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World’s sexiest volleyball star Kayla Simmons spills out of tiny bikinis as fans hail ‘dreamy girl in a dreamy world’
KAYLA SIMMONS left little to the imagination with her latest steamy social media posts.
The social media and volleyball sensation is a regular sharer of risque photos and videos on her Instagram and TikTok pages, which have a combined TWO MILLION followers.
But the American nearly caused an international incident with her latest IG photo dump, which well and truly set her followers’ pulses racing.
On Wednesday, Simmons shared a series of snaps of herself at the beach along with two eye-popping selfies in a viral post.
Simmons donned multiple barely-there bikinis, which struggled to contain her assets, in the snaps, which received thousands of likes.
Her accompanying caption for the post read: “Recent favs.”
Scores of the blonde bombshell’s followers flooded the comments section to relay their amazement at her sizzling snaps.
One commented: “Dreamy girl in a dreamy world.”
Another said: “Unbelievably gorgeous as always, Kayla!!!”
And another said: “Hands down second to none.”
One remarked: “You’re absolutely amazing.”
Another chimed in: “Such a goddess.”
Simmons rose to global fame during her time on Marshall University’s volleyball team.
She has since become a successful model and regularly shares snaps of her heart-racing shoots on her social media pages.
Simmons also gives her most loyal supporters the chance to interact with her on OnlyFans.
Simmons isn’t all about self-promotion on social media, regularly using her platforms to raise awareness of social and world issues.
In 2023, she called on her followers to do their bit to help combat the oceans.
She said: “Our oceans are threatened by pollution, overfishing and climate change.
“The ocean covers 70 per cent of our planet, but only EIGHT per cent is protected.
“Let’s all do what we can to make a difference.”
Olympic bronze medalist Lewis Richardson, 28, set for professional boxing debut at stadium where he used to sell pies
LEWIS RICHARDSON flogged Pukka Pies as a schoolboy in the same Ipswich stadium he’ll earn his first real crust in on Saturday.
The 2024 Olympic bronze winner helped put himself through his GCSEs and A-levels by serving up grub to hungry Tractor Boys at Portman Road over a decade ago.
And the Colchester southpaw will break into the paid ranks by filling in Dmitri Protkunas, just down the road from his family home in a dream debut.
He told SunSport: “Despite it being so close, this is probably the first time I have been in Ipswich for a year.
“I came for one night out here when I was younger but I quickly realised that I had to stay true to my roots back in Colchester.
“I did do some matchday shifts here, though, serving up the Pukka Pies.
“I did the same job at Colchester when I was around 16 and when Ipswich were short staffed a few times, we got the call to come over – and now I am boxing here, it’s crazy.
“I thought a London debut at York Hall or Wembley Arena was going to be a perfect start but Ipswich football stadium is unreal.
“All the friends and family who have talked about attending my first pro fight would have had to book trains or hotels.
“But we don’t even need to arrange minibuses for anyone, it’s a 29 minute drive from my front door, so everyone is happy sharing taxis for a great night.”
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
Richardson turned 28 on Wednesday but had to bin his birthday plans to make the middleweight limit for this weekend.
The spicy celebrations have been pushed back but the silky southpaw plans to put in a curry order worthy of a Gavin and Stacey special, to make up for the diet.
“The birthday is postponed for four days,” he revealed to us. “The party is pushed back to Sunday.
“I have a curry house booked in Colchester for 15 of us and my mouth is watering just talking to you about it now.
“I can’t even think about my order now.
“But I can say for sure that I will sound like Smithy with the number of bhunas and naans and rice types I am going to order.”
Russia’s ambassador to the UK ‘blames Britain’ for Ukraine’s daring drone attack & warns of ‘WWIII’ risk
RUSSIA’S ambassador to the UK has blamed Britain for Ukraine’s “historic” drone attack – and chillingly warned of World War Three.
Moscow diplomat Andrei Kelin said that Ukrainian attacks “are bringing the conflict to a different level of escalation”.
Over the weekend, Volodymyr Zelensky hailed Ukraine’s daring drone blitz on Russian airbases as one for the “history books”.
It marked Kyiv’s longest range operation of the conflict so far with at least 40 aircraft being attacked as part of the expert operation codenamed “Spiderweb”.
In an embarrassing result for a raging Vladimir Putin 34 per cent of his cruise missile carriers at the targeted airfields were blasted, Zelensky said.
