The RIP Famous Person Thread

[Mr Lick]

Scott McKenzie, singer of flower power pop, dies aged 73






Scott McKenzie, who sang the 1960s hit San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair), has died aged 73.

The singer was a close friend of Mamas and Papas star John Phillips, who wrote and produced the San Francisco track.

Released in May 1967, it became a global hit and an anthem for the 1960s counterculture movement.

"I am amazed at how San Francisco continues even now to evoke dreams in the hearts and minds of people all over the world," McKenzie wrote in 2002.

He was found by a neighbour in his home on Sunday afternoon. His death was confirmed by another neighbour, Victoria Byers.

She told the BBC he had been in and out of hospital recently after falling ill with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disease affecting the nervous system.

"I think he had a heart attack this most recent time. He was in the hospital," she said. "They did not want him to leave the hospital, but he wanted to be in his house [when he died]".

Born Philip Wallach Blondheim in January 1939, the singer, songwriter and guitarist grew up in North Carolina where he lived with his grandparents while his widowed mother worked in Washington DC.

As a teenager, he met Phillips and formed a doowop band called The Abstracts.

The band moved to New York and became The Smoothies, where they played on the club circuit and recorded two singles.

[S Landreth]

Comedian Phyllis Diller dies at 95

Phyllis Diller, the housewife turned humorist who aimed some of her sharpest barbs at herself, punctuating her jokes with her trademark cackle, died Monday morning in her Los Angeles home at age 95, her agent confirmed to NBC News.

"She was a true pioneer," Fred Wostbrock said. "The first female stand-up comedian. She paved the way for everybody. She paved the way for Joan Rivers, Ellen DeGeneres, Chelsea Handler. Phyllis was the first of the first. The first female to play Vegas ... she was on Broadway, she made movies. She did it all."

Her longtime manager, Milton Suchin, told The Associated press, "She died peacefully in her sleep with a smile on her face."

According to E!, her son Perry found her. She is also survived by two daughters.
Diller suffered a near-fatal heart attack in 1999. The cause of her death has not been released.

"I'm beyond saddened by the death of Phyllis Diller," comedian Joan Rivers posted on Twitter. "We were friends - Melissa and I had a wonderful time with her at lunch just a month ago.

"The only tragedy is that Phyllis Diller was the last from an era that insisted a woman had to look funny in order to be funny," Rivers tweeted. "If she had started today, Phyllis could have stood there in Dior and Harry Winston and become the major star that she was. I adored her!"

She was a staple of nightclubs and television from the 1950s — when female comics were rare indeed — until her retirement in 2002. Diller built her stand-up act around the persona of the corner-cutting housewife ("I bury a lot of my ironing in the back yard") with bizarre looks, a wardrobe to match (by "Omar of Omaha") and a husband named "Fang."

Wrote Time magazine in 1961: "Onstage comes something that, by its own description, looks like a sackful of doorknobs. With hair dyed by Alcoa, pipe-cleaner limbs and knees just missing one another when the feet are wide apart, this is not Princess Volupine. It is Phyllis Diller, the poor man's Auntie Mame, only successful female among the New Wave comedians and one of the few women funny and tough enough to belt out a 'standup' act of one-line gags."

"I was one of those life-of-the-party types," Diller told The Associated Press in 1965.

"You'll find them in every bridge club, at every country club. People invited me to parties only because they knew I would supply some laughs. They still do."

In 1992 she received the American Comedy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Diller didn't get into comedy until she was nearly 40, after her first husband, Sherwood Diller, prodded her for two years to give up a successful career as an advertising and radio writer. Through it all, she was also a busy mother.

"We had five kids at the time. I don't how he thought we'd handle that," she told the AP in 2006.

A Chicago Tribune columnist, describing her appearance at a nightspot there in 1958, noted she was from San Francisco, hailed her as "the weirdest, wildest yet" — and made sure to mention her five youngsters.

Her husband managed her career until the couple's 25-year marriage fell apart in the 1960s. Shortly after her divorce she married entertainer Warde Donovan, but they separated within months.

