The woman who inspired the classic Beatles song Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, has died at the age of 46.

The song featured on the groundbreaking 1967 album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

John Lennon's elder son Julian said the song was inspired by a picture he drew of his classmate Lucy O'Donnell when they were at a nursery school in Weybridge, Surrey, in 1966.

Julian said he took the picture home and showed it to his father, explaining: "It's Lucy in the sky with diamonds."

When Lennon and Paul McCartney's song was subsequently released, it caused controversy because of its hallucinogenic theme and supposed reference to the drug LSD.

The former classmates resumed their friendship in recent months when Lennon heard that Lucy, who was married to Ross Vodden and lived in Surbiton, Surrey, had become ill with lupus, a disease of the immune system.

The St Thomas Lupus Trust, which had been supporting the couple during Lucy Vodden's illness, said she died last Tuesday aged 46.

Angie Davidson, campaign director of the trust, said: "Everyone at the Louise Coote lupus unit was dreadfully shocked by the death of Lucy. She was a great supporter of ours and a real fighter.

"It's so sad that she has finally lost the battle she fought so bravely for so long."

The trust said that Lennon and his mother Cynthia were "shocked and saddened" by her death.

A book of condolence will be opened on the trust's website, www.lupus.org.uk.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk

Gruesome twosome ... Flea provides Thom Yorke with a nice view Photograph: Jim Dyson/Joe Traver/Getty/Reuters

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has formed a new band … featuring Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers. Not content with singing in one of the world's biggest rock groups, Yorke felt the need to recruit the Chili Peppers bass slapper to fulfil his musical vision. The band, which will play live dates next week, also includes Joey Waronker, Mauro Refosco and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich.

"In the past couple of weeks I've been getting a band together for fun to play the Eraser stuff live and the new songs ... to see if it could work!" Yorke wrote on Radiohead's Dead Airspace blog. He also posted an admittedly rather tiny picture of the band.

Yorke admits they are still lacking a moniker – although Adam Buxton did recently suggest a few to him during an interview at Latitude festival, including Mr T, Thomosexual and Yorkie Fruit and Nut Bar.

It's not yet clear if the band intend to write their own material, or if they've simply been put together by Yorke to recreate the increasingly weird noises that fester inside his head. One thing is clear, though: for anyone who has ever heard Yorke's solo material and thought, "Interesting stuff Thom … but this abstract bleepy wailing could really do with some funky slap bass", it really is your lucky day.

The collaboration marks an interesting period for Radiohead. In August, Yorke said that his band may not release another album, focusing on downloads instead. Earlier this month, drummer Phil Selway became the third Radiohead member to embark on a solo route, following in the footsteps of Yorke and Jonny Greenwood. Selway's new project will be a collaboration with members of Wilco, singer-songwriter Lisa Germano and former Soul Coughing bassist Sebastian Steinberg.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk

Back for good ... Will Robbie Williams rejoin Take That? Photograph: Andrew Maccoll/Newspix/Rex Features

Could it be magic? Is he really back for good? Has something, er, relit their fire? The good news for cheap headline writers like me is that Robbie Williams is back writing songs with Take That.

At least, that's what the front-page report in today's Mirror claims, saying that Robbie spent the weekend in a recording studio, knocking out a couple of tracks with his former band. Apparently, the 35-year-old singer flew to New York for Mark Owen's stag night, before laying down some new tunes at Electric Lady studios.

According to that most reliable of witnesses – "a source" – the new material suggests that Williams may rejoin the band again. "Robbie wouldn't be happy performing old Take That songs that he had no part in. But if they can pen new tracks that they're all happy with, they'll record them and he'll be back with them on stage."

Williams left Take That in 1995, when they were at the height of their powers. Then just 21, Williams went on to become one of the biggest pop stars in Britain, while other Take That members failed to establish successful solo careers. However, Williams's cheeky pop never managed to win over the American music industry and the star always seemed haunted by the acrimonious split with his old band.

The thought of the five jamming together in – of all places – Jimi Hendrix's old studio might be a funny one, but this collaboration may repair some of the emotional damage.

Of course, a cynic might suggest that the timing is the real story here. Williams is, after all, preparing to release Reality Killed the Video Star, his first album since the relative flop of 2006's Rudebox. Rejoining his old band, or even appearing to be getting along with them, would certainly score him vital PR points, especially as the singer's recent press focused on his growing a beard and hunting for aliens.

Take That, on the other hand, haven't put a foot wrong since their re-formation in 2005. Their albums Beautiful World and Circus showcased a more mature sound, the latter selling over 1m copies within its first three weeks of release.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk