For information on submitting an obituary, please contact Reading Eagle by phone at 610-371-5018, or email at obituaries@readingeagle.com or fax at 610-371-5193.
Most obituaries published in the Reading Eagle are submitted through funeral homes and cremation services, but we will accept submissions from families. Obituaries can be emailed to obituaries@readingeagle.com.
In addition to the text of the obituary, any photographs that you wish to include can be attached to this email. Please put the text of the obituary in a Word document, a Google document or in the body of the email. The Reading Eagle also requires a way to verify the death, so please include either the phone number of the funeral home or cremation service that is in charge of the deceased’s care or a photo of his/her death certificate. We also request that your full name, phone number and address are all included in this email.
All payments by families must be made with a credit card. We will send a proof of the completed obituary before we require payment. The obituary cannot run, however, until we receive payment in full.
Obituaries can be submitted for any future date, but they must be received no later than 3:00 p.m. the day prior to its running for it to be published.
Please call the obituary desk, at 610-371-5018, for information on pricing.
It’s been a bit since we’ve heard anything from U2, with the last major event the “U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere” residency in Las Vegas that went from September 2023 through March 2024.
That’s not to say they’ve gone into hibernation completely. Over the weekend, the band took to Instagram to support Jimmy Kimmel after his show was pulled from late night, and they also spoke out on Gaza a month ago, issuing both collective and individual statements.
Now, on a somewhat lighter note, frontman Bono and guitarist The Edge will accept the 2025 Woody Guthrie Prize on behalf of U2 on Oct. 21 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at Cain’s Ballroom.
The award annually recognizes a recipient who embodies the spirit of Woody Guthrie’s social consciousness and musical legacy.
“In their art and in their actions, U2 band members Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.continue a tradition of using music as a force for social change, echoing Guthrie’s belief that songs canhelp make the world a fairer place,” the Woody Guthrie Center said in a press release.
Bono and The Edge will return to Cain’s Ballroom next month for the first time since U2’s April 1981 showon the U.S. leg of the Boy Tour to accept the award and participate in an onstage conversation about theband’s music.
This time around, they’ll legally be able to purchase a pint or two.
“U2 embodies the mission of the Woody Guthrie Prize, using music to confront injustice and inspiraction,” Cady Shaw, senior director, Woody Guthrie Center, said in a statement. “By presenting the 2025Woody Guthrie Prize to U2, we honor a legacy of music that continues to challenge who we are andconnect us the world over.”
The Woody Guthrie Center, which is in Tulsa, celebrates the life, music and artistry of the influential folk musician while seeking to ignite a passion for social change and foster a world in which the values of justice, equality and compassion prevail.
The center continues:
The center honors Guthrie’s life and legacy by educating visitors, teachers, students and scholars about his relevance today and his important role in American history through on-site programming, classroom materials, youth music programs, artist-in-residence programs, school outreach, internships, fellowship opportunities, and the Woody Guthrie Center Archives.
Formed in Dublin in 1976, U2 have built a career rooted in songs and music that celebrate the sameideals Woody Guthrie sang for: love, hope, justice, equity, and the dignity of every person.
From early works like the LP “War” and “Martin Luther King Jr. tribute “Pride (In the Name of Love),” to enduring anthems such as “One” and “Walk On,” the lyrical themes have transcended continents.
The recipients of Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award, which recognizes individuals and groups who have promoted and enhanced the cause of human rights, the four U2 band members have long used their platform as artists to highlight social issues and effect change.
Their support ranges from organizations such as (RED) and The ONE Campaign, both co-founded by Bono, and Music Rising, co-founded by The Edge, among many others, to the co-funding of Music Generation, Ireland’s National Music Education Programme, which transforms the lives of children and young people through access to high-quality subsidized performance music education.
The fundraising evening, with packages available for sponsors and members of the Woody GuthrieCenter, will feature remarks from Shaw and Guthrie’s granddaughter, Anna Canoni, who willshare her family’s appreciation of U2 as the standard bearers of Woody’s legacy.
The group will join past recipients like Pete Seeger, Kris Kristofferson, John Mellencamp, Public Enemy’s Chuck D, Joan Baez, Bruce Springsteen, and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello.
Acknowledged as one of the greatest live acts in the world, U2 have consistently pushed the boundariesof live performance, with ground-breaking stage shows that embrace the latest in technology and innovation, including the acclaimed 40-date run to launch Sphere.
The band has released 15 studio LPs, sold over 170 million albums, and won numerous awards, including 22 Grammys.
Vinyl of the Week
Keep an eye on this spot as each week we’ll be looking at new or soon-to-be-released vinyl from a varietyof artists. It might be a repressing of a landmark recording, special edition, or new collection from alegendary act.
This week, it’s the 50th anniversary of what is arguably Led Zeppelin’s best album, “Physical Graffiti.”
• Led Zeppelin: “Live E.P.”
“Physical Graffiti” came out in February 1975. To celebrate the 50th anniversary, the band had released “Live E.P.” on a 180-gram 12 inch vinyl, CD, and across all digital formats.
The brand new “Live E.P.” features live recordings of “In My Time of Dying” and “Trampled Under Foot”from Earl’s Court, 1975, alongside “Sick Again” and “Kashmir” from Knebworth, 1979.
All four tracks made their debut on “Physical Graffiti.”
The live performances were originally released on the 2003 “Led Zeppelin DVD” and are appearing on vinyl, CD, and digital formats officially for the very first time.
Released on Feb. 24, 1975, in the States, and four days later in the U.K., the double LP set “PhysicalGraffiti” immediately achieved platinum sales status and has recently been certified 17 times Platinum.
Generally regarded as one of the greatest double albums of all time, the original 15 tracks represent acreative tour de force that explored the band’s dynamic musical range, from the driving rock of “CustardPie” to the exotic “Kashmir” and the funk groove of “Trampled Under Foot.”
Not only was “Physical Graffiti” Zeppelin’s first double LP, but it was also the first release on their newlabel, Swan Song, which launched in May 1974.
Known for its wide range of styles, the recording sessions produced enough material for one and a half albums, with the band’s guitarist and producer, Jimmy Page, rounding it out with material from sessions for their previous studio efforts.
Both the “Live E.P.” and the anniversary edition of 2015’s “Physical Graffiti: Deluxe Edition” can befound online and from all respectable retailers who carry vinyl.
To contact music columnist Michael Christopher, send an email to rockmusicmenu@gmail.com. Also, check out his website at thechroniclesofmc.com.