Through both marriages and other relationships, the foibles of "Fang" remained an integral part of her act.

"Fang is permanent in the act, of course," she once said. "Don't confuse him with my real husbands. They're temporary."

She also appeared in movies, including "Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number" and "Eight on the Lam" with Bob Hope.

In 1966-67, she was the star of an ABC sitcom about a society family trying to stave off bankruptcy, "The Pruitts of Southampton." Gypsy Rose Lee played a nosy neighbor. In 1968, she was host of a short-lived variety series, "The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show."

But standup comedy was her first love, and when she broke into the business in 1956 it was a field she had largely to herself because female comics weren't widely accepted then.

Although she could be serious during interviews, sooner or later a joke would pop out, often as not followed by that outrageous "AH-HHAAAAAAAAAAAA-HA-HA-HA!" laugh.

"It's my real laugh," she once said. "It's in the family. When I was a kid my father called me the laughing hyena."

Her looks were a frequent topic, and she did everything she could to accentuate them — negatively. She wore outrageous fright wigs and deliberately shopped for stage shoes that made her legs look as skinny as possible.

"The older I get, the funnier I get," she said in 1961. "Think what I'll save in not having my face lifted."

She felt different about plastic surgery later, though, and her face, and other body parts, underwent a remarkable transformation. Efforts to be beautiful became a mainstay of her act.

Commenting in 1995 about the repainting of the Hollywood sign, she cracked, "It took 300 gallons, almost as much as I put on every morning." She said her home "used to be haunted, but the ghosts haven't been back since the night I tried on all my wigs."

She recovered from a 1999 heart attack with the help of a pacemaker, but finally retired in 2002, saying advancing age was making it too difficult for her to spend several weeks a year on the road.

"I have energy, but I don't have lasting energy," she told The Associated Press in 2006. "You have to know your limitations."

After retiring from standup, Diller continued to take occasional small parts in movies and TV shows ("Family Guy") and pursued painting as a serious hobby. She published her autobiography, "Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse," in 2005. The 2006 film "Goodnight, We Love You" documented her career.

Her other books included "Phyllis Diller's Housekeeping Hints" and "Phyllis Diller's Marriage Manual."

When she turned 90 in July 2007, she fractured a bone in her back and was forced to cancel a planned birthday appearance on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno." But it didn't stop her from wisecracking: "I still take the pill 'cause I don't want any more grandchildren."

Born Phyllis Driver in Lima, Ohio, in 1917, she married Sherwood Diller right out of school (Bluffton College) and was a housewife for several years before getting outside work.

She was working as an advertising writer for a radio station when a comedy turn at San Francisco's Purple Onion nightclub launched her toward stardom.

She made her network TV debut as a contestant on Groucho Marx's game show, "You Bet Your Life." (Diller, asked if she was married: "Yes, I've worn a wedding ring for 18 years." Marx: "Really? Well, two more payments and it'll be all yours.")

She credited the self-help book, "The Magic of Believing" by Claude M. Bristol, with giving her the courage to enter the business. For decades she would recommend it to aspiring entertainers, even buying it for them sometimes.

"Don't get me wrong, though," she said in a 1982 interview that threatened to turn serious. "I'm a comic. I don't deal with problems when I'm working."

"I want people to laugh."

[nedwalk]

sad news indeed..but what a great innings, always loved her zany sense of humour, and that voice..
RIP PHYLLIS; and thank you

[misskit]

Phyllis made so many people laugh. A great comedian. I'll miss her.

Goodbye, Phyllis.

[Mr Lick]

Veteran Malta Labour politician Dom Mintoff dies at 96



Former Maltese Prime Minister Dom Mintoff, who played a dominant role in the island's politics for decades before and after its independence from the UK, has died, aged 96.

He was leader of the centre-left Labour Party from 1949 to 1984, and was PM twice, including from 1971 to 1984.

He was known for his confrontational style and fiery speeches.

As prime minister, he often clashed with the powerful Catholic Church and greatly expanded Malta's welfare state.

