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Post by Kimmy on Jan 10, 2015 12:48:55 GMT
Actor Lance Percival, who found fame in classic satire show That Was The Week That Was, has died at the age of 81.
Among his notable film roles were Carry On Cruising, Postman's Knock and Darling Lili.
On TV, he appeared in the late '70s series Shoestring and Citizen James. He also provided the voice for both Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in the 1960s cartoon The Beatles.
A notice in The Times said he died on 6 January in London after a long illness.
Born John Lancelot Blades Percival, his television career began performing satirical calypso songs on comedy shows including That Was The Week That Was.
He was later given his own series, The Lance Percival Show and Lance at Large, a 1964 sitcom which also featured Bernard Bresslaw, Gladys Bacon and Eric Barker.
His love of calypso music also saw him release a cover version of Shame and Scandal (in the Family), which reached number 37 in the UK charts in 1965.
Following on from voicing roles in The Beatles cartoon, he went on to be cast as Old Fred in the band's surreal Yellow Submarine animated film. The Lance Percival Show The Lance Percival Show ran in the mid-1960s
In the 1971 film version of Up Pompeii, which followed on from Frankie Howerd's TV series, Percival starred as Bilius. He also appeared in the sequels, Up the Chastity Belt and Up the Front, which moved the action to World War One.
Later roles included a stint in the short-lived 1989 BBC children's drama Bluebirds, which also starred Barbara Windsor and a young Martine McCutcheon.
His son Jamie told BBC News: "When he spoke about his showbiz life, he spoke fondly of his time on That Was the Week That Was, and he always loved Ned Sherrin, who discovered him performing at the Blue Angel Club.
"He was an amazing dad. He was involved in my life right up to the present day. He came to every rugby game I was in, and we watched sports together, and we held Ryder Cup parties.
"He was loved by all his family and will be very much missed."
Percival's funeral will be held on 20 January at Putney Vale Crematorium.
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Post by Old Timer on Jan 11, 2015 14:26:17 GMT
Sad, but he had a good innings. I see Rod Taylor died the other day too.
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Post by Kimmy on Jan 11, 2015 15:10:24 GMT
Rod Taylor, famous for his role in Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 thriller The Birds has died of a heart attack at the age of 84.
The Australian actor, who also played played Winston Churchill in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, died in Los Angeles. He had retired from acting when Tarantino offered him the role, which he initially declined, suggesting Tarantino should cast Albert Finney instead. Taylor went on to win a Screen Actors Guild award in 2010 for playing Churchill.
But it was for his role in the Hitchcock film that he will be most remembered, and his role as Tippi Hedren's love interest Mitch Brenner. Hedren told People magazine: "Rod was a great pal to me and a real strength. We were very, very good friends. He was one of the most fun people I have ever met, thoughtful and classy, there was everything good in that man."
Recalling his role in The Birds, Taylor said: "I got this call out of the blue from Mr Hitchcock and was totally amazed. And I came out, and being a brash young brat, I guess I didn't show any kind of respect that I was supposed to, and I think he kind of liked it. And we got on extremely well. And I did the wrong thing – I called him Alfred! I didn't say all the right things. I remember that. I said, 'I hope the birds and things don't kind of totally out shadow the people.' Of course, that's the story – they're supposed to. So that was number one. Wrong. But then we really talked about 'making movies' and how I loved it, and how I was interested in his work. I brought that up and said the right thing. And we just got on extremely well. That was it. I was absolutely flattered and astonished that he wouldn't mind working with the kid... then."
Born in Sydney, Rodney Stuart Taylor made a variety of film and television appearances in the Fifties. But his big break in Hollywood came with his starring role in director George Pal's The Time Machine in 1960, in which he played George (HG Wells). Related Articles
He went on to make dozens of films, including lending his voice to Disney's animated 101 Dalmatians. He also appeared with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in The V.I.P.s, which was released the same year as The Birds. Taylor also played opposite Jane Fonda in Sunday in New York and John Wayne in The Train Robbers. Wayne said of him: "I've worked with Rod, and I know him to be a true professional and a fine actor. But more than that he's a real man and a great human being."
He began to be weary of some of the roles he was offered and said in 1987: "Pretending to still be the tough man of action isn't dignified for me anymore. There comes a time when you're over the hill and there are plenty of great looking younger actors who can take your place," he said.
Taylor had a lifelong interest in art – he studied at East Sydney Tech, the home of Australia's National Art School – and spent much of his leisure time painting and making ceramic pottery. His father, Bill, had been an architectural draftsman and his mother Mona Stewart Taylor was a writer of plays and children's books.
The actor is survived by his third wife Carol Kikumura, whom he married in 1980, and by his daughter Felicia, a former CNN News correspondent.
He said of his career in 1961: "The most important thing in my life is my work. I couldn't live without it. And I don't do it just for money. I love it."
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Post by Old Timer on Jan 12, 2015 14:34:41 GMT
And now we can add Anita Ekberg, Kimmy.
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Post by Kimmy on Jan 12, 2015 15:57:20 GMT
Anita Ekberg obituary.
In Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita (1960), a tipsy blond starlet, wearing a black low-cut dress, wanders into the Trevi fountain in Rome. She tries to entice her escort to join her by calling “Marcello, Marcello” in seductive tones. The scene made the Swedish-born Anita Ekberg, who has died aged 83, a sex symbol par excellence. “She had the beauty of a young goddess,” Fellini said. “The luminous colour of her skin, her clear ice-blue eyes, golden hair and exuberance, joie de vivre made her into a grandiose creature, extraterrestrial and at the same time moving and irresistible.” Her co-star, Marcello Mastroianni, was initially less impressed: “She reminded me of a German soldier of the Wehrmacht who in a round-up asked me into a truck.” However, after a week of getting wet in the fountain and drying her frocks in the sunlight, Ekberg gained his respect and even affection.
