The RIP Famous Person Thread

[Mr Lick]

Eric Lomax: The Railway Man author dies aged 93




A former prisoner of war whose memoirs about working on the "death railway" in Thailand have been turned into a film has died at the age of 93.

Eric Lomax, originally from Edinburgh, was captured by the Japanese during the fall of Singapore in 1942.

He became one of the thousands of servicemen used as slave labour to build the railway.

The Railway Man film, starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman, is due to be released next year.

It is based on Mr Lomax's book of the same name, published in 1995, which describes his experience before, during, and after World War II

Rachel Cugnoni, of his publisher Vintage Books, said Mr Lomax had died in the early hours of Monday in Berwick-upon-Tweed

Eric spoke for thousands of men who felt their service and sacrifice had gone unnoticed - Andy Paterson Film producer

She said: "The Railway Man was one of the landmark books of the 1990s.

"It tells Eric's incredible and moving story with grace, modesty and exceptional humility. All characteristics Eric had as a man.

"It is a book that stands as a testament to the great capacity of the human spirit for forgiveness and we are honoured to have published it."

Mr Lomax was a signals officer who was captured with many other Allies in Singapore and held at the island's Changi jail before eventually being taken to the Thai town of Kanchanaburi, where he worked on the railway link to Burma.

The horrific conditions of the prisoners as they built the line, with a terrible loss of life, famously formed the basis of David Lean's 1957 film The Bridge On The River Kwai.

Mr Lomax endured savage beatings when guards found a radio he had helped to build within his prison camp.

He went on to become a lecturer at Strathclyde University, but was haunted by his treatment and met the interpreter who had interrogated him while he was tortured, Takashi Nagase, after he wrote about his remorse in a book.

Mr Lomax's wife Patti contacted Mr Nagase and both men returned to Kanchanaburi to meet in 1993 and eventually became friends.

[Mr Lick]

Former Zimbabwe all-rounder Kevin Curran has died at the age of 53.

Curran, who played county cricket in England for Gloucestershire and Northants in the 1980s and 90s, was the Zimbabwe national team's former coach.

Zimbabwe Cricket said he collapsed while jogging in Mutare but the exact cause of death is not yet known.

"We are still in shock, Kevin was the epitome of health and we've yet to make sense of this tragic loss," managing director Wilfred Mukondiwa said.


Kevin Curran

First-class matches: 324

First-class runs: 15,740

First-class wickets: 605

ODIs: 11

ODI runs: 287

ODI wickets: 9



Curran, who played in the 1983 and 1987 World Cups for Zimbabwe, made over 1,000 runs in a season five times in the English domestic game, but had moved away from the international arena by the time his country was granted Test status in 1992.

After retiring in 1999 he had a spell as assistant coach of Zimbabwe before taking charge of the Namibian team.

Having served as the director of a cricket academy in Harare he replaced Phil Simmons as Zimbabwe coach in 2005, a position he held until 2007.

His final coaching role was with Zimbabwean franchise Mashonaland Eagles, and their chief executive officer Vimbai Mapukute said: "I have yet to meet a man more passionate about cricket in this country.

"KC had put his heart and soul into developing our franchise and had great plans for our high performance gym and other facilities.

"His passing will leave a huge void at Mash Eagles and I feel that I have not only lost a key business ally but a friend as well."

[misskit]

Alex Karras


LOS ANGELES — Alex Karras, the rugged lineman who anchored the Detroit Lions’ defence in the 1960s, then went on to an acting career in which he starred in the sitcom Webster and famously punched a horse in the 1974 comedy Blazing Saddles, died Wednesday. He was 77.
Karras, who had recently suffered kidney failure, died at home in Los Angeles surrounded by family members, said Craig Mitnick, Karras’ attorney.
Diagnosed with dementia, Karras in April joined the more than 3,500 former NFL players suing the league for not protecting them better from head injuries, immediately becoming one of the best-known names in the legal fight.


Alex Karras, NFL defensive lineman turned actor, dead at 77 | NFL | Sports | National Post



The way I remember him will always be....

[Mr Lick]

Jerry Lee Lewis bandmate BB Cunningham Jr shot dead



Musician BB Cunningham Jr, a long-time member of Jerry Lee Lewis's band, has been shot dead in Memphis, Tennessee.

