been taking place in a race car shop near the scene of the crash. 

Guests rushed to put out the flames with fire extinguishers but the fireball had already engulfed the car. 

The driver of the car has been identified as former race car driver Roger Rodas, 38, who was also Walker's financial adviser.

The pair were friends and had been racing for several years before they began collaborating on Walker's finances.

Rodas had helped Walker establish his Reach Out Worldwide charity, after creating his own foundation to support widows and orphans in his native El Salvador. 

Rodas was also the CEO of Always Evolving, the car customization shop where Saturday's charity event had been taking place.

The star's representatives and official Facebook page have confirmed his death.

Ame Van Iden, Walker's publicist, said in an email: 'Sadly, I must confirm that Paul did pass away this afternoon in a car accident.'

The actor's official Facebook page was also updated with the message: 'It is with a truly heavy heart that we must confirm that Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident while attending a charity event for his organisation Reach Out Worldwide.

'He was a passenger in a friend's car, in which both lost their lives. 

'We appreciate your patience as we too are stunned and saddened beyond belief by this news. 

'Thank you for keeping his family and friends in your prayers during this very difficult time. We will do our best to keep you apprised on where to send condolences. - #TeamPW.'

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Wreckage: Actor Paul Walker died in the crash alongside his friend after they decided to take the sports car out for a spin during a charity event

Burnt out: The charred remains of the cherry-red Porsche Carrera which Paul Walker, who had turned 40 in September, died in after it crashed on Saturday afternoon

Horror crash: First responders gather evidence near the wreckage of a Porsche sports car that crashed into a light pole on Hercules Street near Kelly Johnson Parkway in Valencia on Saturday, November 30, killing actor Paul Walker

Walker, who leaves behind a 15-year-old daughter, was an investor in the Always Evolving car shop in Valencia, California.

While at the event, Walker and Rodas decided to take the Porsche GT out for a spin. 

One witness, Jim Tort, who was at the event told the NY Daily News, Rodas' eight-year-old son tried to save his dad. 

'I ran over afterwards, I was trying to find Roger's son.

'I found out his son had jumped the fence and gone over. He was trying to get his dad out.

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Coroner Ed Winters said the bodies were so badly burned they would take days for them to be positively identified.

Witnesses at the crash scene posted a video of the scene on YouTube showing debris from the wreckage while emergency workers cordoned off the area. Photographs also show a burnt out shell of a car.

Friends of the star told a local newspaper they 'went through fire extinguishers' in a futile bid to fight the blaze that engulfed the car after the crash.

Antonio Holmes told the Santa Clarita Signal: 'We all ran around and jumped in cars and grabbed fire extinguishers and immediately went to the vehicle. It was engulfed in flames. There was nothing. 

'They were trapped. Employees, friends of the shop. We tried. We tried.'  

High powered: The cherry-red Porsche Carrera GT that Paul Walker died in on Saturday afternoon when his friend apparently lost control of the vehicle, hitting a light pole

Tragic: One witness, Jim Tort, said that one of those people on the scene who witnessed the crash and attempted to help the men was Roger Rodas' eight-year-old son

Aftermath: Firefighters attend the scene where Paul Walker died when the car he was a passenger in crashed into a pole and a tree

Engulfed: This witness photo shows the Porsche completely engulfed by flames after the driver lost control, hitting a pole and killing himself and Paul Walker

Desperate: Bystanders desperately tried to put out the flames with fire extinguishers but the fire was too strong 

Holmes added: 'Him and his buddy, his brother in arms at heart just decided to joyride, take a spin. Something we all do. We’re all car enthusiasts... 

'We’re all here driving, enjoying each other, and God must’ve needed help.

'When we saw Paul and Roger leave, Paul was the passenger in the vehicle. They both were experienced drivers.

'This was just a tragic accident that happened on a joyride,' said witness Jim Torp of Santa Clarita.

The Sheriff's Department said that speed was a factor in the crash. 

On the scene: Fast & Furious actor dies in fiery car wreck

Crash site: Sheriff deputies work near the wreckage of the Porsche sports car that crashed into a pole on Hercules Street near Kelly Johnson Parkway in Valencia

A friend lost: Tech entrepreneur and author Bill Townsend posted this picture of himself with Paul Walker taken hours before the actor's tragic death in a car accident in California

His 'Fast & Furious' co-star Vin Diesel posted a photograph of him and Walker arm-in-arm on Instagram with the message: 'Brother I will miss you very much'

In the 'Fast & Furious', the blond-haired, blue-eyed actor played Brian O'Conner, a law enforcement official and starred in all but one of the six action blockbusters which began in 2001.