The director Frank Tashlin once commented: “There’s nothing more hysterical to me than big-breasted women – like walking leaning towers.” Ekberg was a beautiful, tall, voluptuous leaning tower in Tashlin’s punningly titled Hollywood or Bust (1956). Later, in Le Tentazioni del Dottor Antonio (The Temptation of Dr Antonio), the Fellini episode from the omnibus film Boccaccio 70 (1962), she was the gigantic model who comes down from her billboard promoting milk to pursue a puritan who has campaigned against the advert.
Both Tashlin and Fellini had found a way of using the former Miss Sweden in erotic satire. She was born in the city of Malmö, on the south-western tip of Sweden, the sixth of eight children of August, a doctor, and his wife, Alvah. Having been crowned Miss Malmö and then Miss Sweden, Ekberg went to the US in the early 1950s for the Miss Universe contest and stayed to appear in a number of Hollywood films. These included The Golden Blade (1953), an Arabian Nights tale starring Rock Hudson, in which she played a handmaiden, and Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953).
Ekberg was asked to be merely decorative in a few further exotic adventure tales, such as Zarak (1956), in which Victor Mature portrayed an Afghan outlaw; and to be a stooge to Jerry Lewis in Artists and Models (1955) and Hollywood or Bust, and to Bob Hope in Paris Holiday (1958) and Call Me Bwana (1963). Her looks were used more effectively in King Vidor’s War and Peace (1956), in the role of Hélène, the adulterous wife of the besotted Pierre Bezukhov (Henry Fonda).
Larger dramatic roles followed in B-movies, including Screaming Mimi (1958), a bizarre psychological thriller in which she performs striptease numbers at a sleazy nightclub called El Madhouse, and gets attacked while taking a shower – two years before Psycho. In Valerie (1957), she appeared opposite Anthony Steel, whom she had married in 1956.
It was said that the career of Steel, one of Britain’s biggest movie stars in the 50s, was ruined when he married Ekberg and moved to Hollywood. There, he struggled to find much work and was often referred to by the tabloids as Mr Ekberg. Their stormy marriage ended in 1959. One of their public arguments, while being pursued by the paparazzi in Rome, was said to have inspired some scenes in La Dolce Vita.
After that film, Ekberg, never much of an actor, became a prisoner of her own image. She posed for Playboy, Bob Dylan named her in the song I Shall Be Free, and she appeared in a number of mediocre international productions including The Mongols (1961) and Four for Texas (1963), in which the director Robert Aldrich concentrated on Ekberg’s bust, especially as she leans over Frank Sinatra while shaving him.
After an unhappy second marriage, to the actor Rik Van Nutter, which lasted from 1963 to 1975, Ekberg drank heavily and gradually gained a great deal of weight. She lived alone in a grand villa in the country near Rome, guarded by two Dobermans. After a fire and a break-in at her house, she moved into a care home and in 2011 sought financial assistance from the Fellini Foundation. Advertisement
When invited to celebrate the 40th anniversary of La Dolce Vita she declined, but in 2009 agreed to appear in a BBC documentary. Previously, Fellini visited her in his film Intervista (Interview, 1987), in which there is a moving reunion between Mastroianni and Ekberg, who nostalgically watch their key scene from La Dolce Vita together. Ronald Bergan
John Francis Lane writes: When Federico Fellini asked me to play one of the reporters milling around at the news conference of the movie star played by Anita Ekberg in La Dolce Vita, I suspected he only vaguely remembered what I’d told him of my experience as a real reporter at her wedding to Anthony Steel.
At the time of the wedding, I was Rome stringer for the British newspaper the News Chronicle. It could not afford to send its showbiz columnist to Florence so I went instead. The wedding, at the Palazzo Vecchio, was attended by 50 members of the press. When we got back to the hotel, the luminaries rushed to their rooms to write their gilded prose, while I, knowing how unreliable the Italian phones were, thought it a good idea to ask the telephonist if there were problems getting through to London. She offered me a line immediately.
What to do? I took a chance. Laboriously I started adlibbing the article, following my first instinct which had been to send it all up. I had only the pay-off in my head: “The next morning they will be back on the real film set.” I came out of the booth sweating and trembling, and, as I stumbled towards the bar, who should suddenly appear but Ekberg, still in that fabulous white dress with one bare shoulder that I had just ridiculed. Seeing me, the only one of her “wedding guests” around, she beckoned me to join her for a glass of champagne.
What had I done? I had dared to make fun of a goddess. It was the end of my hopes of becoming a foreign correspondent. I sipped my champagne and gulped desperately as I saw my illustrious colleagues fighting to get a line to London for what would certainly be their rapturous accounts of the fairytale we had been privileged to witness.
When I next saw Ekberg, on the set of La Dolce Vita, she was more concerned that Fellini might be sending her up. Of course he was, yet I heard him console her affectionately: “But Anitona, how could I? You are meant to be Ava Gardner!” Her marriage was brief, but thanks to Fellini, the Nordic goddess became immortal.
• Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg, actor, born 29 September 1931; died 11 January 2015
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Post by Kimmy on Jan 20, 2015 9:36:39 GMT
Coronation Street star Anne Kirkbride, who played the character Deirdre Barlow in the long-running television soap, has died aged 60 after a short illness. ITV said the actress, who was in the show for 42 years, passed away peacefully in a Manchester hospital. Her husband David Beckett and the programme's cast and crew were said to be "heartbroken and deeply saddened". Co-star William Roache, who played her husband Ken Barlow for many years, said she would be "greatly missed". Coronation Street has lost one of its iconic characters and Anne will be greatly missed” William Roache Actor who played Ken Barlow Roache said: "I feel Anne's loss so personally having worked closely with her for over 40 years. She was such a loving and vibrant person. You always knew she was there because her laugh was never far away. "She was an impeccable performer with superb comedy timing and an immense gift for really heightened drama. We had some rows over the years as Ken and Deirdre and it was wonderful to play those scenes opposite her. In the 1980s one of the soap's most famous storylines hinged on whether she would stay with Ken Barlow. She was married four times in the programme, twice to Ken. The popularity of her character was demonstrated when a real-life campaign was launched to free Deirdre when a storyline saw the character jailed in 1998 after being duped into a mortgage fraud by fiance Jon Lindsay. The campaign was even backed by Prime Minister Tony Blair. Kirkbride started in Coronation Street in 1972 as Deirdre Hunt and over the years became known for her character's large glasses and husky voice. Deirdre Barlow had been off screen after Kirkbride was give a three-month break by the show's producers. Coronation Street's creator Tony Warren said: "Anne was very easy to love. Her talent over the years made a massive contribution to Coronation Street." Kate Ford, who plays Deirdre's daughter Tracy Barlow, tweeted: "Heartbroken at the loss of my friend and beautiful on screen mummy. The most crazy, funny 100 per cent human. My life was enriched by her." Ken Farrington, who played Billy Walker in Coronation Street for more than 20 years, told BBC News her death was "absolutely devastating". "I'm still a bit shocked. She had just tremendous fun and talent," he said. Coronation Street executive producer Kieran Roberts said: "There are no words to describe the sense of grief we feel at Anne's passing. We know only too acutely how much Anne meant to the millions of people who watched her create the legendary character of Deirdre Barlow. "She will be greatly missed by the Coronation Street team who share happy memories of working with her. "We feel blessed and honoured to have known her. Our thoughts are with David and their family." ITV director of television Peter Fincham said: "Anne has been a truly loyal servant to Coronation Street since joining the programme in the early 1970s. "She created a unique and unforgettable character in Deirdre Barlow and she'll be greatly missed on and off screen. "Our sincerest condolences to Anne's husband David and her family at this very sad time."
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Post by Kimmy on Jan 28, 2015 9:44:14 GMT
Greek singer Demis Roussos, who sold more than 60 million albums worldwide, has died aged 68, the Hygeia Hospital in Athens has confirmed to the BBC.
He was best known for his solo hits in the 1970s and 80s, including Forever and Ever, Goodbye and Quand je t'aime.
He was also a member of progressive rock group Aphrodite's Child.
Roussos was renowned for his off-screen role in Mike Leigh's 1977 TV play Abigail's Party, having provided the party's soundtrack.
He had been in the private hospital with an undisclosed illness for some time, and died surrounded by his family
His Aphrodite's Child bandmate Vangelis paid tribute in a statement that begins: "Demis my friend.
"I have just arrived in London and I've been told that you decide to take the long voyage, I'm shocked because I can't believe that this happened so soon.
"Nature gave you this magic voice of yours which made millions of people around the world very happy." Demis Roussos Roussos was as famous for his outfits as his music
He added: "As for me, I keep those special memories that we share together those early days and I wish you to be happy wherever you are."
He signed off with the words: "Goodbye my friend goodbye. Love Vangelis."
Greek singer Nana Mouskouri paid tribute on French radio RTL: "He had a superb voice, he travelled in the world ... he loved what he was doing.
"He was an artist, a friend. I hope he is in a better world." Finding fame
The singer was born Artemios Ventouris Roussos in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1946, to a Greek father and Egyptian mother of Italian origin.
He was raised there until his parents moved to Greece in the early 60s after losing their possessions during the Suez Crisis.
Roussos began his music career at 17, when he joined the a band called The Idols, where he met Vangelis.
Aphrodite's Child produced three albums including It's Five O'Clock and 666, and enjoyed huge success in Europe in the late 1960s, especially France.
Roussos went on to enjoy a successful solo career, topping the charts in several countries with Forever And Ever in 1973, before doing the same in the UK in 1976.
Memorably he was referred to in Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party, by the character played by Alison Steadman, who plays his record in an attempt to impress her guests - commenting that he "doesn't sound" fat. Demis Roussos Demis Roussos was still performing on stage in 2012 Abigail's Party In Mike Leigh's 1977 TV play Abigail's Party, the character Beverly - played by Alison Steadman (back right), was a huge Demis Roussos fan Demis Roussos Roussos was photographed surrounded by awards for the UK sales of his albums, including gold discs for Happy To Be and My Only Fascination
Other solo hits include My Friend the Wind, My Reason, Someday Somewhere and Happy To Be On An Island In The Sun.
Roussos' fondness for kaftans saw him dubbed "the Kaftan King" and he often wore them for his performances on shows such as Top of the Pops.
He was also famous for his vocal adaptation of the score from the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, which had been composed by Vangelis.
In 1978, he decided to keep a lower profile and moved to Malibu Beach in the US - where he shed much of the weight that had seen him routinely mocked by comedians like Freddie Starr.
Famously, he was caught up in a plane hijacking when flight TWA 847 from Athens to Rome was hijacked by members of Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad in 1985.
He and his third wife were held at gunpoint for five days before they were released. Some of his fellow passengers endured 17 days in captivity.
The experience changed his life and afterwards he decided the best way he could help others and promote understanding in the world was by returning to music.
He released his album The Story of Demis Roussos not long after.
The star is survived by his mother, Olga (94), children Emily and Cyril, long-term partner Dominique, brother Costas and ex-wives Pamela and Monique.
A funeral will be held on Friday, 30 January in Athens, his manager Denis Vaughan told the BBC.