Police said the 70-year-old had been working as a security guard when he went to investigate a gunshot at a neighbouring building.

When officers arrived, both Cunningham Jr and an unidentified 16-year-old boy were found dead.

The musician had been part of Lewis's band since 1997 and released a solo album, titled Hangin' In, in 2003.

Born Blake Baker Cunningham Jr, he gained national recognition in 1965 as a member of Ronnie and the Daytonas touring band.

A year later the band changed their name to the Hombres and had a hit with song Let It All Hang Out in 1967.

After the Hombres' career slowed, Cunningham Jr went to work behind the scenes at the famed Sounds of Memphis Studios as an audio engineer.

In 1971, he moved to Los Angeles where he served as chief engineer at Independent Recorders, working with the likes of Billy Joel, Elton John, and Lou Rawls.

Cunningham returned to Memphis a few years later and launched his own studio.

As well as performing with rock and roll star Lewis, the musician also plays with Swedish group The Cadillac Band, featuring 1960s pop stars.

According to his website, he toured with them in Sweden throughout July and last performed in August at the International Rockabilly Hall of Fame Festival.

[Mr Lick]

Sylvia Kristel, star of Emmanuelle, dies

The convent-educated actress was arguably the first star of adult cinema

Dutch actress Sylvia Kristel, who starred in the 1974 erotic French film Emmanuelle, has died aged 60.

"She died during the night during her sleep," her agent, Marieke Verharen, told the AFP news agency.

The actress, who had cancer, was admitted to hospital in July after suffering a stroke.

Emmanuelle, which told the story of a sexually promiscuous housewife, spawned numerous sequels and played in a cinema on the Champs-Elysees for 11 years.
Released in 1974, the soft-focus French film was one of the first erotic movies to be shown in mainstream cinemas.

Kristel herself attributed its success to the changing censorship laws of the era.
"In a lot of countries the light went on, and that contributed very much to the success," she said.

In the UK, however, the film was eventually given the restricted X-rating, having suffered heavy cuts. The unedited version did not appear in the country until 2007.

Kristel went on to star in several Emmanuelle sequels, as well as more mainstream films - many of which, like Lady Chatterley's Lover and Mata Hari, played on her reputation as an erotic film star.



The actress caused a sensation at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival

Born in Utrecht, Holland, in 1952, Kristel grew up with her younger sister Marianne in Room 21 of The Commerce Hotel, which her parents owned.


Convent-educated, she fled her strict Calvinist upbringing for Amsterdam as a teenager, where she worked as a secretary and a waitress before becoming a model.

Aged 21, she won two beauty competitions - Miss TV Holland and Miss TV Europe - and, shortly afterwards, was encouraged to pursue acting by her boyfriend, Dutch author Hugo Claus.

There have been movies influenced by other movies, and directors influenced by other directors, but Emmanuelle may be the first movie influenced by magazine centerfolds.

What makes the film work is the performance of Sylvia Kristel... [who] projects a certain vulnerability that makes several of the scenes work.

The performers in most skin flicks seem so impervious to ordinary mortal failings, so blase in the face of the most outrageous sexual invention, that finally they just become cartoon characters. Kristel actually seems to be present in the film, and as absorbed in its revelations as we are.

She had already appeared nude in the film Because of the Cats, when she stumbled into the audition for Emmanuelle, having been sent to a casting call for a soap powder commercial next door.

Speaking to The Evening Standard in 1994, she said she had no problem convincing director Just Jaeckin of her suitability for the part.

"He asked me to take my dress off," she said. "Luckily it was an easy dress to take off.

"It had spaghetti straps which I just slipped over my shoulders and it just fell off. I carried on talking and smoking in the nude. I was not inhibited at all. I'd done nude modelling and he thought I was very graceful."

Set in Thailand, the film was based on the erotic novel by Emmanuelle Arsan. It told the story of a bored wife, who had followed her diplomat husband to Asia, and filled her time with romantic trysts.

On release, Emmanuelle inevitably caused controversy. It was banned in Paris, where it was supposed to have its premiere, for six months. But it also made Kristel a star.

She spent seven years in Hollywood, appearing in such films as The Concorde: Airport '79, and Private Lessons.

But the actress, whose parents were both alcoholics, soon found herself addicted to drink and drugs.

