The RIP Famous Person Thread

[misskit]

NO! It just can’t be!


Ken Shimura, famed Japanese comedian, dead at 70 after contracting coronavirus

Tokyo (CNN)Famed Japanese comedian Ken Shimura has died after contracting novel coronavirus, according to his representatives.


Shimura suffered pneumonia-like symptoms and passed away on Sunday night, his agency, Izawa Office, told CNN.

He reported symptoms, including fatigue, on March 17 and was hospitalized on March 20 with severe pneumonia before testing positive for coronavirus on March 23.


Shimura is likely to be deeply mourned in Japan. He has been described as "Japan's Robin Williams," with the country's television networks heavily covering his death.


MORE Ken Shimura, famed Japanese comedian, dead at 70 after contracting coronavirus - CNN

[misskit]

ANDREW JACK DEAD AT 76 FROM COVID-19



Star Wars' actor Andrew Jack, who was also a dialect coach to the stars, has died from the coronavirus ... TMZ has learned.


Andrew's rep, Jill McCullough, tells us her client passed away Tuesday morning at a hospital outside of London as a result of complications he'd developed from COVID-19.


Jill says Andrew's wife couldn't be there for her husband because she herself is in quarantine in Australia -- and there may not be a way to accommodate a proper funeral due to conditions created by the global pandemic.


Andrew was still very much active and working up until a few weeks ago -- most notably, he was hired as the dialect coach on the new 'Batman' movie starring Robert Pattinson. That production was shut down less than a month ago.

MORE 'Star Wars' Actor & Dialect Coach Andrew Jack Dies from Coronavirus

[TizMe]

Hardly a famous person if you need to add an arrow to the picture pointing him out.

[harrybarracuda]

Bill Withers, famous for hits Ain't No Sunshine and Lean On Me, has died aged 81




Bill Withers, famous for hits such as Lovely Day, Ain't No Sunshine and Lean On Me has died aged 81.

The singer from West Virginia died of heart complications, according to a statement from his family.

“We are devastated by the loss of our beloved, devoted husband and father," his family said in the statement. "A solitary man with a heart driven to connect to the world at large, with his poetry and music, he spoke honestly to people and connected them to each other.

"As private a life as he lived close to intimate family and friends, his music forever belongs to the world. In this difficult time, we pray his music offers comfort and entertainment as fans hold tight to loved ones."

Several of Withers' songs are staples of the American songbook. Lean On Me, an ode to the power of friendship,
was performed at the inaugurations of presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. The song was his first entry on the Official UK Singles Chart in 1972, reaching Number 18.

Another favourite, Lovely Day, was a UK Top 10 single twice; first was the original which peaked at Number 7 in 1978, and then in 1988, the Sunshine Mix went Top 5.

In recent years, Just The Two Of Us was covered by Will Smith in 1997, and sampled by Eminem that same year. In May 2009, Ain't No Sunshine reached the Top 40 for the first time (charting at Number 40) after an auditionee performed the track on Britain's Got Talent.

Withers is survived by his wife Marcia Johnson and their two children, Todd and Kori.



https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/bill-withers-famous-for-hits-aint-no-sunshine-and-lean-on-me-has-died-aged-81__29319/

[misskit]

Honor Blackman, James Bond’s Pussy Galore, Dead at 94



Honor Blackman, the British actress best known for portraying the James Bond girl Pussy Galore in 1964’s Goldfinger, has died. She was 94.


“It’s with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Honor Blackman, aged 94,” Blackman’s family wrote in a statement to the Guardian. “She died peacefully of natural causes at her home in Lewes, Sussex, surrounded by her family.

MORE Bond Girl Honor Blackman Dies at Age 94 - Rolling Stone

[SKkin]

Damn...no more Pussy.

