The RIP Famous Person Thread

[misskit]

Lynch directed some really weird movies. Weird in a sick kind of way. Always interesting.

Don’t think I’ll ever recover from Eraserhead.

[harrybarracuda]

Dame Joan Plowright, acclaimed actress, 95.

Award-winning actress Dame Joan Plowright has died, her family says | Ents & Arts News | Sky News

[harrybarracuda]

And a shout out to Linda Nolan who battled cancer for 20 years before succumbing this week.

Linda Nolan, Who Sang with Sisters in Pop Group The Nolans, Dead at 65

[malmomike77]

The Lawman

Another real "Legend" of the game passes.

Man Utd and Scotland legend Law dies aged 84


02:26
Media caption,
Denis Law - 'One of the most regal talents that football has ever seen'


Former Scotland, Manchester United and Manchester City striker Denis Law - the only Scottish player to have won the Ballon d'Or - has died at the age of 84.


The man dubbed 'The King' and 'The Lawman' spent 11 years at Old Trafford, his 237 goals in 404 appearances placing him third in United's history behind Wayne Rooney and Bobby Charlton.


Born in Aberdeen, Law began his career with Huddersfield Town, also had a spell in Italy with Torino and was capped 55 times for his country - his 30 goals making him Scotland's joint top scorer of all time.


He was sold for a British record fee three times during his career.


In 2021, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.


A family statement said: "It is with a heavy heart that we tell you our father Denis Law has sadly passed away. He fought a tough battle but finally he is now at peace.


"We would like to thank everyone who contributed to his wellbeing and care, past and much more recently.


"We know how much people supported and loved him and that love was always appreciated and made the difference. Thank you."


Manchester United said everyone at the club is mourning the loss of "the King of the Stretford End".


They added: "He will always be celebrated as one of the club's greatest and most beloved players.


"The ultimate goalscorer, his flair, spirit and love for the game made him the hero of a generation.


"Our deepest condolences go out to Denis' family and many friends. His memory will live on forever more."


The Scotland national team called Law "a true great", adding: "We will not see his likes again."


The squinting kid who grew into giant of global game


A career rich in trophies and accolades
Law was 15 when he signed for Huddersfield, and was transferred to Manchester City four years later, in 1960, for £55,000.


A year later, he joined Torino for £110,000, but he found it difficult to settle in Italy and moved to Manchester United for £115,000 in 1962, before ending his career with City in 1974.


Law was part of the United team that became the first from England to lift the European Cup in 1968, although he missed the final - a 4-1 victory over Benfica - through injury, watching it from a hospital bed.


He also won one FA Cup and two English league title medals with United, as well as helping Scotland win the British Home Championship six times.


His 11 goals in seven Scotland appearances during 1963 - as well as scoring for a Rest of the World side against England at Wembley - went some way to helping him receive the 1964 Ballon d'Or, which at the time was the prize awarded to the best footballer in Europe.


After retiring from football, Law became a television pundit, patron of UK-based charity Football Aid, and established the Denis Law Legacy Trust, which operates programmes and activities focused around community engagement and widening sporting participation.


He was appointed CBE in 2016 for services to football and charity, received honorary degrees from Aberdeen, St Andrews and Robert Gordon universities, has had statues erected in his honour at Old Trafford and Aberdeen, and received the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen.


Tributes to 'a proper icon'
Manchester City said everyone in the city is mourning Law, adding: "Our thoughts are with Denis' family and friends at this difficult time."


Former Scotland and Manchester United forward Joe Jordan told BBC Radio 5 Live that Law was a "proper icon".


He said: "Denis was a special player and to lose someone like him will affect an awful lot of Manchester United fans.


"A proper icon for his ability on the field to score goals but he had a special edge to him, not just as a player but as a person.


"Denis Law is one of the greatest players to ever play for Scotland."


Huddersfield Town said they are "profoundly saddened" by Law's death.


The Terriers added: "A legend of not only our great club, but an immortal of the sport as a whole, he will be deeply missed and his memory cherished by us all."


Torino called Law an "iconic figure" in their history.


Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville posted on Instagram: "Rest in Peace Denis. A great footballer and a great man. It's a privilege and an honour to have spent time in your company."


Aberdeen, who Law supported, said: "One of Scotland's greatest ever players, his legacy will live on in the north east."


"Denis was more than just a fantastic footballer, he was a fantastic man," said former Manchester United midfielder Bryan Robson in a Daily Mail column., external


"He would always be in my greatest ever Manchester United XI. He was a player so many of his peers idolised and with good reason, that iconic image of him with his sleeves pulled down and the one arm salute after scoring."


Alzheimer's Society chief executive Kate Lee said: "We'll be forever grateful that Denis and his family raised not only money for Alzheimer's Society but a great deal of awareness too."

Denis Law: Manchester United and Scotland legend dies aged 84 - BBC Sport

[david44]

An outstanding player I only saw once, the Scotland team had some great players, Law sadly injured when they played 1970World Cup, the like of Peter Lorrimer of Leeds Isaw few times, Spurs Alan Gizeam Chelsea dynamic dribbler Charlie Cooke whi I saw weekly plus excellent Tommy Gemme, a broth of a boy beloved from Manchester and across the world esp Scotland of course.

I think fellow Soct Pat Nevinsaid their greatest player, he's certainly right up there wih Kenny Dalglish, the only man to have won more than 100 caps for Scotland, was the only Scottish player named in the FIFA 100. Denis Law, who shares with Dalglish the record for the most goals scored for the national team, is the only Scottish player to have won the European Footballer of the Year award.
The latter trophy since renamed Ballon D'Or.

That famous back heel that sunk Utd


I met the unlucky Stepney during his brief time at Chelsea with Bonetti keers squad, I was very good at School , middling in Kent but not good enough for a first division trial , got sent to Charlton with our lodeger Dave who did make Charlton juniors . I wa slucky via family and neighbors to meet many players of that era when they earned normal salries and went down the pub at lunchtime with Tommy Doherty on MATCH DYAS!!!

[harrybarracuda]

Already posted on the RIP Sporting Heroes thread, but in case anyone missed it. I still admire how he contained the laughter.

[dirk diggler]

On a similar note, Ex-Aberdeen Manager Jimmy Calderwood has died, aged 69

[harrybarracuda]

Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy guitar legend John Sykes dies aged 65


Legendary English guitarist John Sykes, best known for his tenures with Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and Tygers of Pan Tang, has died at the age of 65.


A statement issued on his official website this evening (20th January) revealed that he passed away following a heroic fight with cancer.


"It is with great sorrow we share that John Sykes has passed away after a hard-fought battle with cancer,” the statement reads. “He will be remembered by many as a man with exceptional musical talent but for those who didn’t know him personally, he was a thoughtful, kind, and charismatic man whose presence lit up the room.


"He certainly marched to the beat of his own drum and always pulled for the underdog. In his final days, he spoke of his sincere love and gratitude for his fans who stuck by him through all these years.


"While the impact of his loss is profound and the mood sombre, we hope the light of his memory will extinguish the shadow of his absence."




Born on 29th July 1959 in Reading, Berkshire, John Sykes’ love for the guitar started aged 14 when his uncle taught him some Eric Clapton riffs.


Sykes’ professional career started in 1980 when he left his previous band Streetfighter to join Whitley Bay metallers Tygers of Pan Tang as their second guitarist.


He recorded two albums with the group – the 1981 records ‘Spellbound’ and ‘Crazy Nights’ – but exited Tygers of Pan Tang in 1982 shortly before the start of a French tour.




Sykes went on to audition for Ozzy Osbourne's band and he was briefly a member of John Sloman's Badlands, however his big break came in 1982 when he co-wrote the single ‘Please Don't Leave Me’ with Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott.


Sykes was asked to join Thin Lizzy in September 1982 and, thanks to his phenomenal guitar playing, he was credited with reviving the band and taking them into heavier musical realms.


He performed on Thin Lizzy’s 12th and final studio album ‘Thunder and Lightning’ and co-wrote the hit single ‘Cold Sweat.’


Following the split of Thin Lizzy, John Sykes joined Whitesnake in February 1984 and he was soon tasked with replacing Micky Moody’s guitar parts on the revamped US version of Whitesnake’s sixth album ‘Slide It In.’


Sykes was pivotal to the success of Whitesnake’s blockbuster self-titled album ‘Whitesnake’, and, alongside playing guitar, he co-wrote all but two tracks on the 1987 record.


Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy guitar legend John Sykes dies aged 65 | Rock News - Planet Rock

[misskit]

Garth Hudson, Last Member of The Band, Dead at 87

Musician Garth Hudson, noted for his unique sound and mastery of many instruments, died on Tuesday at the age of 87, reps said. Hudson, a member of The Band, died “peacefully in his sleep” at his nursing home in Woodstock, New York, a spokesperson for the group told Variety. Hudson was the last living member of the group, which, in the late 1960s, was “one of the day’s top rock acts,” according to the outlet. Before they debuted as The Band in 1968 with their album Music From Big Pink, they were known as The Hawks, and worked with Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan. After The Band broke up in 1977, Hudson continued his successful music career. The Band reunited three times in the 1990s. While Hudson downplayed his musical accomplishments in rare interviews, his colleagues praised him for his unique style and immense contributions to his musical projects. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. As a child, Hudson received classical musical training in his hometown of London, Ontario in Canada. His wife, Maud, died in 2022.

Garth Hudson, Last Member of The Band, Dead at 87

[misskit]

[david44]

Thanks both above , males you realize you are getting on when most of the stars of your youth are no more, at least unlike in days gone by we have easy access to their music /videos and mostly free anywhere anytime.Of course nothing beats a live concert esp when full of zing!!

[misskit]

Marianne Faithfull, singer and pop icon, dies at 78

Marianne Faithfull, the British pop star, muse, libertine and old soul who inspired and helped write some of the Rolling Stones’ greatest songs and endured as a torch singer and survivor of the lifestyle she once embodied, has died. She was 78.


Faithfull passed away Thursday in London, her music promotion company Republic Media said.


“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed.”


The blonde, voluptuous Faithfull was a celebrity before turning 17, homeless by her mid-20s and an inspiration to peers and younger artists by her early 30s, when her raw, explicit “Broken English” album brought her the kinds of reviews the Stones had received. Over the following decades, her admirers would include Beck, Billy Corgan, Nick Cave and PJ Harvey, although her history would always be closely tied to the Stones and to the years she dated Mick Jagger.

MORE Marianne Faithfull, singer and pop icon, dies at 78 | AP News

[misskit]

[harrybarracuda]

Farmer Tony Martin, who shot dead teenage burglar in 1999, dies aged 80


Tony Martin, who rose to prominence when he shot dead a teenage burglar in his home more than 25 years ago, has died aged 80.


Martin served three years in jail after he interrupted Fred Barras, 16, and Brendan Fearon, 29, when they were burgling his home in Emneth Hungate, Norfolk, in 1999. The farmer shot at them – killing Barras.


The case sparked a nationwide public debate about whether his actions were proportionate. Martin became a cause célèbre for homeowners worried about their rights to protect themselves and their property.


Martin claimed he had previously been the target of burglaries, and said he was acting in self-defence.


A friend, Malcolm Starr, told the BBC Martin had died shortly before 3pm on Sunday at Wisbech hospital in Cambridgeshire. He said Martin had a stroke a few months ago.


Barras and Fearon had travelled from Newark in Nottinghamshire to steal from his semi-derelict farm home, called Bleak House, where Martin stored antiques.


Martin fired his shotgun three times towards the intruders. Barras was killed, while Fearon was treated for his injuries in hospital.


He was initially found guilty of murder, but this was reduced to manslaughter on appeal.


The high-profile nature of the case led to the production of a Channel 4 drama, The Interrogation of Tony Martin, with the League of Gentlemen actor Steve Pemberton playing Martin.


Months after his release in 2003, he was invited to speak at the Oxford Union. He said he did not have any regrets, a sentiment he repeated in interviews in the 25 years since.


But when Martin was asked if Barras had deserved to die, he had a one-word answer. “No.”