The actress had no regrets about being associated with Emmanuelle. "It's hard to find a better character," she said in 2001

"I sometimes needed a shot before doing certain scenes," she said. "It definitely comforted me and gave me courage. But then it turned out that I almost couldn't start a day without a drink."

By this time she had left Claus, with whom she had a son, for British actor Ian McShane. Their relationship was volatile. In her autobiography, she described it as "awful - he was witty and charming but we were too much alike".

Further relationships followed. She wed American millionaire Alan Turner, who ended their marriage after five months, telling Kristel he had made a terrible mistake.

Her second husband, would-be director Philippe Blot, persuaded her to bankroll his films. They were disastrously received.

Kristel said she left the marriage with $400 to her name.

"If I'd known then what I know now, I probably wouldn't have gone ahead with any of the relationships I was involved in, with the exception of Hugo," she told the Daily Mail in 1993.

She stopped appearing nude on screen in the 1980s because her son, Arthur, was being "teased at school", but returned to the Emmanuelle series in 1994, in a direct-to-video sequel where she appeared, fully-clothed, reminiscing about the exploits of her younger alter-ego.

After leaving America, she retreated to the South of France to paint, specialising in female portraits and pictures of roses. She was diagnosed with both throat and lung cancer in the early 2000s and fought the disease over the last decade.

Her agent declined to say whether Kristel died at home or at hospital, but said her her funeral would be private.

[Mr Lick]

Stanford Ovshinsky, hybrid car battery inventor, dies

Stanford Ovshinsky designed the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in hybrid vehicles

Stanford Ovshinsky, a self-taught American physicist who designed the battery now used in hybrid cars, has died aged 89 from prostate cancer.

The electronics field of ovonics was named after Mr Ovshinsky, who owned over 200 patents and has been described as a "[Thomas] Edison of our age".

He introduced the idea of "glass transistors" in 1968, which paved the way for modern flat-screen monitors.

He and his first wife Iris set up a firm called Energy Conversion Devices.

The firm specialises in manufacturing the nickel-metal hydride batteries he designed, which are still used in hybrid vehicles, and also produces large thin, flexible sheets of solar panelling also invented by Mr Ovshinsky.

He received various honorary degrees and awards but had no formal education after high school. He claimed to have taught himself science by using the public libraries of Ohio where he grew up.

His son Harvey said he was "determined to change the world".

"My father worked tirelessly 24-7, even up until he got sick, to change the world and its attitude toward sustainable energy and alternate platforms for information," he added.

Mr Ovshinsky is survived by his second wife Rosa, brother Herb, seven children and six grandchildren.

[Mr Lick]

George McGovern, Richard Nixon challenger, dies

George McGovern left an enduring mark on US politics

Former US Senator George McGovern, who stood as the Democratic presidential candidate against Richard Nixon in 1972, has died, aged 90.

He was in a hospice in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and slipped out of consciousness three days ago.

A liberal standard-bearer, McGovern was a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War, but lost to Nixon by a landslide.

He was first elected to Congress in 1956. During the World War II, he served as a US Air Force pilot.

"We are blessed to know that our father lived a long, successful and productive life advocating for the hungry, being a progressive voice for millions and fighting for peace," said a statement released by his family.

He was admitted to hospice care earlier this month with a "combination of medical conditions, due to age, that have worsened over recent months", his family said at the time.

Senator, the fires you lit then still burn in countless hearts” 2006 tribute from former President Bill Clinton


'Leading voice'

McGovern's bid for the presidency in 1972 was marred by what later emerged as a dirty-tricks campaign by President Nixon's re-election committee, including the break-in at Democratic National Headquarters in the Watergate Hotel, in Washington DC.

Nixon, who already enjoyed an advantage throughout the campaign, won a second term in one of the biggest landslides in modern US history.

McGovern had made two other brief attempts to obtain the Democratic nomination in 1968 and 1984.

At the time, he was seen as a leading voice of the Democratic party's liberal wing.

After four years in the House of Representatives, he was one of the senators for South Dakota from 1963 to 1981.

He helped create the Food for Peace program, which sent US food overseas as a form of international aid, and became its first director in 1961.

Despite his failure to unseat Nixon, he left an enduring mark on US politics: among his campaign workers in 1972 was a young Bill Clinton.