"We will miss the amazing Demis, whose singing brought sunshine to the world," Vaughan added.
"He was a legend. He played hard, he worked hard. The world is a less fun place without Demis".
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Post by Kimmy on Apr 10, 2015 7:19:02 GMT
Cricket great and former owner Richie Benaud dies at 84 CRICKET legend Richie Benaud, a former owner and big racing fan, has died at the age of 84.
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Post by Kimmy on Apr 28, 2015 16:07:17 GMT
Entertainer Keith Harris, best known for performances with his puppet Orville, has died, aged 67.
His agent Robert C Kelly confirmed the news on Twitter.
"Sad to announce death from cancer of my client, dear friend and great talent, Keith Harris," he wrote.
Harris had his own BBC One Saturday night programme The Keith Harris Show and had a top 10 hit with Orville's Song, popularly known as I Wish I Could Fly, in 1982.
Orville was his most famous creation - an innocent green duck in an oversized nappy, who was relentlessly taunted by Harris's other character, Cuddles the monkey.
Among those paying tribute were singer and broadcaster Aled Jones, who said: "Sad to hear of the death of Keith Harris - sending best wishes to his family and friends."
"So sad," tweeted presenter Keith Chegwin. "A great entertainer and all round nice man Keith Harris has passed away. Best wishes to his family at this sad time. RIP x"
Comedian Julian Clary described Harris as a "lovely, funny talented man."
Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said: "Very sad to hear that Keith Harris has died after a battle with cancer. Brought joy to my childhood."
Actor and comedian Paddy McGuinness said: "RIP Keith Harris. A part of my childhood gone."
The Keith Harris Show ran for eight years from 1982 to 1990, and the entertainer appeared on a total of five Royal, and Children's Royal Variety Performances.
At the personal request of Diana, Princess of Wales, Keith gave private performances at Highgrove House for Prince William's third birthday and then at Kensington Palace for Prince Harry's third birthday.
In the 2000s, he reinvented himself as an X-rated ventriloquist, touring student unions with his adult show, Duck Off.
He appeared in the 2002 documentary When Louis met Keith Harris; and won the Channel Five reality show The Farm in 2005.
But he turned down the chance to appear in Ricky Gervais's comedy series Extras.
"I read the script and thought, 'This isn't clever writing, it's pure filth'," he told The Independent in 2006.
"I turned it down. I'm not desperate."
Media caption Harris was 'the ultimate entertainer', says fellow ventriloquist Roger De Courcey
He continued to appear in pantomime and at holiday camps, but was diagnosed with cancer of the spleen in 2013.
After having the spleen removed, he endured four months of chemotherapy and was given the all-clear, allowing him to return to the stage.
But last summer, he told an audience in Great Yarmouth the illness had returned and he needed further treatment. He was moved to tears when they gave him a standing ovation.
The entertainer leaves behind his fourth wife Sarah, and his children Kitty and Shenton; as well as a daughter, Skye, from his first marriage to singer Jacqui Scott and his mother Lila and brother Colin.
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Post by Old Timer on May 2, 2015 14:08:22 GMT
Sad passing of Rio Ferdinand's wife Rebecca from breast cancer. Thoughts are with the family, particularly as they had three young children.
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Post by Kimmy on May 7, 2015 8:47:55 GMT
Hot Chocolate lead singer Errol Brown has died aged 71, his manager has said.
Brown had liver cancer and died at his home in the Bahamas, said Phil Dale.
Hot Chocolate had hits in more than 50 countries worldwide, including You Sexy Thing - which Brown co-wrote - It Started with a Kiss and Every 1's a Winner.
Brown was made an MBE by the Queen in 2003 and received an Ivor Novello award for his outstanding contribution to British music in 2004.
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Post by Kimmy on May 16, 2015 19:49:02 GMT
Riley B. King, the legendary guitarist known as B.B. King, whose velvety voice and economical, expressive style brought blues from the margins to the mainstream, died Thursday night.
He was 89.
His daughter, Patty King, said he died in Las Vegas, where he announced two weeks ago that he was in home hospice care after suffering from dehydration.
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Post by Kimmy on May 28, 2015 17:49:01 GMT
YORKSHIRE trainer Mel Brittain died on Thursday morning at the age of 71.
A successful businessman who had horses in training before taking out a licence in 1985, Brittain produced 490 winners from Northgate Lodge Stables at Warthill, between York and Malton, while he has also nurtured the careers of a number of jockeys who went on to make a name for themselves in the sport.
Brittain’s best known horses were Grey Desire, who finished runner-up in the Group 1 July Cup, Dublin Lad, whose victories includes the Gosforth Park Cup, and Grey Kingdom.
It is planned that Brittain's son Antony, who has been his assistant, will take over the training operation.
A relative late-comer to racing, Brittain trained to be a plumber and for a spell worked in that role at York racecourse before he set up his own steel business in his native York in 1972.
Even before his long illness Brittain, whose best season numerically came in 1987 when he had 57 winners, would rarely been seen at racecourses, apart from his local tracks Beverley, Thirsk and York.
He preferred to stay at home to watch the action on television, leaving on-course duties to former jump jockey Ron Forsyth, who was a key player throughout his training career.
A softly spoken, modest man, Brittain will also be remembered as a trainer of jockeys, notably Alan Munro and David Allan, who served their apprenticeships under the trainer.
Brittain enjoyed success as an owner, trainer and breeder, his best horse being Grey Desire, whose 13 wins included the Abernant and Duke of York Stakes and who went on to become a successful stallion.
Bought for just 3,800 guineas as a yearling, Grey Desire began his racing career under the care of Mick Easterby, before being transferred to Brittain's newly established training base at Northgate Lodge.