He was born in Los Angeles and brought Californian surfer good-looks and an easy, warm charm to the popular street-racing series.

'All of us at Universal are heartbroken,' Universal Pictures said in a statement. 

'Paul was truly one of the most beloved and respected members of our studio family for 14 years, and this loss is devastating to us, to everyone involved with the Fast and Furious films, and to countless fans.'

His 'Fast & Furious' co-star Vin Diesel posted a photograph of him and Walker arm-in-arm on Instagram with the message: 'Brother I will miss you very much. I am absolutely speechless.'

The son of a fashion model and a sewer contractor, Walker grew up in a working class, Mormon Los Angeles household. 

The oldest of five siblings, Walker's mother began taking him to auditions as a toddler. 

He was a child model from the age of two and starred in a Pampers commercial when he was a toddler. 

Archive: Paul Walker dies in fiery car crash aged 40

Heartthrob: Walker was a child model and the face of Davidoff Cool Water, appearing in print commercials for the brand

Walker was born in Glendale, California, and raised in the San Fernando Valley area with his four siblings.

He previously said the early induction to show business wasn't to kick start his career but a way to help provide for the family.

After a string of TV roles as a child in the 1980s, Walker made his feature film debut in the 1998 comedy Meet the Deedles. 

Supporting roles in films Pleasantville, Varsity Blues and She's All That followed.

His performance in the 2000 thriller The Skulls caught the eye of producer Neal H. Moritz, who cast him in the Fast & Furious as undercover police officer Brian O'Conner. 

Adapted from a Vibe magazine article about underground street races, the film became an unexpected hit.

In the sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Walker moved to centre stage with his co-star Vin Diesel momentarily dropping out. 

Walker, a self-described 'gearhead,' kept his character's sports car from the film.

Too soon: Paul Walker with co-star Vin Diesel (right) in the 2001 film The Fast and the Furious and with Ludacris (left) in the sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious

Tragic ending: Walker starred in Fast & Furious, the fourth installment of the franchise in 2009 (left) and the next one, Fast Five (right) in 2011

Other roles include Brokedown Palace, Flags of Our Fathers and the Hurricane Katrina drama Hours, which is set to be released in December. 

Although his stardom didn't make as much of an impact outside the Fast & Furious series, Walker continually drew praise from his co-stars and directors as a kind-hearted and eager collaborator.

Released in May, Fast & Furious 6 was the most lucrative of them all, grossing more than $788 million worldwide. 

Walker is the father of a 15-year-old daughter, Meadow, whose mother had recently moved to California from Hawaii to be closer.

Early days: Walker as a young child (left) and pictured in Village Christian High School yearbook in 1991, the year he was voted 'Best Hair'

At the time of his death, Walker was filming the seventh Fast & Furious movie with Vin Diesel. 

Just yesterday, he tweeted the following message to his followers.

The boys are back. Will you be ready? - #TeamPW #FastFridays (Photo Credit: http://t.co/kkce2shzvM) pic.twitter.com/RDnrDBGs2n

— Paul Walker (@RealPaulWalker) November 30, 2013

Walker had recently joked that he would continue working on the long-running film franchise until 'Fast and Furious 66'.

On his official Twitter account, Walker described himself as 'outdoorsman, ocean addict, adrenaline junkie ... and I do some acting on the side.'

Hollywood stars have paid tribute to the actor, including rapper and actor Ludacris, who tweeted his shock and sadness at his Fast and Furious co-star's untimely death.

Alongside a touching picture of the film's cast holding hands, he wrote: 'Your humble spirit was felt from the start, wherever you blessed your presence you always left a mark.

'We were like brothers & our birthdays are only 1 day apart, now You will forever hold a place in all of our hearts @paulwalker legacy will live on forever. R.I.P.'

Action star: Walker starred in the film Into the Blue with Jessica Alba in 2005

Animal lover: Walker at the premiere of his film Eight Below (left) said the best thing about the film was the dogs. The star had two dogs, including a Chesapeake Bay retrieve called Boone

'No, @RealPaulWalker. No. No. No,' tweeted actress Alyssa Milano. Walker guest-starred with her in the 80s comedy, Who's The Boss? 'Rest with the angels. You. Sweet boy. #beauty #love #RIP.'

Actress Goldie Hawn said: 'Our family mourns the loss of Paul. A very special Human being.  Our prayers go his beloved family.'

Bring It On star Gabrielle Union said: 'This is awful. Awful. #RIPPaulWalker pls pray for his family, friends & fans. We've lost a great, laid back, sweet, cool man & father.'