"I believe no other presidential candidate ever has had such an enduring impact in defeat," Mr Clinton said in 2006 at the dedication of McGovern's library in Mitchell, South Dakota, according to the Associated Press.

"Senator, the fires you lit then still burn in countless hearts."

[Tom Sawyer]

Good job George.

[can123]

I cannot remember hearing more glowing tributes paid to anybody in recent years. His showbiz colleagues, people who worked with him in the various hospitals, everybody cannot praise him enough. He was universally respected, admired and liked. The specialist Spinal Injuries Unit at Stoke Mandeville only exists because of his efforts. Apparently, 90% of his fortune was donated to charitable trusts.

He was a great bloke !

I am a twat.

[VocalNeal]

I cannot remember hearing more glowing tributes paid to anybody in recent years. His showbiz colleagues, people who worked with him in the various hospitals, everybody cannot praise him enough. He was universally respected, admired and liked. The specialist Spinal Injuries Unit at Stoke Mandeville only exists because of his efforts. Apparently, 90% of his fortune was donated to charitable trusts.

He was a great bloke !

I am a twat.

You must be because I cannot even find what the fcuk you are talking about.

[buriramboy]

I cannot remember hearing more glowing tributes paid to anybody in recent years. His showbiz colleagues, people who worked with him in the various hospitals, everybody cannot praise him enough. He was universally respected, admired and liked. The specialist Spinal Injuries Unit at Stoke Mandeville only exists because of his efforts. Apparently, 90% of his fortune was donated to charitable trusts.

He was a great bloke !

I am a twat.

You must be because I cannot even find what the fcuk you are talking about.

Jimmy Saville

[VocalNeal]

I cannot remember hearing more glowing tributes paid to anybody in recent years. His showbiz colleagues, people who worked with him in the various hospitals, everybody cannot praise him enough. He was universally respected, admired and liked. The specialist Spinal Injuries Unit at Stoke Mandeville only exists because of his efforts. Apparently, 90% of his fortune was donated to charitable trusts.

He was a great bloke !

I am a twat.

You must be because I cannot even find what the fcuk you are talking about.

Jimmy Saville

..and...

[can123]

I cannot remember hearing more glowing tributes paid to anybody in recent years. His showbiz colleagues, people who worked with him in the various hospitals, everybody cannot praise him enough. He was universally respected, admired and liked. The specialist Spinal Injuries Unit at Stoke Mandeville only exists because of his efforts. Apparently, 90% of his fortune was donated to charitable trusts.

He was a great bloke !

I am a twat.

You must be because I cannot even find what the fcuk you are talking about.

Jimmy Saville

..and...

...and nothing. It was a moment of self realisation where my inadequacies became apparent to me. I am a twat but I am not as big a twat as most hereabouts because I realise I am one.

I thought Jimmy Savile was a nice guy. He never molested me. I have a gay friend who, in a private moment, told me of the abuse he was subjected to as a child. " I wish I could find the man who did it to me", he said. " Why ?, said I. " Because I feel that I never thanked him enough", he replied.

A true story and, if further proof were needed, convincing evidence of me being a twat.

[Mr Lick]

Last of the Mohicans actor Russell Means dies

Means began his acting career later in life


Russell Means, who played a leading role in The Last of the Mohicans, has died at the age of 72.

Means played Chingachgook, the father of Daniel Day Lewis's character Hawkeye, in the 1992 film.

Means was also a former American Indian Movement (AIM) activist, who helped lead a 1973 uprising at Wounded Knee.

The actor and activist died on Monday at his ranch in Porcupine, South Dakota, a spokeswoman for the Oglala Sioux Tribe said.

Donna Salomon, the tribal spokeswoman, called Means' death a "great loss" for the tribe.

In August 2011, Means announced he had inoperable throat cancer and told the Associated Press he was eschewing mainstream medicines in favour of traditional Native American treatments.

The Last of the Mohicans was his first film role and he went on to also appear in films such as Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers.

He also voiced Chief Powhatan in Disney's 1995 animated movie Pocahontas.
Controversial figure

Means guest starred in US TV series Curb Your Enthusiasm in 2004.

He also made two albums of protest music with lyrics he wrote - Electric Warrior and The Radical.