Easterby said: "Mel was a wonderful chap and we were big friends. He was a very good trainer and will be sorely missed by everybody in racing who knew him. It's a very sad day."
Tributes to Brittain poured in on Twitter with trainer Alan McCabe writing: “Very sorry to hear of the loss of Mel Brittain this morning. A very good trainer and a top man, RIP.”
Anthea Morshead, assistant clerk of the course at York, wrote: “All @yorkracecourse are very sorry to hear York trainer, Mel Brittain, has passed away. He will be sadly missed. Condolences to his family.”
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Post by Kimmy on Jun 11, 2015 18:45:25 GMT
Sir Christopher Lee, the veteran actor and star of many of the world's biggest film franchises, has died aged 93.
The English-born actor, who made his name playing Dracula and Frankenstein's monster in the Hammer horror films, appeared in more than 250 movies.
He was best-known for his villainous roles - including Scaramanga in James Bond and evil wizard Saruman in The Lord of the Rings.
The actor's other credits include The Wicker Man and Star Wars.
The actor is reported to have died on Sunday at Chelsea and Westminster hospital in London, after being hospitalised for respiratory problems and heart failure.
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Post by Kimmy on Jun 11, 2015 18:46:37 GMT
Actor Ron Moody, who played Fagin in the hit film version of Oliver!, has died aged 91, his family says.
The British character actor was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for his performance in the 1968 Charles Dickens adaptation.
He appeared in EastEnders as Edwin Caldecott, an old nemesis of Jim Branning, and played wizard Merlin in Disney's A Kid in King Arthur's Court.
His widow Therese said he would be "greatly missed".
"He brought joy to his family and to the hearts of many and will be greatly missed. He was singing until the end," she said.
Moody was born Ronald Moodnick in Tottenham, north London, on 8 January 1924, the son of Jewish immigrants. His father anglicised the family name to Moody several years later.
He had originally planned to be an economist and did not take up acting seriously until his late 20s.
His big break came in the 1960s when he was given the part of Fagin, the leader of a band of juvenile rogues and pickpockets, in Oliver!, the musical version of Dickens's Oliver Twist.
"Fate destined me to play Fagin. It was the part of a lifetime," he said.
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Post by Kimmy on Jun 25, 2015 19:05:27 GMT
Patrick Macnee, who played John Steed in iconic 1960s TV show The Avengers, has died aged 93, his son has said.
The London-born actor died in California of natural causes, Rupert Macnee wrote on his father's website.
He was best known for his eight-year stint in the quintessentially English lead role of the classic spy series, where his co-stars included Joanna Lumley.
"As an actor, he could take the pulse of the moment, and then present the story in a more compelling fashion, from a different angle," the statement announcing his death adds.
"The Avengers television series was probably Britain’s greatest television export and is still broadcast around the world.
"Patrick Macnee was a popular figure in the television industry. He was at home wherever in the world he found himself. He had a knack for making friends, and keeping them. Wherever he went, he left behind a trove of memories and good wishes."
He outlived three successive wives and is survived by Rupert, daughter Kate Woodville, and one grandson.
He spent the last forty years of his life in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage, both in Coachella Valley.
His family has asked that donations be made to the Actors Fund in his honour.
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Post by Old Timer on Jun 26, 2015 16:46:54 GMT
They're all dying on us Kimmy - great talents the lot of them, much loved and not forgotten.
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Post by Kimmy on Jun 27, 2015 8:17:45 GMT
Agree.
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Post by Kimmy on Jul 2, 2015 11:58:09 GMT
Irish singer and TV entertainer Val Doonican has died aged 88.
His family said he died "peacefully" at a nursing home in Buckinghamshire. He had not been ill, but his daughter said his "batteries had just run out".
The performer was a regular fixture on TV with The Val Doonican show which ran on the BBC from 1965 to 1986, featuring his own performances and guest artists.
He was also rarely out of the UK charts in the 1960s and '70s with songs like Walk Tall and Elusive Butterfly.
In the album chart, he had five successive top 10 records and even knocked The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band off the top spot in 1967 with Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently.
In a statement, his family said: "He was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather and will be greatly missed by family, friends and his many fans."
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Post by Old Timer on Jul 10, 2015 14:19:47 GMT
Actor Omar Sharif, best known for his roles in classic films Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, has died aged 83.
Egypt-born Sharif won two Golden Globe awards and an Oscar nomination for his role as Sherif Ali in David Lean's 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia.
He won a further Golden Globe three years later for Doctor Zhivago.
Earlier this year, his agent confirmed that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
His agent Steve Kenis said: "He suffered a heart attack this afternoon in a hospital in Cairo."
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Post by Kimmy on Jul 29, 2015 18:14:05 GMT
SIR PETER O’SULLEVAN, who became known as the ‘Voice of Racing’ and widely regarded as one of the greatest sports commentators of all time, has died at the age of 97.
O’Sullevan, the BBC’s leading racing commentator for 50 years, provided the soundtrack to many of racing’s greatest moments and received a knighthood in 1997, weeks after calling his last race.
A well-connected journalist and expert race-caller, O’Sullevan also made his mark on racing as an owner with his colours (black, yellow cross-belts, yellow cap) most memorably carried by Triumph Hurdle winner Attivo and the sprinter Be Friendly, who won the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp.
After retiring from commentating at the age of 79, O’Sullevan channelled his energy into the charitable trust he set up to benefit various animal welfare organisations.
His autobiography Calling the Horses, published in 1989 and updated last year, topped the Sunday Times non-fiction bestseller list, the first time a racing book had scaled such literary heights.
Born on March 3, 1918 and the only child of Colonel John Joseph O’Sullevan, resident magistrate of Killarney, O’Sullevan always claimed to have first drawn breath in Kenmare, County Kerry, but very late in life revealed that he had in fact been born in Newcastle, County Down.