A £260million AWACS aircraft and bombers capable of dropping nuclear weapons were also struck.
Ukraine said the sneak attack was worth $7bn (£5.2bn) in damage to Russia.
But Russian ambassador to the UK Kelin warned that Kyiv shouldn’t “try to engulf World War Three” in an interview with Sky News.
He also seemingly blamed the UK for potentially providing Ukraine with weaponry that could have been used during the weekend attacks.
He said: “[This] kind of attack involves, of course, provision of very high technology, so-called geospaced data, which only can be done by those who have it in possession.
“And this is London and Washington.
“I don’t believe that America [is involved], that has been denied by President Trump, definitely, but it has not been denied by London.
“We perfectly know how much London is involved, how deeply British forces are involved in working together with Ukraine.”
US President Donald Trump has spent the past few months since he returned to office trying to balance his relationship with both Moscow and Kyiv.
In his latest attempt to draw both sides closer to a ceasefire he spoke with Putin over the phone in a 75 minute call.
Trump revealed that the despot made it clear he feels he “will have to respond” to the audacious drone assault.
It comes as The Sun laid out the six possible methods Putin may use to respond to the enemy.
The tyrant could retaliate with one of his terrifying tactical nukes, launch a deadly 7,600mph missile or even order a renewed 50,000 troop assault to overpower his enemies.
The Kremlin gave a chilling response earlier today regarding how they may respond.
A spokesperson said: “Russian Federation will respond to the attack on airfields when and in the way that the military deems appropriate.”
And overnight, Vlad already launched his first retaliatory strikes on several residential regions.
The worst saw a baby, their mum and grandma all killed due to a Shahed kamikaze drone blast which caused their home to collapse.
Two others were also found dead in Chernihiv with another 17 seriously wounded in Kharkiv.
Inside Operation Spiderweb
By Foreign News Reporter, James Halpin
UKRAINE’S shock sleeper drone blitz on Russia’s bomber fleet has delivered a hammer blow to Vladimir Putin’s nuclear arsenal.
The SAS-style strike against four airfields deep inside Russia is reminiscent of the most daring raids of the WW2 that turned the tide against the Nazis.
Volodymyr Zelensky oversaw Operation Spiderweb – much like Winston Churchill did as Britain struck deep behind enemy lines.
Putin’s doomsday bomber fleet is now crippled with 41, or a third, of his most prized aircraft lying in smouldering wrecks on tarmac.
Ukraine said the sneak attack was worth $7bn (£5.2bn) in damage to Russia – caused by only 117 cheaply made drones.
Ukraine’s spies spent 18 months putting the plan into action and struck on the eve of fresh peace talks in Istanbul.
The drones and the containers were smuggled into Russia separately and were pieced together right under Vlad’s nose.
Clueless lorry drivers then parked the containers next to Russian airbases – where they sat and waited in plain sight.
Then, on the morning of June 1, the fleet of flying bombs rose over the far reaches of Russia – and the most daring military operation of the war began.
Nondescript shipping containers parked in laybys and verges had attracted little attention – before their lids blew open and the drone swarms poured out.
The craft buzzed as they took off into the air and only had to travel a short distance to their valuable targets.
Each of the 117 drones had their own dedicated pilot and Russia had little defences to protect their bases and stop them.
Drones with cameras sent video back to HQ in Ukraine of the moment craft struck their targets and explosions ripped into the sky.
Thick black smoke climbed high, with civilians near the bases sending video of Ukraine’s successes around the world.
The furthest strike was Belaya Air Base – so far inside Russia that the closest neighbouring country is Mongolia.
Olenya Air Base near Finland and Ivanovo and Dyagilevo near Moscow were also struck in the country’s west.
‘We’re talking’ – Liverpool star Luis Diaz opens door to £70m Barcelona transfer with bombshell statement
LUIS DIAZ opened the door to a shock £70million Barcelona move by confessing he is in talks with other clubs.
Liverpool yesterday rejected an approach from the Spanish giants to speak to their Colombian winger.
But Diaz, who has two years left on his Anfield contract, declared: “The market is open and we’re trying to sort out what’s best for us.
“We’re talking with other clubs. It’s the transfer window, it’s normal.
“I’m very happy at Liverpool. From day one, they’ve made me feel really welcome.
“Right now we’re in contact with them because we’re speaking with other clubs.