The Wire actor Michael B Jordan said: 'Man life is so short. People you care about can be here one min and gone the next Don't take life for granted RIP Paul Walker.'

TV host Vanessa Lachey said: 'I just heard and am in shock. Prayers to Paul Walker's family. Life is precious, never take a day for granted. #RIPPaulWalker'

Castmates: Paul Walker with Tyrese Gibson (left), Vin Diesel (center left), and Ludacris (right) at the premiere of Fast & Furious 5 in Brazil, 2011

James Franco said: 'Much love to paul walker. So sad. He gave a lot of joy.'

Mario Lopez, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Jack Osborne and DMX also tweeted about the death. 

Walker's death came just days after he was the victim of an online death hoax.

The actor will star in the upcoming Hurricane Katrina drama, Hours, which Lionsgate's Pantelion Films is to release December 13. 

He also stars in Brick Mansions, a remake of the French action film District B13 in post-production that Relativity plans to release next year. 

Relativity President Tucker Tooley said in a statement: 'Paul was an incredibly talent artist, devoted philanthropist and friend,'

Walker formed Reach Out Worldwide in 2010 to aid people struck by natural disasters.

Bill Townsend, a friend of Walker's who attended the fundraiser, said: 'He was very happy. He was smiling at everybody, just tickled that all these people came out to support this charity. He was doing what he loved. He was surrounded by friends, surrounded by cars.'

Deep Purple

Deep Purple evolved in 1968 following sessions to form a band around former Searchers drummer Chris Curtis (Christopher Crummey, 26 August 1941, Oldham, Lancashire, England). Jon Lord (b. 9 June 1941, Leicester, Leicestershire, England; keyboards) and Nick Simper (b. 3 November 1945, Norwood Green, Southall, Middlesex, England; bass), veterans, respectively, of the Artwoods and Johnny Kidd And The Pirates, joined guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (b. Richard Hugh Blackmore, 14 April 1945, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, England) in rehearsals for this new act, initially dubbed Roundabout. Curtis dropped out within days, and when Dave Curtis (bass) and Bobby Woodman (drums) also proved incompatible, two members of Maze, Rod Evans (b. 19 January 1947, Slough, Berkshire, England; vocals) and Ian Paice (b. 29 June 1948, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England; drums), replaced them.

Having adopted the Deep Purple name following a brief Scandinavian tour, the quintet began recording their debut album, which they patterned on US band Vanilla Fudge. Shades Of Deep Purple included dramatic rearrangements of well-known songs, including ‘Hey Joe’ and ‘Hush’, the latter becoming a Top 5 US hit when issued as a single. Lengthy tours ensued as the band, all but ignored at home, steadfastly courted the burgeoning American concert circuit. The Book Of Taliesyn and Deep Purple also featured several excellent reworkings, notably ‘Kentucky Woman’ (Neil Diamond) and ‘River Deep - Mountain High’ (Ike And Tina Turner), but the unit also drew acclaim for its original material and the dramatic interplay between Lord and Blackmore.

In July 1969, both Evans and Simper were axed from the line-up, which was then buoyed by the arrival of Ian Gillan (b. 19 August 1945, Hounslow, Middlesex, England; vocals) and Roger Glover (b. 30 November 1945, Brecon, Wales; bass) from the pop band Episode Six. Acknowledged by aficionados as the ‘classic’ Deep Purple line-up, the reshaped quintet made its album debut on the grandiose Concerto For Group And Orchestra, scored by Lord and recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra (reprised in October 1999 at the Royal Albert Hall with the London Symphony Orchestra). Its orthodox successor, In Rock, established the band as a leading heavy metal attraction and introduced such enduring favourites as ‘Speed King’ and ‘Child In Time’. Gillan’s powerful intonation brought a third dimension to their sound and this new-found popularity in the UK was enhanced when an attendant single, ‘Black Night’, reached number 2. ‘Strange Kind Of Woman’ followed it into the Top 10, while Fireball and Machine Head topped the album chart. The latter included the riff-laden ‘Smoke On The Water’, now lauded as a seminal example of the hard rock oeuvre and a Top 5 hit in America. The album was also the first release on the band’s own Purple label.

Although the platinum-selling Made In Japan captured Deep Purple’s live prowess, relations within the band grew increasingly strained, and Who Do We Think We Are! marked the end of this highly successful line-up. The departures of Gillan and Glover robbed Deep Purple of an expressive frontman and imaginative arranger, although David Coverdale (b. 22 September 1951, Saltburn-By-The Sea, North Yorkshire, England; vocals) and Glenn Hughes (b. 21 August 1952, Cannock, Staffordshire, England; bass, ex-Trapeze) brought a new impetus to the act. Burn and Stormbringer both reached the Top 10, but Blackmore grew increasingly dissatisfied with the band’s direction and in May 1975 left to form Rainbow. US guitarist Tommy Bolin (b. Thomas Richard Bolin, 1 August 1951, Sioux City, Iowa, USA, d. 4 December 1976, Miami, Florida, USA), formerly of the James Gang, joined Deep Purple for Come Taste The Band, but his jazz soul style was incompatible with the band’s heavy metal sound, and a now-tiring act folded in 1976 following a farewell UK tour.

Coverdale formed Whitesnake, Paice and Lord joined Tony Ashton in Paice, Ashton And Lord, while Bolin died of a heroin overdose within months of Purple’s demise. Judicious archive and ‘best of’ releases kept the band in the public eye, as did the high profile enjoyed by its several ex-members. Pressure for a reunion bore fruit in 1984 when Gillan, Lord, Blackmore, Glover and Paice completed Perfect Strangers. A second set, The House Of Blue Light, ensued, but recurring animosity between Gillan and Blackmore resulted in the singer’s departure following the in-concert Nobody’s Perfect. Former Rainbow vocalist Joe Lynn Turner (b. Joseph Linquito, 2 August 1951, Hackensack, New Jersey, USA) was brought into the line-up for 1990’s Slaves And Masters as the band steadfastly maintained their revitalized career. Gillan rejoined in 1993 only to quit, yet again, shortly afterwards, while his old sparring partner, Blackmore, also bailed out the following year, to be replaced briefly by Joe Satriani (b. 15 July 1956). The line-up that recorded the credible Purpendicular and Abandon in the late 90s comprised Steve Morse (b. 28 July 1954, Hamilton, Ohio, USA) on guitar, with Lord, Gillan, Glover and Paice. At the start of the new millennium, Lord announced his retirement and was replaced in the line-up by rock veteran Don Airey. He was featured on the band’s 2003 studio album, Bananas.

Time and time again Deep Purple is cited as the band that crafted heavy rock to a fine art. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath they remain the genre’s undisputed leaders.