Farmer Tony Martin, who shot dead teenage burglar in 1999, dies aged 80

[misskit]

‘George and Mildred’ Star Dies at 92

Brian Murphy, known for his roles in 1970s sitcoms such as Man About the House and George and Mildred, has died at age 92, his rep said. The British actor and comedian died at his home in Kent on Sunday morning with his wife, actress Linda Regan, by his side, his agent Thomas Bowington, told the PA news agency. Regan shared in a statement, “I was lucky to have in my lifetime found my soulmate Brian who I will love for ever.” The British star had developed neck pain about three weeks ago that was later determined to be cancer in his spine and shoulder. Murphy worked up until his death, signing on to star in a comedy with Regan that was set to begin production in June. Bowington paid tribute to Murphy’s “talent and humanity,” describing his client and friend as a “joyful and profoundly good-hearted man.” Murphy’s credits also include Holby City, a sketch show, The Catherine Tate Show, the ITV sitcom Benidorm, and the comedy show Last of the Summer Wine.

‘George and Mildred’ Star Dies at 92

[harrybarracuda]

To be honest, most Britons would know him from his racehorses. I pocketed a wad on Kayhasi at the Derby, was inside Tattenham corner when it cruised round with a few horses puffing and panting in front of it and I knew it was going to win.

Sweet that was.

The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the world’s Ismaili Muslims, has died at age 88


The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the world’s Ismaili Muslims, has died at age 88 | CNN

Group 1 Winners - Aga Khan Studs

[Happy As Larry]

Tony Roberts, versatile actor and longtime Woody Allen sidekick, dies aged 85

Roberts had a long career on Broadway and in movies, and is most fondly remembered for playing Allen’s best friend in a string of successful films
Tony Roberts, a versatile, Tony Award-nominated theatre performer at home in both plays and musicals and who appeared in several Woody Allen movies – often as Allen’s best friend – has died. He was 85. Roberts’ death was announced to the New York Times by his daughter, Nicole Burley.

Roberts had a genial stage personality perfect for musical comedy and he originated roles in such diverse Broadway musicals as How Now, Dow Jones (1967); Sugar (1972), an adaptation of the movie Some Like It Hot; and Victor/Victoria (1995), in which he co-starred with Julie Andrews when she returned to Broadway in the stage version of her popular film. He also appeared in campy roller-disco Xanadu in 2007 and The Royal Family in 2009.

“I’ve never been particularly lucky at card games. I’ve never hit a jackpot. But I have been extremely lucky in life,” he wrote in his memoir, Do You Know Me? “Unlike many of my pals, who didn’t know what they wanted to become when they grew up, I knew I wanted to be an actor before I got to high school.”

Roberts appeared on Broadway in Woody Allen’s 1966 comedy Don’t Drink the Water, repeating his role in the film version, and in Allen‘s Play It Again, Sam (1969), for which he also appeared in the movie. Other Allen films in which Roberts appeared were Annie Hall (1977), Stardust Memories (1980), A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy (1982), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Radio Days (1987).

Roberts first met Allen backstage when he was starring in Barefoot in the Park, having replaced Robert Redford. Roberts had unsuccessfully auditioned four times for Allen’s first Broadway play, Don’t Drink the Water. Seeing Roberts perform in Barefoot in the Park convinced Allen that Roberts was worth casting. According to his memoir, Allen told him, “You were great. How come you’re such a lousy auditioner?”

“Roberts’ confident onscreen presence – not to mention his tall frame, broad shoulders and brown curly mane – was the perfect foil for Allen’s various neurotic characters, making them more funny and enjoyable to watch,” the Jewish Daily Forward wrote in 2016.
In Eric Lax’s book Woody Allen: A Biography, Roberts recalled a complicated scene in A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy that Allen shot over and over – even after the film had been edited – to get his intended effect. “When you go back to see [Allen‘s work] two, three, four times, you begin to see the amazing amount of art in it, that nothing is accidental,” Roberts said.

Among his other movies were Serpico (1973) and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974). He was nominated twice for a Tony Award — for How Now, Dow Jones and Play It Again, Sam, when he was billed as Anthony Roberts.
One of Roberts’ biggest Broadway successes was Charles Busch’s hit comedy The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife (2000), in which he played the title character’s husband.

Roberts made his Broadway debut in 1962 in the short-lived Something About a Soldier, and was a replacement in some of its longest-running hits including Barefoot in the Park, Promises, Promises, They’re Playing Our Song, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, The Sisters Rosensweig and the 1998 Roundabout Theatre Company revival of Cabaret.

“I was lucky enough to get in on the last years of the Golden Age of Broadway. In that era there was a lot more going on that seemed to have high quality about it and great conviction,” he told Broadway World in 2015.