Mr Mintoff died at his villa near the capital, Valletta, on Monday.

Born in 1916, the son of a Maltese cook in Britain's Royal Navy, he studied at Oxford University.

After a rapid rise in the Maltese Labour Party, he first became prime minister of the then British colony in 1955.

But he resigned only three years later when his campaign for integration with the UK collapsed in the face of fierce opposition from the Catholic Church.

Later, he switched sides to become an ardent supporter of Maltese independence, which was achieved in 1964, albeit under the rival centre-right Nationalist Party.

[Flight19]

Phyllis made so many people laugh. A great comedian. I'll miss her.

Goodbye, Phyllis.

Surely "comedienne"?

[Cujo]

Phyllis made so many people laugh. A great comedian. I'll miss her.

Goodbye, Phyllis.

Surely "comedienne"?

Surely that would be sexist.

[misskit]

^^ Auto-correct is my worst enema.

[Flight19]

Phyllis made so many people laugh. A great comedian. I'll miss her.

Goodbye, Phyllis.

Surely "comedienne"?

Surely that would be sexist.

In this day and age, you're probably right.

[Mr Lick]

Author Nina Bawden dies aged 87



Nina Bawden wrote some 50 books during her career


Children's author Nina Bawden, who was best known for writing the book Carrie's War, has died aged 87, her publisher has said.

Publisher Virago said the writer died at her London home on Wednesday surrounded by her family.

Carrie's War, published in 1973, was based on her childhood evacuation to Wales during World War II.

It was adapted twice for television by the BBC, while a stage production also ran in the West End in 2009.

[Flight19]

Neil Armstrong has ascended to the heavens for the last time at 82.

[Mr Lick]

US astronaut Neil Armstrong dies, first man on Moon



US astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man on the Moon, has died aged 82.

A statement from his family says he died from complications from heart surgery he had earlier this month.

He set foot on the Moon on 20 July 1969, famously describing the event as "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind".

US President Barack Obama said Armstrong was "among the greatest of American heroes - not just of his time, but of all time".

Last November he received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest US civilian award.



He was the commander of the Apollo 11 spacecraft. More than 500 million TV viewers around the world watched its touchdown on the lunar surface.

Armstrong and fellow astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin spent nearly three hours walking on the moon, collecting samples, conducting experiments and taking photographs.

"The sights were simply magnificent, beyond any visual experience that I had ever been exposed to," Armstrong once said.

Mr Aldrin told the BBC's Newshour programme: "It's very sad indeed that we're not able to be together as a crew on the 50th anniversary of the mission… [I will remember him] as a very capable commander."

Apollo 11 was Armstrong's last space mission. In 1971, he left the US space agency Nasa to teach aerospace engineering.



Born in 1930 and raised in Ohio, Armstrong took his first flight aged six with his father and formed a lifelong passion for flying.

He flew Navy fighter jets during the Korean War in the 1950s, and joined the US space programme in 1962.

Correspondents say Armstrong remained modest and never allowed himself to be caught up in the glamour of space exploration.

"I am, and ever will be, a white-socks, pocket-protector, nerdy engineer," he said in February 2000, in a rare public appearance.

In a statement, his family praised him as a "reluctant American hero" who had "served his nation proudly, as a navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and astronaut".
The statement did not say where Armstrong died.

He had surgery to relieve four blocked coronary arteries on 7 August

[Mr Lick]

Brazil's 1970 goalkeeper Felix dies



The goalkeeper of the 1970 World Cup winning team in Mexico, Felix, has died at the age of 74.

A heavy smoker, Felix Mieli Venerando died of emphysema in a hospital in his home town, Sao Paulo.

Criticised at home as a weak link prior to the Mexico World Cup, he returned home as one of the heroes of the team that many hail as the best in history.

A minute of silence will be observed at all Brazilian league matches this weekend to remember Felix.