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd is the premier space rock band. Since the mid-'60s, their music relentlessly tinkered with electronics and all manner of special effects to push pop formats to their outer limits. At the same time they wrestled with lyrical themes and concepts of such massive scale that their music has taken on almost classical, operatic quality in both sound and words. Despite their astral image, the group was brought down to earth in the '80s by decidedly mundane power struggles over leadership and, ultimately, ownership of the band's very name. After that time, they were little more than a dinosaur act, capable of filling stadiums and topping the charts, but offering little more than a spectacular re-creation of their most successful formulas. Their latter-day staleness cannot disguise the fact that, for the first decade or so of their existence, they were one of the most innovative groups around, in concert and (especially) in the studio. 
While Pink Floyd are mostly known for their grandiose concept albums of the '70s, they started as a very different sort of psychedelic band. Soon after they first began playing together in the mid-'60s, they fell firmly under the leadership of lead guitarist Syd Barrett, the gifted genius who would write and sing most of their early material. The Cambridge native shared the stage with Roger Waters (bass), Rick Wright (keyboards), and Nick Mason (drums). The name Pink Floyd, seemingly so far-out, was actually derived from the first names of two ancient bluesmen (Pink Anderson and Floyd Council). And at first, Pink Floyd were much more conventional than the act into which they would evolve, concentrating on the rock and R&B material that was so common to the repertoires of mid-'60s British bands.
Pink Floyd quickly began to experiment, however, stretching out songs with wild instrumental freak-out passages incorporating feedback; electronic screeches, and unusual, eerie sounds created by loud amplification, reverb, and such tricks as sliding ball bearings up and down guitar strings. In 1966, they began to pick up a following in the London underground; on-stage, they began to incorporate light shows to add to the psychedelic effect. Most importantly, Syd Barrett began to compose pop-psychedelic gems that combined unusual psychedelic arrangements (particularly in the haunting guitar and celestial organ licks) with catchy melodies and incisive lyrics that viewed the world with a sense of poetic, childlike wonder.
The group landed a recording contract with EMI in early 1967 and made the Top 20 with a brilliant debut single, "Arnold Layne," a sympathetic, comic vignette about a transvestite. The follow-up, the kaleidoscopic "See Emily Play," made the Top Ten. The debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, also released in 1967, may have been the greatest British psychedelic album other than Sgt. Pepper's. Dominated almost wholly by Barrett's songs, the album was a charming fun house of driving, mysterious rockers ("Lucifer Sam"); odd character sketches ("The Gnome"); childhood flashbacks ("Bike," "Matilda Mother"); and freakier pieces with lengthy instrumental passages ("Astronomy Domine," "Interstellar Overdrive," "Pow R Toch") that mapped out their fascination with space travel. The record was not only like no other at the time; it was like no other that Pink Floyd would make, colored as it was by a vision that was far more humorous, pop-friendly, and lighthearted than those of their subsequent epics.
The reason Pink Floyd never made a similar album was that Piper was the only one to be recorded under Barrett's leadership. Around mid-1967, the prodigy began showing increasingly alarming signs of mental instability. Barrett would go catatonic on-stage, playing music that had little to do with the material, or not playing at all. An American tour had to be cut short when he was barely able to function at all, let alone play the pop star game. Dependent upon Barrett for most of their vision and material, the rest of the group was nevertheless finding him impossible to work with, live or in the studio.
Around the beginning of 1968, guitarist Dave Gilmour, a friend of the band who was also from Cambridge, was brought in as a fifth member. The idea was that Gilmour would enable the Floyd to continue as a live outfit; Barrett would still be able to write and contribute to the records. That couldn't work either, and within a few months Barrett was out of the group. Pink Floyd's management, looking at the wreckage of a band that was now without its lead guitarist, lead singer, and primary songwriter, decided to abandon the group and manage Barrett as a solo act.
Such calamities would have proven insurmountable for 99 out of 100 bands in similar predicaments. Incredibly, Pink Floyd would regroup and not only maintain their popularity, but eventually become even more successful. It was early in the game yet, after all; the first album had made the British Top Ten, but the group was still virtually unknown in America, where the loss of Syd Barrett meant nothing to the media. Gilmour was an excellent guitarist, and the band proved capable of writing enough original material to generate further ambitious albums, Waters eventually emerging as the dominant composer. The 1968 follow-up to Piper at the Gates of Dawn, A Saucerful of Secrets, made the British Top Ten, using Barrett's vision as an obvious blueprint, but taking a more formal, somber, and quasi-classical tone, especially in the long instrumental parts. Barrett, for his part, would go on to make a couple of interesting solo records before his mental problems instigated a retreat into oblivion.
Over the next four years, Pink Floyd would continue to polish their brand of experimental rock, which married psychedelia with ever-grander arrangements on a Wagnerian operatic scale. Hidden underneath the pulsing, reverberant organs and guitars and insistently restated themes were subtle blues and pop influences that kept the material accessible to a wide audience. Abandoning the singles market, they concentrated on album-length works, and built a huge following in the progressive rock underground with constant touring in both Europe and North America. While LPs like Ummagumma (divided into live recordings and experimental outings by each member of the band), Atom Heart Mother (a collaboration with composer Ron Geesin), and More... (a film soundtrack) were erratic, each contained some extremely effective music.
By the early '70s, Syd Barrett was a fading or nonexistent memory for most of Pink Floyd's fans, although the group, one could argue, never did match the brilliance of that somewhat anomalous 1967 debut. Meddle (1971) sharpened the band's sprawling epics into something more accessible, and polished the science fiction ambience that the group had been exploring ever since 1968. Nothing, however, prepared Pink Floyd or their audience for the massive mainstream success of their 1973 album, Dark Side of the Moon, which made their brand of cosmic rock even more approachable with state-of-the-art production; more focused songwriting; an army of well-timed stereophonic sound effects, and touches of saxophone and soulful female backup vocals.
Dark Side of the Moon finally broke Pink Floyd as superstars in the United States, where it made number one. More astonishingly, it made them one of the biggest-selling acts of all time. Dark Side of the Moon spent an incomprehensible 741 weeks on the Billboard album chart. Additionally, the primarily instrumental textures of the songs helped make Dark Side of the Moon easily translatable on an international level, and the record became (and still is) one of the most popular rock albums worldwide.
It was also an extremely hard act to follow, although the follow-up, Wish You Were Here (1975), also made number one, highlighted by a tribute of sorts to the long-departed Barrett, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." Dark Side of the Moon had been dominated by lyrical themes of insecurity, fear, and the cold sterility of modern life; Wish You Were Here and Animals (1977) developed these morose themes even more explicitly. By this time Waters was taking a firm hand over Pink Floyd's lyrical and musical vision, which was consolidated by The Wall (1979).
The bleak, overambitious double concept album concerned itself with the material and emotional walls modern humans build around themselves for survival. The Wall was a huge success (even by Pink Floyd's standards), in part because the music was losing some of its heavy duty electronic textures in favor of more approachable pop elements. Although Pink Floyd had rarely even released singles since the late '60s, one of the tracks, "Another Brick in the Wall," became a transatlantic number one. The band had been launching increasingly elaborate stage shows throughout the '70s, but the touring production of The Wall, featuring a construction of an actual wall during the band's performance, was the most excessive yet.
In the 1980s, the group began to unravel. Each of the four had done some side and solo projects in the past; more troublingly, Waters was asserting control of the band's musical and lyrical identity. That wouldn't have been such a problem had The Final Cut (1983) been such an unimpressive effort, with little of the electronic innovation so typical of their previous work. Shortly afterward, the band split up -- for a while. In 1986, Waters was suing Gilmour and Mason to dissolve the group's partnership (Wright had lost full membership status entirely); Waters lost, leaving a Roger-less Pink Floyd to get a Top Five album with Momentary Lapse of Reason in 1987. In an irony that was nothing less than cosmic, about 20 years after Pink Floyd shed their original leader to resume their career with great commercial success, they would do the same again with his successor. Waters released ambitious solo albums to nothing more than moderate sales and attention, while he watched his former colleagues (with Wright back in tow) rescale the charts.
Pink Floyd still had a huge fan base, but there's little that's noteworthy about their post-Waters output. They knew their formula, could execute it on a grand scale, and could count on millions of customers -- many of them unborn when Dark Side of the Moon came out, and unaware that Syd Barrett was ever a member -- to buy their records and see their sporadic tours. The Division Bell, their first studio album in seven years, topped the charts in 1994 without making any impact on the current rock scene, except in a marketing sense. Ditto for the live Pulse album, recorded during a typically elaborate staged 1994 tour, which included a concert version of The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. In 2005, Waters, Gilmour, Mason, and Wright reunited to perform at Live 8. Barrett and Wright passed away, respectively, in 2006 and 2008; both were taken by cancer.
In 2011, Pink Floyd launched an ambitious reissue program called Why Pink Floyd...? spearheaded by significantly expanded multi-disc box set reissues of Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and The Wall. These sets marked the first time Floyd opened their vaults and issued rare, unreleased recordings, including the original mix of Dark Side, heavily bootlegged live numbers like "Raving and Drooling," and demos. 

