GEORGE TOWN: The widow of Datuk Loganathan Arumugam of the Alleycats fame, Datin Susan Lovie, is struggling to make ends meet now that her house has been damaged in a fire.

Lovie, 56, said her son Vigneshwaran, 29, was the family's sole breadwinner while her daughter Priyadashini, 25, did not have a stable income as a singer.

“I don't have any immediate plans for the future. For now, I will go to Kuala Lumpur and live with my children.

Family memories: (From left) Lovie, Vigneshwaran, and Priyadashini reminiscing about old times while looking through family albums.

“Then, I will decide on my next steps,” she said tearfully after receiving monetary aid from Bukit Bendera MIC chairman M. Karuppanan.

Karuppanan handed Lovie RM1,000 on behalf of the division and another RM1,000 in personal contribution at the site of her gutted house in Jalan Azyze in Tanjung Bungah yesterday.

Lovie said she had yet to decide what to do with the money, adding that she “can only plan one day at a time or even an hour at a time”.

Karuppanan, an Alleycats fan, said he was shocked to read about the fire, which took place on Monday.

“I grew up listening to their music and I even attended Datuk Loganathan's funeral a few years ago,” he said, expressing hope that the music industry would assist the family financially.

Karuppanan said the state should also offer help as Alleycats, which had brought fame to the country's music scene, was a source of pride for Penang.

Earlier, Lovie, who was sorting out personal items and furniture at the remains of the house with her children, brother Kevin Jonathan Boudville, 46, and friends, said she was grateful that some old photo albums and memorabilia were saved.

The fire caused an estimated loss of RM250,000 for the family.

Lovie, who is currently staying with her brother at Hydro Hotel Penang, said she planned to remain in the state, which had been her home for 30 years.

“A close friend has offered me a place to stay while I search for a new house,” she added.

The late Loganathan, or Loga as he was fondly called, died of lung cancer in 2007.

Together with his brother Datuk David Arumugam, the siblings formed their band Alleycats in 1969, entertaining fans all over the region for the last 30 years.

The group has 40 albums to its name and to this day, remains as one of Malaysia's evergreen bands.

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