“I am just waiting to see what happens. If Liverpool don’t make a good offer, I still have two years left with them, I would be happy to stay there.
“It’s up to them. I am just waiting to see what happens. Everything depends on them.
“Obviously, it’s up to me to decide what’s best for the future.”
Diaz’s bombshell comments came after Liverpool posted a picture of him kissing the Premier League trophy on their official X page, accompanied with the caption: “He’s from Barrancas and he plays for Liverpool.”
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And his statement is bound to infuriate Kop boss Arne Slot.
Diaz, 28, was a key part of Liverpool’s Prem title triumph last season, scoring 13 goals and providing five assists.
He joined the Reds from Porto in January 2022 in a deal worth up to £49m.
The Colombian has scored 41 goals in 148 appearances for the Reds, winning the Prem, FA Cup and two League Cups.
Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, contacted Liverpool on Wednesday to discuss the deal but was told the Kop club do not want to sell.
Dutchman Slot wants to keep Diaz for next season’s title defence as he plans a £200m reboot that will include the £126m arrival of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.
Barca want Diaz to slot in alongside Raphinha and Lamine Yamal in their front three.
But he is also Saudi club Al-Nassr’s top target.
His partner, Gera Ponce, posted an emotional Instagram message which some fans believe is a farewell.
She wrote: “Thank you for so much love, for so much dedication and for making us feel at home.
“This is a real bond, deep and strong, that reaffirms we’ll never walk alone.”
Beyonce kicks off huge UK Cowboy Carter shows with biggest performance yet – but fails to sell out stadium gigs
FORGET the mighty Tottenham Hotspur, last night North London belonged to Beyonce.
She kicked off her run of six shows in the Europa League winners’ stadium.
As I walked up Seven Sisters High Road, Lilywhite football shirts had been replaced by a sea of cowboy hats.
The US superstar’s fans, complete with glittery boots and T-shirts, paid homage to her No1 album Cowboy Carter.
Some weren’t happy after being told they had to bin their brollies, but they cheered up as they heard Beyonce tunes pumping out of the stadium.
The stadium lit up too, thanks to the Cowboy Carter glowing wristbands dished out on entry.
This isn’t your average show, but a moment of theatre.
Beyonce is making a huge point of celebrating the genre’s black roots and reclaiming country music as her forte with the finesse you’d expect from a global megastar.
As she begins the mammoth seven-act show, which lasts almost three hours, Beyonce’s trademark megawatt smile lights up the stadium.
When the music strikes up, Beyonce lookalikes walk out on to the diamond- shaped stage dressed in gold capes and cowboy hats.
She nails the opener, American Requiem, while gold fireworks blast around her.
Dressed in white tasselled chaps and shades, her voice is unparalleled and the crowd are hooked on every word.
“Ya’ll look so beautiful,” Bey tells the audience. “I feel so honoured to be standing on this stage.
“Thank you for the support over so many years.”
Referencing Blackbird, she adds: “This song is dedicated to all the beautiful blackbirds who came before me.
“I want to thank Paul McCartney for writing this song and I’m going to sing it for y’all.
“I want ya’ll to have a good time. The rain won’t stop us.”
Beyonce smashes through The Star- Spangled Banner into Freedom, using the stage as her catwalk, before ripping into a Ya Ya mash-up with her 2008 track Why Don’t You Love Me — a big screen in front of the stage showing the lyrics to keep her word perfect.
Daughter Blue Ivy’s killer solo choreography on America Has A Problem, where she wears a newspaper-print outfit to match her mum, is insanely good.
She gives a wry smile to the cameras as she notices the whole crowd are up on their feet screaming for her.
It’s easy to forget she’s only 13.
‘FAMILY AFFAIR’
And it’s not hard to see where Blue gets it from.
Bey’s choreo is, as always, high-energy and she doesn’t put a step out of place.
Formation gets a rapturous reaction, as well as Cuff It, Thique and Jolene.
The show nods to her Renaissance tour, which saw her playing five shows right here in 2023.
Beyonce throws in fan-favourite hits to support the tracks from her latest No1 record, including Texas Hold ’Em, which has nearly every person in the 62,000-seater stadium singing in unison.
Youngest daughter Rumi makes the most of her big UK stage debut, appearing on stage after Beyonce started singing Protector, and tossing off a cowboy hat before sitting on her mum’s lap.
