As another year draws to a close, let’s take a moment to look back at some of the artists, actors, sports stars, politicians and other notable figures who we said goodbye to in 2019.
January:
- Emiliano Sala – The Argentinian footballer died in a plane crash over the English Channel alongside pilot David Ibbotson. The 28-year-old has signed for Cardiff City for £15m from French club Nantes just days before.
- Lady Rothschild – Known for her sense of style, the racehorse owner whose colt Nathaniel enjoyed a string of wins died aged 84.
February:
- Andre Previn – A charismatic pianist and conductor, he served as principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and was regarded as one of the most versatile musicians of his generation. He died aged 89.
- Albert Finney – The actor, whose films include Erin Brockovich and Skyfall, also enjoyed a successful stage career. He has been credited with helping transform British film and theatre in the 1960s. He died aged 82.
- Gordon Banks – The former England goalkeeper, who helped his team to World Cup victory in 1966, has been hailed as the best goalkeeper England has ever had. He died aged 81.
- Karl Lagerfeld – Instantly recognisable from his signature white ponytail, dark glasses and high-collared white shirts, the fashion designer was creative director at Chanel for more than 30 years. He died aged 85.
- Peter Tork – bassist and singer for 1960s rock band the Monkees, died aged 77. With hits including Last Train to Clarksville, I’m a Believer and Daydream Believer, the Monkees were one of the highest-charting acts of the late ‘60s.
- Jan-Michael Vincent – star of the hit series Airwolf and ‘80s hunk. He made headlines as the highest-paid American television actor, receiving $200,000 an episode during the filming of Airwolf. He was 73.
March:
- Keith Flint – The Prodigy frontman became one of the most recognisable musicians in the industry thanks to his high energy performances and signature look of spiky hair, piercings and tattoos. He died aged 49.
- Luke Perry – the beloved Beverly Hills 90210 actor for his role as Dylan McKay, died days after suffering a massive stroke aged 52. The actor most recently starred in Riverdale, playing Fred Andrews.
April:
- Ian Cognito – The comedian died aged 60 after falling ill on stage in front of a live audience during a stand-up performance in Bicester.
- Peter Mayhew – The actor claimed his place in film history for his portrayal of Han Solo’s furry sidekick Chewbacca in the Star Wars series. The 7ft 3in thespian, who died aged 74, prepared for the role by studying the movements of bears, monkeys and gorillas.
- Bibi Andersson – Known for her roles in the films of Ingmar Bergman, the Swedish actress featured in films such as The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries. She died aged 83.
May:
- Judith Kerr – The much-loved author and illustrator, who continued working well into her 90s, was one of the UK’s most successful children’s authors thanks to her tales of Mog the Cat and The Tiger Who Came to Tea. She died 95.
- Doris Day – The actor and singer, who became one of Hollywood’s top stars during the 40s and 50s, starred in several hit films including Calamity Jane. She died aged 97.
- Freddie Starr – The comedian, who died in Spain aged 76, rose to prominence in the 1970s. He famously featured in the Sun’s front page story “Freddie Starr ate my hamster”, whose veracity has since been disputed.
June:
- Mohamed Morsi – The Egyptian politician who served as the nation’s fifth president before being overthrown by the military and being held in prison on a number of charges. He died aged 67 after collapsing in court.
July:
- John McCririck – Instantly recognisable from his cigar, deerstalker hat and long, ginger sideburns, the flamboyant pundit became one of the best known figures in horse racing. Stints on Celebrity Wife Swap and Celebrity Big Brother followed. He died aged 79.
- Rutger Hauer – whose murderous replicant Roy Batty famously fought Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard in 1982’s Blade Runner, died at home in the Netherlands at the age of 75. The Dutch actor also had memorable roles as the ex-CEO of Wayne Enterprises in 2005’s Batman Begins and the vampire master Lothos in 1992’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie.
August:
- Hans Rausing – The Swedish billionaire, who was the head of the Tetra Pak empire, amassed a vast fortune through his drinks pack enterprise and was at one point richer than the Queen. He died aged 93.
- Valerie Harper – star of the iconic sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spinoff Rhoda, died just eight days after her 80th birthday following a battle with cancer.
- Peter Fonda – the actor son of movie titan Henry Fonda and brother to Jane Fonda, died in Los Angeles of respiratory failure from lung cancer. He was 79. Fonda was best known for 1969’s groundbreaking counterculture classic Easy Rider.
September:
- Jacques Chirac – The French politician, who served two terms as the country’s president, had one of the longest continuous political careers in Europe. He died aged 86.
- Leah Bracknell – The actress, who starred as Zoe Tate in Emmerdale, played the first lesbian character in a British soap opera. She died aged 55.
- Robert Mugabe – The politician, who served as president of Zimbabwe from 1987 until 2017, died aged 95 in Singapore. A controversial figure, he was held up by some as a hero of African liberation and condemned by others for his brutal treatment of opponents and economic mismanagement.
October:
- Peter Sissons – The veteran newsreader and former host of BBC Question Time, who was on air for more than 10 hours on the day of Princess Diana’s death, died aged 77.
- Alexei Leonov – The Soviet cosmonaut, who died aged 85, became the first person to walk in space in 1965 but almost lost his life in the struggle to return to the spacecraft.
November:
- Gary Rhodes – The celebrity chef, recognisable from his trademark spiky hair, was working on a new television show in Dubai when he died suddenly during a break in filming aged 59.
- Frank Dobson – The Labour former health secretary, who was also a candidate in the 2000 London mayoral election, was MP for Holborn and St Pancras for 36 years. He died aged 79.
- Clive James – The Australian writer, critic and broadcaster, who also wrote poetry, was known all over the world for his wry wit and humour. He died aged 80.
December:
- Marie Fredriksson – The singer with the Swedish pop duo Roxette was one of the most recognisable voices in pop music in the 1980s and 90s. She died aged 61.
- David Bellamy – The naturalist and television presenter, who co-founded the Conservation Foundation, became a household name and is credited with inspiring a “whole generation”. He died aged 86.
- Anna Karina – The French new wave star, who appeared in films including A Woman Is a Woman and Pierrot le Fou, died aged 79.
- Danny Aiello – the blue-collar character actor whose long career playing tough guys included roles in Moonstruck and Once Upon a Time in America and his Oscar-nominated performance as a pizza man in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, died after a brief illness. He was 86.
- René Auberjonois – A prolific actor best known for his roles on the television shows Benson and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and his part in the 1970 film M.A.S.H. playing Father Mulcahy, died aged 79 of metastatic lung cancer.
Recent Comments