In London, he starred with Betty Buckley in the West End production of Promises, Promises, playing the Jack Lemmon role in this stage version of The Apartment.

Roberts’ television credits include the short-lived series The Four Seasons (1984) and The Lucie Arnaz Show (1985) as well as guest spots on such well-known shows as Murder, She Wrote and Law & Order.

Roberts was born in New York on 22 October 1939, the son of radio and television announcer Ken Roberts. “I was raised in the middle of a lot of actor talk,” he told the AP in 1985. “My cousin was Everett Sloane, who was a very fine actor. My father’s friends were mostly actors. I’m sure that in some way I needed to prove myself in their eyes.”
He attended the High School of Music and Art in New York and graduated from Northwestern University in Illinois. His marriage to Jennifer Lyons ended in divorce. He is survived by his daughter, actor Nicole Burley.

Tony Roberts, versatile actor and longtime Woody Allen sidekick, dies aged 85 | Film | The Guardian

[harrybarracuda]

Creator of "Silent Witness", Nigel McCrery.

Silent Witness creator dies, aged 71

Asil Nadir, Thatcher golden boy and creator of the UK's answer to Enron.

Asil Nadir, Polly Peck business tycoon turned fugitive, dies aged 83

[harrybarracuda]

Italian chemist Francesco Rivella, best known as the inventor of Nutella, died on Valentine's Day, according to various news outlets. He was 97.
Dubbed the "father" of Nutella by the Italian media, Rivella helped create the world's most famous hazelnut spread.
Rivella began working at Ferrero – an Italian chocolate and confectionary company – in 1952, a dozen years before Nutella was introduced to the world, news agency Jam Press reported.

'''Father of Nutella''' Francesco Rivella dies at age 97 | Fox News

[misskit]

Jerry Butler, R&B singer and early leader of the Impressions, dies at 85

Jerry Butler, who found R&B stardom in the late 1950s as the first lead singer of the Impressions before moving on to a solo career and a second life in Chicago politics, died Thursday. He was 85.


His death was reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, which cited a family friend and said that Butler (who had Parkinson’s disease) died at his home.

MORE https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainm...85/ar-AA1zxJcO

[misskit]

First Pee Wee now Miss Yvonne is gone.

Actress Known for ‘Pee-wee’s Playhouse’ and ‘It’s Always Sunny’ Dies at 78

Lynne Marie Stewart, a comedian and actress best known for appearing in Pee-wee’s Playhouse and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has died at 78, according to a report. Stewart’s death was confirmed Friday to The Hollywood Reporter by a spokesperson for her former sketch troupe, the Groundlings. A cause of death was not disclosed. An industry veteran, Stewart got her big break as Miss Yvonne (“the most beautiful woman in Puppet Land”) alongside Paul Reubens’ Pee-wee Herman, a role which she reprised throughout the 1980s. Stewart also portrayed Charlie Kenny’s mother on the long-running dark comedy series It’s Always Sunny. She was a member of the Los Angeles-based troupe the Groundlings from the 1970s and 80s. “We are heartbroken to hear of the passing of our dear sweet Lynne Stewart,” the Groundlings wrote in a statement to THR. “She wasn’t just the most beautiful woman in all of Puppetland—she was the most beautiful woman that we ever met, inside and out... She will be deeply missed.”

Actress Known for ‘Pee-wee’s Playhouse’ and ‘It’s Always Sunny’ Dies at 78

[misskit]

[harrybarracuda]

She was right you know, I never heard a thing.

American singer Roberta Flack passed away February 24, 2025 at the age of 88., according to reports from various credible internationalnews sources. She retired from performing in 2022 after being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease.


Regarded as a big influence on pop-flavored modern soul and R&B music, she was the firat artist to ever win the Grammy Record of the Year award in two consecutive years for "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" in 1973 and "Killing Me Softly with His Song" in 1974. She is also known for many other hits such as "Feel Like Makin' Love" and "Tonight I Celebrate My Love", a duet with Peabo Bryson.

https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainmen...rta-flack-0022

[harrybarracuda]

Clint Hill, Secret Service Agent, 93.

Clint Hill: Who was Clint Hill? Secret Service agent who tried to shield JFK during assassination dies at 93 - The Times of India

[beachbound]

Do you recognize the cowboy, in the opening clip?