The stadium roars as Rumi waves to fans while video clips of her and twin brother Sir Carter from Beyonce and husband Jay-Z’s personal archive are shown on screens.
It’s a real family affair for the Single Ladies singer, with ads for her Cecred beauty line and Jay-Z’s SirDavis whisky everywhere.
Meanwhile, her mum Tina is in the audience.
The concert’s staging is impressive, with Beyonce reclining on a throne as a robotic arm pours her a whisky at one point.
Another moment sees her riding a mechanical bull, a move that whips the crowd up into near hysteria, just like when she rode Reneigh, her sparkly disco steed, the last time she was here.
It is a spectacle from start to finish and even the rain, which had thundered down in North London, can’t wash the shine off Beyonce’s crown.
Bizbit
THEY bonded as Deadpool and Wolverine, and now Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are going into business together after buying into an Aussie sailing team.
The duo said Hugh is an avid fan, adding: “He’ll also be bringing his overly clingy emotional support human along for the ride.”
MADGE’S RAY REMIX 25 YRS ON
MADONNA has delighted fans by announcing the release of her Ray Of Light remix project – more than 25 years after she shelved it.
Veronica Electronica features eight remixes inspired by her 1998 album.
The singer put it on ice due to the success of the original.
But you will finally get the chance to own it on vinyl and listen online when it is released on July 25, while the first taste, Skin (The Collaboration Remix Edit) came out yesterday.
Elsewhere, Faithless have released Forever Free, featuring the final recorded vocal from their late frontman Maxi Jazz.
It is also the title of the first instalment of their eighth album Champion Sound, which will be out in full later this year.
Also released today is Ellie Goulding And Marshmello’s summery dance banger Save My Love, Sabrina Carpenter’s Manchild and Newton Faulkner’s Hunting Season.
And Mimi Webb has dropped Love Language, from her second album Confessions, which will be released on September 12.
Bizbit
JODIE COMER says fans heading to see Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later, in which she stars, should pack extra undies.
She said of the film, out on June 20: “I was scared. There is a kind of tension.
“When you are in these high-intensity situations, it’s exhilarating, thrilling, terrifying.”
HAVE AN APPY TIME AT GLASTO
IF you are heading to Glasto this year, Vodafone has created a free app to help crowds on the ground – and it sounds brilliant.
Its Official Glastonbury Festival App will allow users to share which acts they are watching with friends.
And because it updates automatically, you will always be able to know where they are at Worthy Farm.
A map has been added too, which helps you track down new stages and merch stands, and it will count your steps so you can compare notes at the end.
Last year the Bizarre team clocked up 160,000 steps each in Somerset – and we’ll be sure to do more this year.
Bizbit
PIXIE LOTT and Rizzle Kicks have been confirmed in the entertainment line-up for this summer’s Formula E racing finale.
The artists will take to the stage at Excel in London on Saturday July 26 and Sunday July 27, as the World Champion-ship reaches its climax.
Pixie said: “I’m very excited that the finale is in my hometown of London.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
SLAYER’S SABBATH THRILL IN UK RETURN
METAL fans rejoice – it’s International Day of Slayer.
And to celebrate, the US thrash metal band’s guitarist Kerry King spoke to me about returning to the UK for two huge shows this summer.
The rockers were last on our shores during their 2019 Farewell tour, but will now play Cardiff’s Blackweir Fields on July 3 and London’s Finsbury Park on July 6.
Kerry admits they were inspired to come back after agreeing to play at Ozzy Osbourne’s huge farewell show with Black Sabbath‘s at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5.
“It’s an honour just to be mentioned in the same breath as the people playing that event,” Kerry tells me.
“Even if Slayer had never come back to do any shows,
“I would’ve really pushed to come back just for this one.
“Sabbath means a lot to me musically, they’re where I come from.
“They’re my heroes. To be part of their final show and perform one of their songs is just massive.
“I’ll be there early, watching every performance, hearing songs I’ve loved for decades.
“So all our shows are anchored with the Black Sabbath date.”
Each of the bands performing, including Metallica, Pantera And Anthrax, will all play one of Black Sabbath’s songs in tribute to the group.
But Kerry is staying tight-lipped, as when I ask if he could give me a clue about their performance, he laughs and says: “Of course not.
“I think Sharon Osbourne would cut my tongue out if I said anything.”