The AIM's armed occupation of Wounded Knee in South Dakota - the site of an infamous massacre of Native Americans by US soldiers in the late 19th Century - lasted for 71 days.

The protest followed the failure of AIM followers to impeach the elected tribal president, whom they accused of corruption.

Means ran unsuccessfully for president of his tribe and for the Libertarian nomination for US president in 1988.

But he was also a controversial figure, partly because of the AIM's alleged involvement in the slaying of one of their activists Annie Mae Aquash in 1975.

Authorities believed it was the work of AIM members because they suspected she was an FBI informant.

Paul deMain, a Native American journalist who researched the case, said the AIM's leaders know who ordered Aquash's killing but have covered up the truth for decades.

Means blamed one of his fellow AIM leaders, Vernon Bellecourt, for ordering her killing.

Bellecourt denied the allegations in a 2004 interview. He died in 2008.

Means was married four times and leaves ten children

[Mr Lick]

Mike Morris: Former TV-am presenter dies aged 65

Morris was a familiar face to viewers of Yorkshire's Calendar programme

Former TV-am presenter Mike Morris has died aged 65.

He joined ITV's breakfast show when it launched as a sports reporter and presenter and went on to present Good Morning Britain on Saturdays.

He became anchorman of Good Morning Britain in 1987 and presented Yorkshire TV's news magazine programme Calendar until 2002

ITV's Daybreak presenter and former colleague Lorraine Kelly said he will be "very, very, very sadly missed".

"Mike was a delightful man, he was such a generous presenter - he really was brilliant," she said.

"The good thing about him was he didn't make a big fuss or a song and dance, he made it look easy. And I think in some ways he was under-rated because of that."

She added that her many memories of him were of "mostly just laughing".

Morris was born in Harrow, north-west London, in June 1947 and started his journalistic career with the Surrey Comet in 1969.

His TV-am co-host Anne Diamond said: "I presented many, many memorable breakfast television programmes with Mike and I'd just like to say, as a way of tribute, what a lovely, lovely man he was.

"He was incredibly popular, I think, because he was just like the guy next door.

"It was completely sincere image he had of just being the ordinary bloke next door, who asked the ordinary bloke-type questions.

"That endeared him to a great many people. It certainly did to me.

"He was always a gentleman, he was always generous. He was very, very funny.

A real family man and I must say I'm terribly sad to hear he has died."

[Mr Lick]

Emanuel Steward: Legendary boxing trainer dies aged 68



Emanuel Steward, who trained legendary fighters Thomas Hearns, Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko among many others, has died at the age of 68.

He made his name as a trainer at the Kronk gym in Detroit, where Hearns first became world champion in 1980.

The American handled more world champions than any other trainer, 43 in all, and was working with current heavyweight champion Klitschko in July.


"Boxing has suffered a tremendous loss," said Klitschko.

"Rest in peace Emanuel. You will be greatly missed."

Steward, who had been suffering from colon cancer, also trained boxing greats Wilfred Benitez, Julio Cesar Chavez, Oscar de la Hoya, Evander Holyfield, Mike McCallum and James Toney.

In addition to Lewis, other British fighters coached by Steward, who was inducted into the International Hall of Fame in 1996, include former light-heavyweight world champion Dennis Andries and former featherweight world champion Naseem Hamed.

Promoter Frank Maloney, who managed former world heavyweight champion Lewis, said Steward was unique in style.

"He was quite a character," he told BBC Radio 5 live. "He had a very strange method of doing his training programme, but got the best out of Lennox Lewis and took him to a new level.
Steward tribute

Mike Costello BBC boxing commentator

"Steward's links with Tommy Hearns in the Kronk gym forged his reputation as a legend of the ring. In the 1980s, the Kronk became the most feared production house in boxing. Lennox Lewis linked up with Steward after being knocked out by Oliver McCall in 1994 and went on to dominate the heavyweight division. More recently he did a similar restoration job with Wladimir Klitschko, a man different in personality and style to Lewis, but Steward could work with them all."



"I also saw him work with Naseem Hamed and he was a great believer in the fighter having to be excited, and having to knock people out. He wasn't really into the science of boxing, more the excitement, and giving the crowd what they wanted."