As a child, O’Sullevan moved to Surrey to live with his grandparents and after his passion for racing steadily grew, he worked on the racing desk at the Press Association before his commentating career started with BBC radio in 1946.
Three years later he became part of the Grand National commentary team and he would go on to become a household name as he called some of the most memorable runnings of the Aintree showpiece - Foinavon's win in 1967, Bob Champion's success on Aldaniti in 1981 and Red Rum’s three victories, the third of which in 1977 he declared: “It’s hats off and a tremendous reception – you’ve never heard one like it at Liverpool!" Sir Peter O'Sullevan with his wife Patricia
Suny Bay’s Hennessy Gold Cup victory in 1997 was the last race on television he called and he went into the Newbury winner’s enclosure the very next race after Mick Fitzgerald carried his colours to victory on Sounds Fyne.
O’Sullevan was awarded an OBE in 1977, CBE in 1991, and a knighthood six years later. He was elected a member of the Jockey Club in 1986, and his numerous awards include Racing Journalist of the Year in 1971 (shared with friend Clive Graham) and 1986, and the Royal Television Society’s TV Sports Award in 1986.
O’Sullevan, who combined his commentating duties with writing for the Daily Express, had no children. His wife Pat died in 2010.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 2, 2015 18:55:54 GMT
Singer and TV star Cilla Black, who enjoyed a 50-year showbusiness career, has died aged 72, her agent has said.
The 1960s singing star became a popular TV celebrity on such shows as Blind Date and Surprise Surprise.
Spanish police said a woman named Priscilla White - Black's real name - had died in Estepona on the Costa del Sol, where the star had a home.
The death appeared to be due to natural causes, but this had not yet been confirmed by tests, police said.
"It is with deep sorrow that I confirm... the passing of singer and TV personality Cilla Black," said her agent, Nick Fiveash.
"Details of her death will be announced following the coroner's report. Her family have asked for their privacy to be respected at this time."
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 4, 2015 16:31:34 GMT
The last surviving Dambusters pilot, Les Munro, has died at the age of 96, the New Zealand Bomber Command Association has said.
Sqn Ldr Munro died in hospital in his native New Zealand on Tuesday following heart problems, the association said.
The legendary World War Two Dambusters operation flew from RAF Scampton, near Lincoln, in 1943 and successfully used "bouncing bombs" to attack German dams.
There are now only two surviving crew members of the Dambusters missions.
Out of 133 crew, only 77 returned.
Sqn Ldr Munro's aircraft was hit by flak, but he made it home after the hit had destroyed communications in his Lancaster bomber over the Netherlands.
Dave Homewood, of the association, described Sqn Ldr Munro as a "down-to-earth man" who was "very modest about what he did during the war". Sqn Ldr Munro was one of 77 Dambusters to make it home
"I think he was pretty proud to have been part of the Dambusters, although he was disappointed he never got to drop his weapon.
"He went on to be a flight commander and did a lot of very important operations after the dam raid, although these are often forgotten because the Dambusters were world-renowned."
Sqn Ldr Munro, who was patron of the NZ Bomber Command, was still flying at the age of 95 and had co-piloted an Avro Anson plane in January, Mr Homewood added. 'Remarkable life'
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key paid tribute, writing on Twitter: "Really sad to hear of Les Munro's death, New Zealand has lost a remarkable man who led a remarkable life."
In an interview with the BBC on the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters raid, Sqn Ldr Munro said he had not worried about the dangers of the mission.
"I approached most operations with a thought: 'If I'm going to cop it, so be it,'" he said.
Earlier this year, he put his medals up for auction to help pay for the upkeep of the Bomber Command Memorial in London.
A day before the auction, they were bought by British peer Lord Ashcroft for £75,000 ($117,000). He donated them to the Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland.
While Sqn Ldr Munro was the last living Dambusters pilot, he is survived by two crew members - Canadian former front gunner Fred Sutherland and British former bomb aimer George Johnson. Dambusters mission Sqn Ldr Munro's Lancaster was the second aircraft to take off on the night of the dams raid
On the night of 16 May 1943, 19 bombers left RAF Scampton near Lincoln in three waves The first headed to the Mohne and the Eder Dams, the second and third to the Sorpe dam Out of the 133 crew that set off, only 77 returned, including Sqn Ldr Munro, who made it home after flak destroyed the internal and external communications in his Lancaster bomber over the Netherlands He had been briefed to attack the Sorpe Dam by releasing the bomb from the lowest possible height, while flying at 180 mph (290 km/h) The Sorpe Dam was damaged but the Mohne and Eder Dams were destroyed, flooding the Ruhr valley and killing an estimated 1,300 people, mostly civilians
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 6, 2015 18:45:47 GMT
Actor George Cole, best known for playing Arthur Daley in TV's Minder, has died aged 90.
Cole played the Cockney wheeler dealer Daley for 16 years, between 1979 and 1994.
He also starred in a number of St Trinian's films as shady businessman Flash Harry.
Agent Derek Webster said Cole had died at the Royal Berkshire hospital following a short illness, surrounded by his family.
Dennis Waterman said he had "the privilege of spending Tuesday afternoon with him and Penny and, although very frail, his wit was as evident as ever".
"I am so sad to hear of George's death. His family must be devastated, and I am absolutely certain that anybody who ever knew him, will feel the same.
"I'm so grateful to have been a friend of this wonderful man. We worked together for many years and my boast is that we laughed all day every day.
"He was an amazing man, a wonderful actor and besotted with his family. Farewell old friend."
Waterman, who sang the Minder theme tune, left the show to be replaced by Gary Webster for the final two series.
Talking to BBC News, Webster called Cole a "comic genius" who "made you realise there's an Arthur Daley in every family".