He’s got a point.
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Dismay as Ed Miliband’s flagship Net Zero plan spared ahead of spending review
A FLAGSHIP Net Zero plan has been spared ahead of next week’s spending review — to opponents’ dismay.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has ensured his £13billion warm homes scheme will not be downgraded after negotiations with the Treasury.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves decided not to cut the cash which allows heating upgrades through better insulation, solar panels and heat pumps.
But the move will be a boost to the Reform Party who has vowed to scrap reaching the Net Zero target by 2050.
The party’s deputy leader Richard Tice said: “Net Stupid Zero defeats common sense again, meaning higher bills and higher cost of living.
“Jobs and industries are being destroyed by the month.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has already stated that reaching Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050 is “impossible”.
Shadow Cabinet Minister Andrew Bowie added: “Once again it looks like Ed Miliband’s net zero by 2050 zealotry is running this government.
“When vital services like police forces, are facing the squeeze – thanks to Labour’s economic mismanagement – it is shameful Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have kowtowed and decided to splash taxpayer cash on this ideological obsession,
“Kemi Badenoch and I have told the truth about the cost of net zero by 2050. It is shameful Labour are still not prepared to do the same. Families deserve so much better than being punished with higher costs and higher bills.”
Mr Miliband and the Chancellor are understood to have now tied down his department’s spending three-year spending plans, The Telegraph reported.
Any spending cuts would have slowed down the government’s bid to hit Net Zero and also the pledge to bring down energy bills by £300 by the end of the decade.
The Home Office and Angela Rayner’s housing department are still grappling with the Treasury over cash.
Greggs launches menu shake-up with two new items TODAY
GREGGS has rolled out two brand-new menu items which fans can snap up at 20 locations across the UK.
The popular British bakery chain introduced the £4 sandwiches today as part of a trial.
From today, fans can enjoy Greggs’ new Pulled Pork Sandwiches and BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich with Slaw.
The sandwiches, costing £4 each and currently available in 20 stores across the northeast, could be rolled out nationwide if they prove popular.
The first option is a classic pulled pork with apple sauce and crispy onions, served in a soft corn-topped roll, containing 469 calories.
The second is a BBQ pulled pork sandwich with slaw, slightly lighter at 430 calories.
The new sarnies are available to order at the counter as part of Greggs’ hot sandwich deal.
They can also be ordered through delivery via Just Eat and Uber Eats, or through Click + Collect on the Greggs App in participating trial shops.
These 20 Greggs stores are trialling Pulled Pork Sandwiches:
- Sunderland, U1 Union Street
- Greggs @ Tesco Extra Kingston Park
- Gretna, U67B Caledonia Park, Glasgow Road
- Spennymoor U23 Festival Walk
- Workington, 19 Murray Road
- Kelso, 47 The Square
- Egremont, 50 Main Street
- Barnard Castle, 11 Horsemarket
- Gateshead, Metrocentre, Yellow Mall
- Ferryhill, 17 Market Street
- Catterick, Richmondshire Wlk Shopping Centre
- Jarrow, 17 Bede Precinct
- Felling, U5 Booth Street
- Durham, 1B Dryburn View
- Killingworth, U35 Killingworth Shopping Centre
- Seaham, Byron Pl Shopping Centre
- Darlington, 289 Yarm Road
- South Shields, 285 Prince Edward Road
- Team Valley, U4 Maingate
- Thornaby, U6 Fleck Wy, Teesside Industrial Estate
This isn’t the only change Greggs has made this month – the bakery chain has also shaken up its loyalty app.
On Monday, Greggs launched a new month-long promotion offering double stamps on selected items bought between 11am and 2pm.
The offer runs in weekly phases, with a different product category featured each week.
This week (June 2–8), all hot, cold and made-to-order sandwiches qualify for double stamps – like baguettes, wraps, flatbreads, burgers and rolls.
Customers buying a meal deal during the promo window will also earn stamps on eligible items in their basket.
From June 9 to 15, the offer shifts to “Hot Snacks”, followed by Greggs’ popular bakes from June 16 to 22 – though the famous Sausage Roll and Vegan Sausage Roll are excluded.
The final week, 23 to 29 June, will focus on iced drinks.
Customers collect one stamp per eligible purchase in a category, and after nine stamps, can claim a free item in that category.
During the promotion, purchases made within the time window earn two stamps, making it quicker to earn a free item.