Giorgio Armani

I believe that these appointments it is not possible to justify the nobility of the man who more speaks to himself in the world of the industry of the fashion. Even if you write a hundred of appointments, it would not be sufficient. Giorgio Armani is the “man” at the time of selecting the clothes and fashionable accessories. From the moment in which it became fashionable that it has been one of the coveted names. The people of the whole world want to buy its mark, there is something in its clothes and accessories that do not get tired of. I still remember when I was small, I only knew a name in Armani suits. The given just name and it continues there, whenever I wanted to buy good suits and especially the glasses of the first name that occurs is “Armani”. So today he allows him to pay a little of respect to the nobility of this man and see some wonderful facts about this man in its biography. Giorgio Armani – History of VidaGiorgio Armani is the president and founder of the group Armani and the only shareholder of the famous person spa Armani. The Group Armani is today one of the houses of the world of the fashion, which has a business volume of more than 4 million euros in global sales. In the frame of the Group Armani, the work of more than 5000 employees, 13 factories and the function that has more than 250 exclusive shops of fashionable clothes in 36 countries. But the sufficient thing about the company, allows to know something about the most famous fashionable designer, the man who initiated the Group Armani. Fashion magnate of Giorgio Armani was born in July 11, 1934 in Piacenza, Italy, which is to approximately 50 kilometers to the south of Milan. He was the son of the director of mailing and he wanted to be a doctor. It is supposed that he had a rich family, since only the rich and famous ones can enter the medicine faculties in the 40s. He studied medicine for two years and then he decided finally that they operate in the persons it is not its tea cup. He developed the love for the photo, but before he could do something on this matter, had to join the defense service in 1957. When it returned, started by gaining interest in the fashion and worked for seven years like buyer of a departmental shop of the fashion in Milan “The Rinascente”. After acquiring knowledge on the clothes and the fashionable designs, it worked like assistant of Nino Cerruti, a very successful Italian designer. It remained with Cerruti for six years and learned all the tricks of the business of the fashion, which helped him to expand its creativity. With the help of its friend and associate Sergio Galeotti, Armani began its own clothes line for men and women. The mark Armani was born and there began the trip of which it is the most successful Italian fashionable house in this world. The year 1981 will be always remembered by the lovers of the fashion and partial to Armani, since it was the year in which there was thrown the Center Armani and Armani Jeans. There was no stop after, year after year, he began to expand its business and began to throw lines of clothes and fashionable accessories like Giorgio diverse cosmetic Armani, sunglasses Giorgio Armani and Giorgio Armani glasses for the formal wear. Go to any woman or masculine fashionable shop, it will find something with a name of mark Armani in him. Today Giorgio Armani has a personal $ fortune 5 billions. To maintain the statistics in mind, Armani is one of the most successful houses of the fashion. From the celebrities almost the whole world takes Armani to the politicians and to do her boasting in the red carpet. The most important lesson to learn of its history is that in fact it is possible to come to the top of the stairs across the hard work and the creativity. It is an inspiration for all of us. Giorgio Armani lines of ropala mark Armani has five levels of lines of luxurious clothes that are executed in him. It begins with Giorgio Armani, Armani Collezioni, Center Armani, Armani Exchange, Armani Junior. Giorgio ArmaniEsta labels specializes in men and women it is ready to use, accessories, glasses, cosmetics and perfumes. It is one of the marks of clothes more faces of the world and that only it is going to see in the big departmental shops. Armani CollezioniEsta clothes line is especially for the young minds and talented of the world. In the city of London, this is the favorite place where the rich and famous chief for its tailoring suits. Center ArmaniEstá especially designed for the persons who belong to the youngest generation. It is a mark of big success in the USA and he keeps on being most looked. Also it includes products of low price, which is very rare in other shops of clothes Armani. Armani ExchangeLa line of clothes that accessible Armani did and became very popular between the popular classes in the USA. It began in 1991 and soon it bloomed in the whole USA. Nevertheless, during the period of time the prices he got up and Armani Exchange was inaccessible again for many persons. Armani JuniorArmani Junior deals with the needs of the small children. I hope that the biography of Giorgio Armani was a good reading. Truly he is one of the most incredible fashionable designers who have gained themselves the right to be called an only one, but to stop being humble it is an important Armani characteristic and its love for the fashion keeps on growing.