Ten-time world champion De la Hoya, who trained under Steward in 1997, said: "It brings me great grief and sadness to hear of the passing of one of the best and most respected trainers of this era.

"I learned a lot from him during our professional relationship and I will be forever grateful for his help during that time.

i am going to miss him as so many others will too. He was an important part of our boxing community."

Freddie Roach, who trains multiple world champion Manny Pacquiao, said on Twitter: "Emanuel Steward passing today is the biggest loss to boxing in a long time. He'll be greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family."

As an amateur boxer, Steward won 94 of his 97 fights and a National Golden Gloves bantamweight title in 1963, before becoming a trainer.

He was perhaps most closely associated with Hearns, whom he first trained as an amateur at the fabled Kronk.


In March 1980, Hilmer Kenty became Steward's first pro world champion when he won the WBA lightweight crown, also becoming the first world champion from Detroit since heavyweight great Joe Louis decades earlier.

Under Steward, Hearns became the first boxer to win world titles in five weight divisions and engaged in classic fights with Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Marvin Hagler.

Steward linked up with Lewis following the British heavyweight's defeat by Oliver McCall in 1994 and the partnership endured until Lewis's retirement in 2004.

Steward was immediately enlisted by Klitschko and, having lost his WBO belt to Corrie Sanders in 2003, the Ukrainian became world champion again in 2006.

The duo worked together until July when Steward became ill, leaving Klitschko to train without Steward for his fight against Mariusz Wach next month in Germany.

"His spirit is always here," Klitschko said. "I can hear his voice in sparring while doing things, whispering in my ear. As the famous saying goes 'the show must go on', and that's exactly the case."

[Mr Lick]

Fuzzbox guitarist Jo Dunne, 43, dies after cancer battle

Jo Dunne was part of a re-formed Fuzzbox

Tributes have been paid to musician Jo Dunne of Fuzzbox who has died aged 43.

Dunne, who rose to fame with the all-girl alternative rock group in the 1980s, died from cancer at St Mary's Hospice, Birmingham, on Friday night.

The band, whose full name is We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Going to Use it, had hits including Love is the Slug and Pink Sunshine.

The Birmingham band, including Dunne on guitar and her sister Maggie on keyboards, re-formed in 2010.

[Mr Lick]

R&B singer Natina Reed killed by car

Reed (centre) was one of the three members of Blaque, pictured here in 2001

Natina Reed, a member of the US R&B trio Blaque who played a cheerleader in the 2000 film Bring It On, has died in Georgia, police have confirmed.

Reed was struck and killed by a car on Friday night, two days before what would have been her 33rd birthday.

Blaque released a number of successful singles in the late 1990s that included 808, I Do and Bring It All To Me.

In a statement, her bandmates Brandi Williams and Shamari Fears-DeVoe said they were "devastated" by the news.

"Natina continuously embodied the pioneering spirit of Blaque and her undeniable creativity touched the hearts of fans everywhere," they continued.

"Natina was a mother, sister, accomplished songwriter, artist and friend.

"She will forever be missed and her global influence eternally felt."

[Daft Old Cat]

BBC News - Dad's Army actor Clive Dunn dies aged 92



Actor Clive Dunn, best known for his role as Lance-Corporal Jones in Dad's Army, has died aged 92.
He was in Portugal and died from complications following an operation earlier this week.
Dunn - also known for My Old Man and Grandad - became a recording star in 1971 when his record, Grandad, reached number one in the charts.
He is survived by his wife Priscilla Morgan and two daughters, Jessica and Polly.

[Mr Lick]

'Don't panic' Jonesy fondly remembered. The Dad's Army series is still running in the UK i believe.

R.I.P sir. If you happen to come across a few germans in heaven make sure you have your bayonet ready Clive. They don't like it up 'em!

[alwarner]

Good. He was a really weird mother fixated prick. Wouldn't have wanted him anywhere my kids. Knighthood or not.

You sad cnut. I doubt you've managed even one percent of his achievements or happiness in your scuttled off to thailand life

Jimmy Savile - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

ahahahahaha

Now then, now then, 'ows about that then.

[Mr Lick]

Bill Tarmey, Coronation Street star, dies aged 71

Tarmey first appeared on Coronation Street in 1979

Actor Bill Tarmey, who played Jack Duckworth in ITV soap Coronation Street, has died.