"He was one of those characters you never thought you are going to be without, both as an actor and a character," he added.
"He was a great guy to work with and a real genuine gentleman."
Arthur Daley became a TV legend as a small-time crook who was always dreaming of bigger things, with the series regularly drawing in audiences of 17 million.
Cole also played Flash Harry, a remarkably similar character, in four St Trinian's films between 1954-66, starring alongside the likes of Terry Thomas, Joyce Grenfell and Sid James in the boarding school comedies.
It also allowed him to work with Alistair Sim, who had become his mentor after taking him into his home at the age of 15 alongside his adoptive mother.
They had such a close relationship that eventually Cole opted to build and live in a house next door to Sim and his wife, continuing to appear in a number of films together.
Cole began acting in the early 1940s, appearing with Lawrence Olivier in The Demi-Paradise, and taking a small role in Olivier's star-studded Henry V.
He joined the war effort in 1944, joining the Royal Air Force, before resuming his acting career when the conflict ended.
He found himself consistently in work, on stage, television film and radio.
As well as the St Trinian's films, he also starred opposite Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in Cleopatra, and gothic horror The Vampire Lovers.
Cole was 70 when Minder finished but he still worked regularly, with guest roles in the likes of Midsomer Murders, Heartbeat and New Tricks, which also starred Waterman.
Cole, who was made an OBE in 1992, married his second wife Penny in 1967.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 13, 2015 17:32:31 GMT
Actor Stephen Lewis, best known for his role as officious inspector "Blakey" in the 1970s ITV sitcom On the Buses, has died aged 88, his family has announced.
Lewis also played "Smiler" in the BBC's Last of the Summer Wine.
Born in east London in 1926, he got his start at the Theatre Royal Stratford East under Joan Littlewood.
According to his family, the actor died "quite peacefully" in a nursing home in Wanstead, east London, in the early hours of Wednesday morning. In his role as Inspector Cyril "Blakey" Blake, Lewis constantly clashed, and was usually outwitted by, Reg Varney's wily bus driver Stan Butler.
One of his catchphrases was "I'll get you for this, Butler" - one he was happy to repeat, according to the manager of the nursing home where he lived out his final years.
The popular sitcom ran from 1969 to 1973 and spawned three big-screen spin-offs: On the Buses, Mutiny on the Buses and Holiday on the Buses.
Lewis's other sitcoms included Don't Drink the Water, On the Buses' short-lived, Spain-based sequel, and the BBC's railway-themed Oh, Mr Beeching! He also appeared as Clem "Smiler" Hemmingway in more than 130 episodes of Last of the Summer Wine, starting in 1988 and continuing until 2007.
Lewis wrote Sparrers (later Sparrows) Can't Sing, a success for Littlewood's Theatre Workshop that gave Barbara Windsor one of her most notable early roles.
Peter Lewis, the actor's nephew, said his uncle's health had gradually deteriorated in recent years but that he had kept his spirits up right until the end.
"He still had his sense of humour, very much so," said Rashid Ebrahimkhan, manager of the Cambridge Nursing Home. "He was very resilient until the last."
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 28, 2015 17:54:01 GMT
LINDSAY CHARNOCK, one of the north's leading lightweight jockeys for nearly 30 years before his retirement in 2000, died suddenly on Friday morning. He was 60.
Charnock rode over 800 winners during a career that spanned 29 years until circulation issues meant he had to bring a premature end to his time in the saddle aged 45.
As a lightweight rider, most of Charnock's major wins came in big Flat handicaps including two wins in three years in the Cesarewitch on Old Red in 1995 and Turnpole in 1997, both for trainer Mary Reveley. He also claimed wins in the likes of the Northumberland Plate, Portland Handicap and Ayr Gold Cup.
However, it was not until the the latter stages of his career that things really picked up for the rider via a fruitful partnership with trainer Tim Easterby and his flying trio of fillies Pipalong, Flander and Jemima. Jemima provided Charnock with his only success at graded level in Group 2 Lowther Stakes in 1999.
Flanders would be Charnock with his final winner in September 1999 before circulation problems in his groin, which required a plastic artery being fitted after several operations, forced him into retirement.
Charnock's circulation problems persisted in his retirement leading to the lower half of his right leg being amputated.
He is survived by his wife Gloria and daughters Kelly and Selina.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 29, 2015 19:04:23 GMT
LEGENDARY Australian trainer Bart Cummings, known as the "Cups King" for his record-breaking haul of 12 Melbourne Cup wins, has died aged 87, according to reports in Australia.
AAP Racing quote his son Anthony Cummings writing on Twitter on Saturday: "Dad died peacefully in his sleep early this morning, surrounded by his family. He lived a full life."
Born James Bartholomew Cummings on November 14, 1927, Cummings received his training licence in 1953 at the age of 26, but had been suffering ill health in recent years and in 2013 began training in partnership with his grandson, James.
Melbourne Cup legend
As well as his 12 Melbourne Cup wins - seven more than any other trainer - Cummings trained the winners of 266 Group 1s, an achievement that ranks second to fellow Australian training legend TJ Smith.
It was the Melbourne Cup though that Cummings valued most of all, with Viewed providing the trainer his final win in "the race that stops a nation" when he defeated the Luca Cumani-trained Bauer by a nose in 2008.
Other outstanding horses that came under Cummings' care were two-time Melbourne Cup winner Think Big (1974 & 75), and So You Think, who won five Group 1s in Australia and according to Cummings was the best he ever trained.
Outspoken
Cummings was critical of the way So You Think was handled after he was transferred to Aidan O'Brien's care in 2011, remaining convinced the move should never have happened.