Tributes have been paid to the former goalkeeper by former teammates in the national squad and his former teams, Portuguesa and Fluminense

[Daft Old Cat]

Pan's People dancer Louise Clarke dies, aged 63


Ms Clarke first appeared with Pan's People in 1968

Louise Clarke, one of the founding members of Top of the Pops dance troupe Pan's People, has died aged 63.
Ms Clarke died from heart failure at Ipswich Hospital in Suffolk on Saturday with members of her family at her side, her publicist Philip Day said.
Pan's People first appeared in 1968 and spent eight years as the resident dancers on the weekly music show.
Ms Clarke is the second member of the group to pass away. Flick Colby died at the age of 65 in May last year.
Mr Day, who has been a publicist for Pan's People for more than 40 years, said Ms Clarke "was a lovely, lovely lady, she was a real darling".
"Of all the clients I have had the good fortune to represent during all of those years, they were perhaps the most fun to work with, certainly the easiest to work with, were loyal to a fault and the very best at what they did."
The group's final appearance on Top of the Pops was in April 1976, when they danced to Silver Star by The Four Seasons.

[Mr Lick]

So all this talk of dancing to 'stay fit and live longer' by the 'experts' is complete hogwash

R.I.P. Louise, i remember PP well, although Legs and Co were my favourites

[Daft Old Cat]

Pan's People did more for me going through puberty than Neil bleedin' Armstrong ever did

[Mr Lick]

Former Liberal Democrat MSP Donald Gorrie dies aged 79




Former Liberal Democrat MP and MSP Donald Gorrie has died aged 79.

Mr Gorrie represented central Scotland in the Scottish parliament from 1999 to 2007, and represented Edinburgh West as an MP before devolution.

He was a fierce critic of the Holyrood building project and his party's coalition deal with Labour. He also called for tougher alcohol laws.

The politician had been ill for some time. He leaves behind his wife Astrid and two sons.

Mr Gorrie served for many years as a councillor in Edinburgh before becoming an MP and later an MSP.

He proposed anti-bigotry legislation before this became a mainstream concern of government.

His former parliamentary assistant, Hugh O'Donnell, who succeeded him in parliament said: "Donald Gorrie was my mentor, my friend and my guide.

"He will be sadly missed by those who respect a politician and a man of independent character and principle".

[Cujo]

A Scotish politician of for 8 years does not a famous person make.
Isn' there a 'RIP pretty well known locally person' thread?
I'd red you if it wasn't for your world class 'world news in pictures' thread.

[Mr Lick]

^ I put him in because he was a politician of high principles and deserves a mention. A rare bird which seems to be sadly lacking nowadays. Gordon Brown on the other hand

[Cujo]

^ I put him in because he was a politician of high principles and deserves a mention. A rare bird which seems to be sadly lacking nowadays. Gordon Brown on the other hand

Maybe you could start a thread on politicians of high principals.
This is the 'rip FAMOUS persons' thread.

[Mr Lick]

Post 1060 - Nina Bawden. Personally i've never heard of the woman although she did write 50 books. Can't be bothered to start a thread of people others may know so she got included on the famous thread.

Same with Scottish liberal MP Donald Gorrie who as we all now jolly well know is famous for starting the Spanish Inquisition

[Flight19]

So all this talk of dancing to 'stay fit and live longer' by the 'experts' is complete hogwash

R.I.P. Louise, i remember PP well, although Legs and Co were my favourites

Yes, but Legs & Co were quite professional.

The best thing about Pan's People was that they were so uncoordinated that you had the wonderful combination of beauty and comedy.

[ChrisM]

When women looked like women

[Mr Lick]

Cherry Gillespie - Very wowish

[Daft Old Cat]

Veteran entertainer Max Bygraves dies



Veteran entertainer Max Bygraves has died, his agent says.
The 89-year-old performer, whose catchphrase was "I wanna tell you a story", was well known for his talents as a comedian, actor, and singer, often appearing at the London Palladium.
He emigrated from Bournemouth, Dorset, to Australia in 2005. He had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
"We have lost one of the best entertainers that Britain has ever produced," his agent Johnny Mans said.
"He was a friend to everyone... there were no airs and graces."
Bygraves wife Blossom Murray, who he married in 1942, died last year.