Jersey No 10: Diego Maradona

Name: Diego Armando Maradona. Birth date: October 30, 1960.Birthplace: Villa Fiorito, Buenos Aires. Breakthrough:Attracting the attention of Francis Cornejo, the coach of the youth team Argentinos Juniors when he was 9.

Who can forget the “Hand of God” in the 1986 football World Cup? This Maradona biography brings out controversial facts surrounding Diego Armando Maradona, one the most famous Spanish athletes ever produced.

Born on October 30, 1961, Diego Armando Maradona came from a poor family. He grew up in the slums of Villa Fiorita near Buenos Aires. His parents struggled to bring up a family of eight siblings. This Maradona biography reveals how as a young boy, Maradona dreamed of playing soccer.

It is interesting to read in this Maradona biography how he ended up wearing Jersey Number 10. The team won a phenomenal 140 straight games in 1972 with Maradona playing; he lead the team to win a junior championship. The team presented him with Jersey Number 10; the number of the great Pelé and the ultimate compliment for any soccer player.
The Beginnings of a Soccer Star

Young Maradona got his first football when he was just three. Entranced by the ball, he slept with it that night. When he was nine, Francis Cornejo, the coach of the youth team Argentinos Juniors or “Little Onions” as they were called, noticed his soccer skills. That is how Maradona started playing for the Little Onions.

When Maradona played for the Argentinos Juniors the stadiums were Jam packed revealing his growing popularity. He was associated with this team from 1976 to 1980.

For Maradona football represented a way to freedom from poverty. When he was just 21, Barcelona bought Maradona for a record $7.7 million. This deal made him headline news all over the world.

Maradona made efforts to play for the Argentinian national soccer team in 1978 and 1982 but was disappointed. Cesar Menotti, the Argentinean coach for the World cup team, cut short Maradona’s dreams to play in the 1978 World Cup. In 1982, he kicked a player from Brazil in the groin and was expelled from the game. He finally got his chance in 1986.

The 1986 Soccer World Cup

While playing against England, he scored two goals. The first one was scored with his hand. Maradona said that the goal was “un poco con la cabeza de Maradona y otro poco con la mano de Dios” which translates: a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God. This created a huge controversy.The 1986 World Cup was a challenging phase in Maradona’s career. This Maradona biography brings out the details. He was 25 years old and a name to reckon with millions of fans all over the world.

Maradona’s second goal, as described in this Maradona biography, earned him a permanent place in the history of soccer. In the words of Carlos Bilardo, the coach of the Argentinean team, “It is the second time in my life I have celebrated a goal with a scream. It was spectacular.”