RIP

[harrybarracuda]

The Virginian star James Drury dies at 85 of natural causes



James Drury has died at the age of 85 of natual causes., News of his death was announced by his assistant Karen Lindsey on Monday. Details of a memorial service for the star are to follow. A statement on the actor’s official website read: ‘The cowboy took his last ride. ‘It is with immense sadness that I let you all know that James Drury, our beloved Virginian and dear friend passed away this morning of natural causes, Monday, April 6, 2020. ‘He will be missed so much. It is beyond words. Memorial service to be determined later.’

Drury was best known for his starring role in western TV series The Viriginian, believed to be the third longest running western on television. Recalling his experiences on the show back in 2015, Drury felt that life with his grandfather on a ranch helped prepare him for the part. ‘In any character all you can do is work with the words on the page. You also bring to it everything you are, everything you’ve ever been, everything you can be, all of your dreams and your pretty good hunches as to how something will work with certain expressions and so forth,’ the actor explained. ‘I like to keep in mind the character and the person of my maternal grandfather…who came west with the wagon train when he was 17 years old. He was a rancher and a cowboy and an Indian fighter and a cowboy.

‘I was carrying a loaded gun when I was 6 years old and I’m still carrying one everywhere I go. ‘In the course of the episodes you get a chance to do a lot of experimentation and I did everything I could to keep the character alive. It’s a wonderful process and I don’t think I would have been happy spending my life any other way.’ The Virginian ran from 1962 to 1971. He has had various TV and appearances including Walker, Texas Ranger, Hell To Pay and The Adventures of Brisco County.

Read more: James Drury dead: The Virginian actor dies at 85 of natural causes | Metro News
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: Metro - Home | Facebook

[Neverna]

That brought back some memories.

[harrybarracuda]

Detective Leonard 'Nipper' Read who arrested Kray Twins dies aged 95




The detective who arrested Britain's most notorious gangsters, the Kray Twins, has died.
Leonard "Nipper" Read led a Scotland Yard team which pursued Reggie and Ronnie Kray and brought to an end their life of crime in London's East End.

As a detective chief superintendent, he was head of the Yard's murder squad when he was handed the job of bringing the violent and charismatic twins to justice.

He set up a squad of trusted detectives who worked in secret and had to overcome the corruption of other colleagues.

The Krays were minor celebrities, ran nightclubs and counted among their friends show business stars such as the late US singer Judy Garland and former EastEnders actress Barbara Windsor.

The brothers were jailed for life imprisonment at the Old Bailey in 1969 after being convicted of the murders of villains Jack "The Hat" McVitie and George Cornell.

Mr Read was 95. A tweet from a Scotland Yard Twitter account suggested he had died with coronavirus.

Detective Leonard 'Nipper' Read who arrested Kray Twins dies aged 95 | UK News | Sky News

[NamPikToot]

British motor racing legend Sir Stirling Moss has died at the age of 90 following a long illness.


He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time, even though he did not win the World Championship.


Moss retired from public life in January 2018 because of ongoing health problems.


He spent 134 days in hospital after suffering a chest infection while on holiday in Singapore in December 2016.


Moss won 16 of the 66 F1 races he competed in from 1951 to 1961.


He became the first British driver to win a home grand prix in 1955 at Aintree.


Moss famously lost out on the F1 title in 1958 to compatriot Mike Hawthorn after vouching for his rival and preventing him being disqualified when he was accused of reversing on track in the late-season Portuguese Grand Prix.


Four times a runner-up in the F1 drivers' championship, he was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1961.


Together with his fine F1 career, Moss was regarded as a motor-racing all-rounder and racked up a total of 212 victories in all competitions.


He was an outstanding rally driver and in 1955 set a new course record in winning the famous Mille Miglia, a 1,000-mile race around Italy.


Moss was effectively forced to retire from top-level motorsport in 1962 after a crash at Goodwood left him in a coma for a month and partially paralysed for six months.


However, he continued to race in historic cars and legends events until the age of 81.


He is survived by his third wife, Susie.