Tarmey, 71, left the soap in 2010, after more than 30 years on the show.

His family confirmed to ITV that he died in Tenerife on Friday morning, asking for "privacy as they grieve for a wonderful husband, father and brother".

A statement from Coronation Street said the cast, crew and production team were "devastated" to learn of his death.

It continued: "Our thoughts and prayers are with Bill's wife and soulmate Ali and their family at this very sad time."

Along with his own ill health, he left Coronation Street to help care for his son Carl, who was battling a life-threatening brain tumour.

He told ITV Granada, earlier this year: "If this hadn't happened they would've had to drag me out of there screaming. It was a wonderful bloody job, especially for an old coffin-dodger".

A life-long heavy smoker, Tarmey had suffered a severe heart attack at just 35 while singing on stage, and he had heart surgery to bypass clogged arteries at 45, having the operation redone 15 years later.

He had also suffered from sleep apnoea, a serious condition which resulted in him jolting awake several times a night after he had stopped breathing.

Jack and Vera, played by Liz Dawn, were two of the Street's most loved characters

Tarmey was reunited with on screen wife Vera, played by Liz Dawn, for his emotional finale from the soap.

The actress had left the show two years before because of her health, when Vera was seen dying the same armchair as Jack.

However Jack's final scenes showed her appearing at his side and saw the pair dancing together, as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

Coronation Street cast members have been paying tribute on Twitter, with Antony Cotton who plays Sean Tully, writing: "Goodnight Bill Tarmey. You were the best. We'll miss you so much x"

Charlie Condou, who plays Marcus Dent, said: "I am devastated to hear that the wonderful Bill Tarmey has died.

"He was a beautiful, funny and lovely man, and he will be missed by us all."

In 2010 Tarmey published his autobiography Jack Duckworth And Me, which charted his life, from growing up in the slums of Manchester through to working as a singer in local nightclubs, before he landed a role on Coronation Street in 1979.

He said: "I've loved sharing my life with Jack. I'm not sure whether he has liked sharing his with me, though!"

Former co-star Jean Alexander, who played longtime Coronation Street resident Hilda Ogden, said she was very fond of Tarmey and that he and Dawn were "a really good team".

"He certainly took to that part like a duck to water," she continued, as she recalled acting with him during his first scene in the soap's pub The Rovers.

"I was standing next to him on the set and we were just about to start this scene. He said 'Jean I've only ever done walk-ons. I'm terribly nervous, I'll forget what I've got to say.'

"I said 'No you won't Bill, just keep your mind still, open your mouth and the words will come out'. But he soon got over that.

"And the part was so suitable for him personally. He was the right sort of character and the right sort of person to play it. I'm very sorry he's gone."

[Dillinger]

R.i.p Jack, funny guy

[Mr Lick]

Falklands governor Sir Rex Hunt dies

Sir Rex was captured by the Argentine invasion force during the 1982 conflict

Sir Rex Hunt, who was governor of the Falkland Islands during the Argentine invasion in 1982 which triggered the Falklands War, has died aged 86.

A statement said Sir Rex, who had retired to Stockton on Tees, died in hospital on Sunday night.

The Legislative Assembly of the Falklands said he would be forever remembered for his years of service.

He was captured by the Argentine invasion force during the Falklands War and expelled from the islands.

He was granted the Freedom Of Stanley in 1985 to recognise his contributions to the islands.

Sir Rex, who grew up in Redcar in North Yorkshire, took up his post as governor of the island in 1980.

[Humbert]

What a sad fuck this guy was.

'Cat Man' Dennis Avner Dead of Possible Suicide

http://now.msn.com/dennis-avner-the-cat-man-might-have-committed-suicide




Dennis Avner, who underwent numerous procedures to his body in order to transform himself into a cat, was found dead Nov. 5 in his home in Tonopah, Nev., of a possible suicide. The 54-year-old Navy veteran, known to many as "Cat Man," had Native American ancestry (he claimed to be a Huron) and went by his Indian name, “Stalking Cat.” Inspired by a chief who told him to “follow the ways of the tiger,” Avner underwent extensive body modification to appear like a female cat, including splitting his upper lip, surgically turning his ears into points, getting cheek and forehead implants, filing his teeth, as well as numerous tattoos and piercings.