The subsequent years were turbulent. Maradona commanded huge paychecks, became a drug addict and had two paternity suits filed against him. He had two children out of wedlock. Rumors said he was closely associated with the mob.Maradona became world famous after Argentina won the World Cup in 1986. Despite the “Hand of God” incident against England, the British named him “athlete of the decade.” Maradona continued as a member of the Argentinean team in the 1990 World Championship. Despite Maradona’s poor performance, Argentina won over Yugoslavia in the semifinals.

Maradona married his childhood sweetheart Claudia Villafañe in 1989. The wedding was a major extravaganza and the newspapers criticized him. In spite of all this, as the New York Times stated on November 14, 2001, “Maradona may only be a shadow of his old self, but he still has the strongest hold over his people of any living Argentine.”

Maradona Photos and Memorabilia 
His iconic status comes out clearly in this Maradona biography. Maradona is indeed one of the most famous Spanish athletes. And despite the many controversies, Maradona is a legend and continues to have millions of fans all over the world. As Marcela Mora y Araujo rightly puts it, “Indeed Maradona is a living legend.”

There is no doubt Maradona continues to be a legend in soccer. One of the most valuable items of Mardadona memorabilia are Maradona’s signed photos and articles.

Here I have selected a few Maradona photos that bring us back to the day in 1986 when that incredible goal was scored. My favorite is the one is the Maradona autographed photo of him holding the world cup trophy and being carried on his teammates’ shoulders.

Michael Jordan

American famed basketball star, known by some as the "Best Player Alive." Over 13 seasons as pro basketball's most dynamic and influential star, a dazzling career, there seemed to be nothing he could not do. He won six world championships with the Chicago Bulls, ten scoring titles and enough Most Valuable Player awards to stock his own wing at the Hall of Fame. He may possibly be the most famous American in the world, and is certainly so in the sports world. His salary peak was $34 million in 1998 and he reputedly earned $240 million from endorsements alone in the '90s. His sole public vice is gambling, and he appears to have his addiction under control.

The son of James and Deloris Jordan, Michael was encouraged to play baseball as a kid. While a senior in high school, he was invited to go to Dean Smith's basketball camp at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, 1980. Only the best players were invited. Jordan's determination to do the best he could got him on the Five-Star team.

He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in his junior year at Chapel Hill and reluctantly left school behind as it had been his mother's dream for her children to attain higher education.

After 13 seasons playing with the National Basketball Association, Jordan has won the admiration of the sports world as a flawless player. As NBC analyst Bob Costas said, "Michael Jordan was just beautiful to watch."

Trauma was a factor in Jordan's life from before he was born. His mom had to stay in bed to avoid a miscarriage and when he was born with his nose bleeding, they wondered if he was all right. As a baby, he nearly suffocated once in the bedding. At about age two, he picked up two live wires and was blown three feet away with the shock. When Jordan was in college, his girl friend died in a flood, and he himself once had a near-drowning in a riptide. In 1993, he was shattered by the murder of his father in North Carolina during a roadside robbery. His dad, James (born 7/31/1946), vanished in mid-July and his body was later found floating in a So. Carolina creek 8/03/1993. Jordan seemed to interpret the tragedy as a message to embrace what was really important. He retired from basketball, albeit prematurely. Perhaps because his dad wanted him to play pro baseball, he joined the Chicago White Sox's for a brave but inglorious season-long spectacle that ended with his return to the Bulls in 1995.

Three world championships later, Jordan retired for real in 1/13/1999 to the dismay and sorrow of millions of fans to pursue a flourishing career in movies and TV. He was busy as well supervising his many endeavors such as the Jordan brand for a division of Nike and a Chicago restaurant. He is reportedly interested in pursuing the game of golf.

Michael met Juanita Vanoy in March 1985. In 1988, pregnant with Jeffrey, she considered filing a paternity suit but instead, they married on 9/02/1989 (at 3:30 AM!) in Las Vegas. They set up permanent residence in a 25,000-square-foot million-dollar mansion in Highland Park, Illinois with their three children, Jeffrey, Marcus and Jasmine. Jordan is known for his determination not to take himself too seriously and lead a good life. After 12 years of marriage, Juanita filed for divorce on 1/04/2002, three months after her restless husband went back to work. She asked for custody of their three kids and a fair share of his estimated worth of $400 million. They reconciled within the month, apparently with a compromise on their living arrangements.

After two retirements, he returned to play for the NBA's Washington Wizards. In January 2001, Jordan bought 10% of the Wizards for an estimated $2.5 million with the job of president of operations. He commuted to their Washington DC HQ where he kept a deluxe apartment until October, when he began playing for the team. He then lived full-time in DC while Juanita stayed in Texas.

Jordan’s official birth certificate was sold for $26,290 at Heritage Auctions on 1 August 2013.