[Sleeper]

Moss was effectively forced to retire from top-level motorsport in 1962 after a crash at Goodwood left him in a coma for a month and partially paralysed for six months.

Retired in 1962.
In the late 70's, when I was a young tearaway, the traffic cops were still saying "Who do you think you are, Stirling Moss?

[NamPikToot]

^ its still used today. He had a great life ... and quite a bit of fun

[harrybarracuda]

Goodies star Brooke-Taylor dies with coronavirus




Comedian Tim Brooke-Taylor has died at the age of 79 with coronavirus, his agent has confirmed to the BBC.

The entertainer, best known as one third of the popular 1970s show The Goodies, and I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, died on Sunday.

Fellow Goodies star Graeme Garden said he was "terribly saddened by the loss of a dear colleague and close friend of over 50 years".

"He was a funny, sociable, generous man who was a delight to work with."

"Audiences found him not only hilarious but also adorable. His loss at this dreadful time is particularly hard to bear, and my thoughts are with Christine, Ben, Edward and their families," Garden said.

Brooke-Taylor's career spanned more than six decades and his comedic roots lay in the Cambridge Footlights, which he joined in 1960.

Membership of the Cambridge Footlights Club brought him into contact with Garden, Bill Oddie as well as future Python Graham Chapman.

He started his broadcasting career on BBC Radio, before forming the Goodies with Garden and Oddie and later becoming a long-standing panellist on Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.

Comedian Jack Dee, the current host of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, said: "It has come as devastating news to hear that Tim has succumbed to this dreadful virus - especially when we all thought he was recovering.

"Tim was a delightful man and never anything but great company. It has always been one of the great joys of my career to work with someone who was part of the comedy landscape of my childhood."

Goodies star Brooke-Taylor dies with coronavirus - BBC News

[harrybarracuda]

TIME BANDITS, RETURN OF THE JEDI ACTOR MALCOLM DIXON DIES AT 66




Time Bandits and Return of the Jedi actor Malcolm Dixon passed away April 9. He was 66.

The news of Dixon's death was first reported by the Star Wars fansite Fantha Tracks. As of this writing, no cause of death has been revealed.

Born in September 1953 in Crook Durham, England, Dixon had roles in some of the most well-known fantasy and science fiction movies in the '70s and '80s. He was an Oompa Loompa in the legendary Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. He also had roles in movies such as the cult classic Flash Gordon, Jim Henson'sLabyrinth, and Ron Howard's Willow.

His two biggest movies were 1981's Time Bandits, directed by Terry Gilliam. He played Strutter among an all-star cast including Sean Connery, John Cleese, and Shelley Duvall. Two years later, he played an Ewok warrior in the conclusion to the original Star Wars Trilogy, Return of the Jedi.

https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/time-b...xon-dies-at-66

[johpam]

Timothy Julian Brooke-Taylor RIP

[NamPikToot]

The goodies

[beachbound]

Mr. John Prine. One of the greatest American singer/songwriters, dead of complications from COVID, on April 7th.

[Latindancer]

Deeply saddening....bloody virus. I loved tHe Goodies.


My favourite Tim Brooke-Taylor quote is : "Don't get married....you'll spend the rest of your life slaving over a hot nappy, washing meals and cooking babies"

[Little Chuchok]

Goodies star Brooke-Taylor dies with coronavirus





Goodies star Brooke-Taylor dies with coronavirus - BBC News

Very sad. One of my true favorites when I was growing up.

[harrybarracuda]

Brian Dennehy, veteran stage and screen actor, dies aged 81


The Tony-award winning actor, who also starred in First Blood and Cocoon, has died of natural causes





Veteran actor Brian Dennehy, known for roles on stage and on screen, has died aged 81.


“It is with heavy hearts we announce that our father, Brian passed away last night from natural causes, not Covid-related,” his daughter Elizabeth tweeted. “Larger than life, generous to a fault, a proud and devoted father and grandfather, he will be missed by his wife Jennifer, family and many friends.”