"He was a superstar and should never have left the country," Cummings said after So You Think was retired. "As a three-year-old he was near unbeatable and won the Cox Plate. He was an out-and-out champion."
Cummings was also outspoken on the subject of foreign involvement in the Melbourne Cup. He argued that raiders received advantages unavailable to locally-trained horses and cost them valuable opportunities when they were balloted out of the field.
Cummings was awarded the Order of Australia in 1982 for his services to horseracing and was also inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2001.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 29, 2015 19:05:03 GMT
Ban for Bentley There was a sting in the tail for jockey Harry Bentley today after his win on Hawksmoor. Bentley was handed a two-day ban for overuse of the whip in his nose victory in the 888sport Prestige Stakes at Goodwood.
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Post by Kimmy on Sept 15, 2015 8:41:21 GMT
Former England, Yorkshire and Somerset captain Brian Close has died, aged 84.
The Yorkshireman is the youngest player to have won a Test cap for England, making his debut as an 18-year-old against New Zealand in 1949.
Close, who was known for his brave batting, captained his country seven times in 22 Tests, and led Yorkshire to four County Championship titles.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan, who was coached by Close at Yorkshire, called him "a true inspiration".
Close, who lived in Baildon, West Yorkshire, died on Sunday. He leaves a widow, a son and a daughter.
England and Yorkshire batsman Joe Root said: "Very sad to hear the passing of Brian Close. A cricket legend whose fearless approach and bravery will always be remembered." 'Courage, bravery, madness'
Vaughan was among the major cricket figures to pay tribute to Close, saying on Twitter that he possessed "courage, bravery and madness" as a batsman.
He posted: "Such a sad day. He was a true inspiration to all of us. Thanks, Brian, for helping me as a kid growing up at Yorkshire.
"I once had a lbw problem. Closey, aged 60, came into the nets and batted without pads. He said: 'It's the only way, young man, you will sort your problem'."
Former England wicketkeeper Jack Russell added on Twitter: "Brian Close was inspirational for us youngsters in the 1970s. Hard as nails. Great character."
Retired Test umpire Dickie Bird, a former Yorkshire team-mate of Close and now the club's president, added: "Brian Close was an all-time great, both of Yorkshire and England.
"He will go down as one of the bravest cricketers of all time." Facing the West Indies at 45
Left-handed batsman Close, who bowled as an off-spinner, made nearly 35,000 runs during a first-class career that spanned 37 years, ending at the age of 55 in 1986.
He was also a footballer in his youth, playing for Leeds United, Arsenal and Bradford City.
But one of the most iconic images of his career came in 1976, when he was recalled to the England Test side at the age of 45 to face a fearsome West Indies bowling attack.
Close had to stand up to a battering as Michael Holding charged in with bouncing deliveries that travelled at about 90mph.
Asked by the BBC in 2011 if that West Indies team were the best Test side he faced, Close replied: "They were the nastiest bowling side."
Paying tribute to Close's bravery, International Cricket Council chief executive David Richardson said: "His playing career has become synonymous with bravery.
"His tenacity against the feared West Indies pace attack of the 1970s, especially, still resonates with many cricket followers across the world."
England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves also cited Close's "characteristic display of guts and determination" in that episode, adding: "Brian will go down in cricket history as one of the game's greatest ever captains and a player whose fearless and courageous approach was the stuff of legend.
"This is a sad day for cricket." England captain and record-breaker England Test captains - best win rates*
*from five or more Tests as captain
Brian Close
85.71%
Arthur Shrewsbury
71.42%
CB Fry
66.66%
WG Grace
61.53%
Douglas Jardine
60%
Mike Brearley
58.06%
Percy Chapman
52.94%
Michael Vaughan
50.98%
In addition to being his country's youngest Test player, Close also has the best Test win percentage of any England captain to spend more than five matches in the job.
Close won six and drew one of his seven Tests in charge during 1966 and 1967.
He won his first Test as captain at The Oval against West Indies in 1966, catching Garry Sobers first ball from a John Snow delivery.
The side he led included such England greats as Geoff Boycott, Colin Cowdrey, Tom Graveney and Ray Illingworth.
But he lost the England captaincy in 1967 in controversial circumstances after his Yorkshire side were accused of unsporting time-wasting tactics to avoid losing a County Championship match against Warwickshire. BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew
"Brian Close was the youngest man to play for England, and quite possibly the bravest.
"Old school and uncompromising, Close led a team of talented but outspoken Yorkshiremen to four County Championship titles.
"It was a triumph in man-management, and a measure of their respect for their captain, who would happily field unprotected at short leg, just feet from the bat." Success at county level First-class career for Yorkshire and Somerset
Matches
Runs scored
Wickets taken
Catches
786
34994
1171
813
Close played 536 first-class matches for Yorkshire between 1949 and 1970, scoring 22,650 runs - including 33 centuries - and taking 967 wickets.
He spent seven years at their captain, leading them to the County Championship in 1963, 1966, 1967 and 1968.
"His captaincy was at the heart of Yorkshire's dominance of the county game in the 1960s," said Graves.
At the end of 1970, he left Yorkshire to spend seven seasons with Somerset, where he helped to nurture the talents of Ian Botham and Viv Richards.
Somerset chairman Vic Marks, a county team-mate of Close, told BBC Radio 5 live: "He was a man of immense self-belief. And Sir Ian Botham and Sir Viv Richards thought the world of Closey.
"He could give you an immense dressing down, but it would be forgotten in a second."
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Post by Old Timer on Sept 15, 2015 13:18:45 GMT
A fine innings has finally drawn to a close, as not even Brian Close could defy in inevitable forever. Not the most flamboyant of cricketers, he nevertheless was an inspiration to many as his career outlasted my early heroes such as Washbrook, Bailey and then Peter May. RIP.
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