To take part, shoppers need to scan the Greggs App in-store or order via Click + Collect.
Full list of eligible items:
- Sandwiches (June 2–8)
- Baguettes
- Sliced bread sandwiches, stotties and made-to-order
- Oval Bites and Rolls
- Flatbreads
- Wraps
- Burgers
(Excludes breakfast rolls/baguettes and sandwich platters) - Hot Snacks (June 9–15)
- Southern Fried Chicken Goujons
- Southern Fried Potato Wedges
- Spicy BBQ Chicken Bites
- BBQ Bites Meal Box
- Crispy Chicken Bites
- Mozzarella & Cheddar Bites
- Bakes (June 16–22)
- Steak Bake
- Cheese & Onion Bake
- Sausage, Bean and Cheese Melt
- Vegetable Bake
- Corned Beef Bake
- Chicken Bake
- Red Pepper, Feta and Spinach Bake
- Scotch Pie
- Haggis Pie
- Bacon & Cheese Wrap
- Savoury Mince Pie
(Excludes Sausage Rolls and Vegan Sausage Rolls) - Iced Drinks (June 23–29)
- Iced Latte
- Iced Caramel Latte
- Iced Vanilla Latte
- Iced Caramelised Biscuit Latte
- Iced Americano
- Cloudy Lemonade
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Mint Lemonade
- Peach Iced Tea
- Mango & Strawberry Cooler
I go for days without seeing people….but I have my dog and cat for company, says Mary Chapin Carpenter
IN the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia lies the isolated farm where Mary Chapin Carpenter has made her home.
“I go for days without seeing people or talking to anyone,” says the singer, whose dusky, soulful tones and eloquent songwriting put her in such high regard.
“It’s not for everyone but I love it. I’ve been training for this my whole life.”
Yet she’s not really alone.
“I have my dog and my cat for company,” she continues.
Mary Chapin’s “dear” four-legged friends are her golden retriever Angus and her grey and white rescue moggy Big Kitty.
So, I ask, does she ever get lonely?
“Oh for sure, who wouldn’t?” she replies.
“But I’ve lived on the farm a really long time now.
“When I’m working on a project and I’m all in, I don’t even notice that I didn’t talk to anybody except when I went out to buy groceries.”
Her rural idyll has four distinct seasons — scorching-hot summers, freezing-cold winters “with lots of snow”, beautiful budding springs and glorious golden autumns.
“I couldn’t ever live somewhere that didn’t have four seasons,” she decides.
“I need them to help me mark the passage of time.”
It was in these surroundings that she sat at her kitchen table — Angus at her feet, coffee cup beside her, acoustic guitar within easy reach — and wrote her new album, Personal History.
At 67, it was her chance to reflect on her life, think about who she is and tell her stories.
I’m meeting Mary Chapin (it’s a double forename, like Mary Beth) at a swish London hotel, a stone’s throw from the hubbub of Oxford Circus.
A stark contrast to the wilds of Virginia, she calls the dimly lit conference room “rather bleak” but adds with a smile: “It’ll have to do.”
Engaging and thought-provoking, she soon lights up the place by backing Bruce Springsteen’s fervent stance against the noisy incumbent at The White House.
Like The Boss, Mary Chapin is unafraid to speak her mind. “When people say, ‘You’re just an entertainer, be quiet’, it’s always offensive to me.
“Just because I’ve decided to write songs doesn’t mean I’ve abdicated my role as a citizen. When I have something to say, I say it.
“But it can be very perilous so I’m proud that Springsteen has his platform. He’s a kind, compassionate and smart person.”
As for Donald Trump’s angry riposte, she adds: “I think he was rattled by it — and good!”
We turn to Personal History’s first song, the “mission statement” What Did You Miss. (In case you’re wondering, there’s more about Angus to come).
Pondering life
She draws my attention to the last verse with its lines, “I’ve been walking in circles for so long/Unwinding the mystery/I’ve been writing it down song by song/As a personal history.”
Mary Chapin had been “pondering life” just as one of her favourite authors provided her with a dawning realisation.
“There’s this moment in Elizabeth Strout’s novel, My Name Is Lucy Barton, when the main character’s creative-writing instructor says, ‘You only have one story to tell but you will write it so many different ways’.
“When I read that, I took an audible breath and said out loud to no one, ‘That’s what my songs are!’ ”
Mary Chapin’s recording career stretches back nearly four decades with efforts such as He Thinks He’ll Keep Her and I Feel Lucky among her best-loved songs.
She was a regular fixture in the upper reaches of the US country chart in the Nineties, a period that yielded big-selling albums Come On Come On (1992) and Stones In The Road (1994).
I’ve had dogs most of my life, mostly golden retrievers. You get stuck on one breed.
“I think back to that time and it was like a white-hot light shining on my head,” she says.
“I’ve always had an uneasy relationship with that kind of attention.
“I was also incredibly ill-equipped to handle it. It was so overwhelming.
“Going to therapy gave me the help I needed to navigate it. Luckily, thankfully, I was surrounded by lovely people.”
Underneath it all today is the same Mary Chapin Carpenter, an artist who stays true to herself yet more comfortable in her own skin.
Returning to her new album, she says: “It struck me that after all these years, however many songs I’ve written, they all come from the same place.
“It makes so much sense to me to think of them as my personal history.”
Part of that history is Mary Chapin’s abiding love of animals. “I’ve had dogs most of my life, mostly golden retrievers,” she says. “You get stuck on one breed.
“I believe they know what we’re feeling — and who are we to say that they don’t?”
Thanks to his forebears’ sperm being frozen and stored, Angus is a direct descendant of his owner’s other dear departed retriever chums.
He could be seen at Mary Chapin’s side during the pandemic when she, like many musicians in lockdown, shared songs via YouTube from her home.
This helps explain new track Girl And Her Dog, which finds Mary Chapin intoning, “Now the older I get the less I need/Just a good old dog underneath the trees.”
It was inspired by an early-morning walk with Angus and comes with an intriguing backstory, which she describes.
“I love to walk in the fields near my farm but in summer, when it’s tick season and it’s full of them – ugh!
“So, before it’s too hot, we head to these beautiful gravel roads that stretch for miles.
‘Doing her own thing’
“It must have been around 6am when a vintage pick-up truck came up behind us so we stepped off the road to let it pass by.
“Through the cab window, I could see an older woman with salt-and-pepper hair tied into a long braid down her back. And two dogs.”
At this point, Mary Chapin’s imagination took over. “As the woman drove by, I started making up a life for her.
“OK, so maybe she’s a poet or a painter or a writer. Maybe when she’s finished walking her dogs, she’s going back to her house.
“Maybe she’ll have another cup of coffee in the garden before it’s hot and then she’ll go back to working on a book.”
The fleeting encounter got Mary Chapin thinking of her place in our uncertain world.
It’s such a gift to be able to appreciate the quiet things, the simplest things, the most minor things,
She says: “I’d just had a birthday — I’m in my sixties now — and I asked myself, ‘Who am I? What am I doing?’ ”
First, she decided she wanted to be THAT woman on the gravel road “doing her own thing”.
Then she realised “in the next breath” that, in a way, she already was much like her.
“After my walk with Angus, I knew I’d get back in my truck, go home, sit at my kitchen table and write.
“I love my home, I love the big trees in the yard (we’d say garden) — and my dog and my cat.”
Things brings us to Coda, the elegiac album finale, which neatly sums up Mary Chapin’s feelings.
She says: “I’ve lived through all these different chapters.
“The big noise of my life is not so loud as it was but there’s still a rich vein to be mined.
“It’s such a gift to be able to appreciate the quiet things, the simplest things, the most minor things.
“It’s that moment in the morning at the arboretum.
“It’s the way the light falls against the back of the house.
“It’s seeing my dog.
“Not everything has to announce itself in a huge way.
“But the last 40 years have been quite extraordinary and I’m so grateful for where I am.
“I wanted that song to express my gratitude.”
Another new one, Paint + Turpentine is also about gratitude — but tinged with regret.
It reflects on one of Mary Chapin’s chief inspirations, the late, great Texan singer/songwriter Guy Clark, loved for songs like LA Freeway and Desperados Waiting For A Train.
When she was just starting out as a twenty-something hopeful, Mary Chapin would go to The Birchmere club, not far from The Pentagon, just across the Potomac river from Washington DC.
“They were very kind to me there and I started to open for nationally known artists,” she says.
“The proprietor, Gary Oelze, knew I didn’t have any money and he’d say, ‘If you want to come down and see anybody, just call me and we’ll sneak you in’.
“I saw Guy quite often. He would give a masterclass.
“One time. he invited me up to sing with him.
“There I was, spending time with this person whose art I revered.
“He was so kind to me.”
Mary Chapin sighs and adds: “Years later, when I had a record deal and was spending more time in Nashville, I heard from Guy, who said, ‘Let’s sit down and co-write’.
“Co-writing is something I’ve always been very poor at and I gave a reason why I couldn’t make it.
“It’s one of the greatest regrets of my life.”
That said, she is tempted to “let her younger self off the hook”.
Perhaps with Paint + Turpentine, she has laid her regret to rest even if one of the lines is a direct reference to Clark’s bittersweet The Randall Knife.
“Memory cut like a Randall knife/Felt like it went right through me.”
It’s important to note that Mary Chapin returned to a familiar stomping ground in the UK to record Personal History — Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios near Bath.
“I have always loved coming over here,” she says.
“Years ago, I dated a wonderful man who lived in London, so I’d come back and forth.
“It’s been a happy place for me.”
‘Know thyself, right?’
It may come as no surprise, therefore, that she brought her latest compositions to full bloom at the “beautiful old mill” in the Wiltshire countryside, under the watchful eye of Bonny Light Horseman’s Josh Kaufman.
She first worked with him on her other record of 2025, Looking For The Thread, a gorgeous hook-up with Scottish folk singers Karine Polwart and Julie Fowlis.
From the first time I imagined I was in love with someone, I’ve been a bitter ender.
And thanks to her connection to Josh, Anaïs Mitchell, feted for her album and stage musical Hadestown, joins Mary Chapin on Home Is A Song.
“I’m such a fan. My head exploded when Anaïs said yes,” she says.
Before we go our separate ways, I ask Mary Chapin about the harmonica-fuelled Bitter Ender and what the tantalising song title means.
In response, she admits that she’s not great at dealing with the end of relationships — including her only marriage, which lasted for ten years.
Of the song, she says: “That’s me. Know thyself, right? Even when I know something has no future, I’ll be clinging on.
“From the first time I imagined I was in love with someone, I’ve been a bitter ender.
“It makes me laugh now when people say, ‘I’m a bitter ender, too!’ We finally have a term for it.”
One thing’s for certain though — Angus will be waiting for Mary Chapin when she gets back to her farm in Virginia.
That loving relationship will never have a bitter end.
PERSONAL HISTORY
Mary Chapin Carpenter
★★★★☆
Arsenal considering shock transfer for Kepa with Chelsea’s record keeper available for peanuts
ARSENAL are considering a shock move to sign Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, according to reports.
Kepa, 30, spent this season on loan with Bournemouth, where he kept eight clean sheets in 31 Premier League appearances.
The Spanish shot-stopper is surplus to requirements at Chelsea, who signed him for £72million in 2018 – a record fee for a goalkeeper.
But his time with The Blues didn’t go to plan and Kepa has since been on loan with Bournemouth and Real Madrid, last playing for Chelsea in 2023.
It now looks like a permanent exit is on the cards after Sky Sports revealed that Arsenal are interested in signing Kepa to provide backup for David Raya.
Kepa is thought to be available for just £5MILLION thanks to a release clause in his contract that was agreed prior to his loan move to the Cherries last summer.
Should the Gunners convince Kepa to jump ship to North London, they would be securing his services for over 14 TIMES less than Chelsea payed for him at first.
Kepa’s current contract with Chelsea expires in 2026.
Bournemouth keeper Neto spent last season on loan with Arsenal, making just one appearance across the entire campaign.
Arsenal had been linked with a move to sign Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia this summer, but the La Liga gloveman now looks set for a move to Barcelona.
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Mikel Arteta and his team are hoping to add depth in between the sticks, but are thought to still see David Raya as the number one.
Raya has won consecutive Golden Glove awards since his arrival from Brentford, forming the base of the Premier League’s most formidable defence this season.
For Arteta, the main focus will be on bringing in a centre-forward.
Arsenal are crying out for a front man this summer after injuries forced midfielder Mikel Merino to play up front for the latter stages of the campaign.
Reports have suggested that one of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko or Sporting bagsman Viktor Gyokeres will come through the door at the Emirates in the coming months.
However, both deals are likely to be expensive and neither player is without suitors from other top clubs around Europe too.