Dennehy was known on the big screen for roles in films such as Cocoon, Presumed Innocent, Tommy Boy, Romeo + Juliet and Gorky Park. His breakthrough role was opposite Sylvester Stallone in First Blood.

He was also a celebrated stage presence, winning two Tony awards for Death of a Salesman in 1999 and Long Day’s Journey Into Night in 2003. Dennehy also won a Golden Globe for the miniseries of Death of a Salesman. He was long associated with the Goodman Theatre in Chicago for his many performances in adapted works of Eugene O’Neill. His last appearance on stage was in 2016’s White Rabbit Red Rabbit.

“Theatre is something that I’ve always enjoyed and that I care about,” Dennehy said in 2016. “But as you get older, it is harder and harder to do, but it’s always worthwhile.”


Dennehy also amassed six Emmy nominations throughout his career, most recently in 2005 for sexual abuse drama Our Fathers. He was also known for roles in The West Wing, 30 Rock, The Good Wife and Miami Vice.

Most recently he was seen in the NBC crime series The Blacklist and he will be seen posthumously on the big screen in Son of the South.

“I don’t look like an actor, I don’t sound like an actor, I’m just another person,” Dennehy said in 2018. “Which really is the whole point of acting, is trying to be just another person.”

Tributes have arrived on Twitter from celebrities, including William Shatner, John Cusack, Michael McKean and Mia Farrow.

“I’ve had a hell of a ride,” Dennehy also said in 2018. “I have a nice house. I haven’t got a palace, a mansion, but a pretty nice, comfortable home. I’ve raised a bunch of kids and sent them all to school, and they’re all doing well. All the people that are close to me are reasonably healthy and happy. Listen, that’s as much as anybody can hope for in life.”

Dennehy is survived by his wife, the costume designer Jennifer Arnott, and his five children, Elizabeth, Kathleen, Deirdre, Cormac and Sarah.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/202...r-dies-aged-81

[misskit]

For some reason, I thought Dennehy had passed away a while back. He’s in one of my all time favorite movies, Belly of an Architect.

[harrybarracuda]

It's not often that ones old Headmaster gets a nod in the press, so....

A splendid chap and both him and his lovely wife Poppy were the nicest people you could meet and he interviewed me personally for my admittance, so obviously a top judge of character.

It speaks volumes that Her Maj personally selected him as Provost.

Former Eton headmaster Eric Anderson, who taught three future Prime Ministers including Boris Johnson, dies aged 83




Former Eton College Head Master Sir Eric Anderson has died at the age of 83.

Sir Eric was head of the public school between 1980 and 1994 and several notable pupils – including Boris Johnson and David Cameron – were educated there during his tenure.

Earlier in his career, Sir Eric worked at two of the top schools in his native Scotland – Gordonstoun and Fettes College, where he was Tony Blair's housemaster. While at Gordonstoun, he also taught Prince Charles.


Mr Blair recalled his housemaster when he mentioned Sir Eric in a 1997 teacher training campaign.

Sir Eric's time at Eton was so successful that in 2000 he returned as Provost, the head of the school's governing body and an appointment made by the Queen.

Eton Head Master Simon Henderson told the Mail last night: 'Sir Eric's contribution to Eton was unparalleled in modern times.

'He was one of the school's greatest ever Head Masters and then one of our finest Provosts.

'A great school master, a fine scholar, and an inspiring and visionary leader – but above all a kind, loyal and utterly authentic man. Much of the success of the school today derives from his legacy.'

Sir Eric leaves behind his wife, Poppy, and two children, David and Kate.

Former Eton headmaster Eric Anderson dies aged 83 | Daily Mail Online

[Iceman123]

^
Not famous, sorry.

[VocalNeal]

^
Not famous, sorry.

Stirling Moss was and he didn't even get a mention.

[helge]

Not famous, sorry.

Yep;never heard about him. And forgotten his name already.

Sorry for your loss, Harry

In memoriam: