Stairway To Heaven (or Road To Hell) - Deaths of the Rich & Famous

I think they are preparing something apart so as not to "mix" in the group ...

Actor Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid in the Harry Potter films, has died aged 72.

He also appeared in ITV detective drama Cracker and the James Bond films Goldeneye and The World Is Not Enough.

In a statement, his agent Belinda Wright confirmed the actor died in hospital near Falkirk in Scotland.

She described Coltrane as a "unique talent", adding his role as Hagrid "brought joy to children and adults alike all over the world".

"For me personally I shall remember him as an abidingly loyal client. As well as being a wonderful actor, he was forensically intelligent, brilliantly witty and after 40 years of being proud to be called his agent, I shall miss him.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-63261204

I don't know how I knew this existed as I've only seen a handful of The Comic Strip films, but this is just epic!



Such a contrast in his roles in The Comic Strip to Harry Potter.

He was an amazing actor!

Mike Hodges, the director of films including Flash Gordon and Get Garter, has died aged 90.

His death was confirmed to the Guardian and US trade publication Variety by Mike Kaplan, a producer and longtime friend of Hodges.

The director reportedly died at his home in Dorset on Saturday. No cause of death has yet been announced.

Hodges' film credits include Croupier, The Terminal Man and 2003's I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, his final feature film.

Brian Blessed, who starred in Flash Gordon, paid tribute, praising Hodges for his "powerful personality" and "brilliant imagination".

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's World At One programme, Blessed said of Hodges: "(Flash Gordon) is the only film, apart from Henry V with Kenneth Branagh, that I raced to the studio to start filming.

"Hodges (had a) brilliant imagination, but his direction - mind-blowing. Great manner, great perception. The film was a breath of fresh air."

Writer and broadcaster Matthew Sweet said: "A true master. A furious restless talent. An unassailable body of work. Loved the films. Loved the man."

"I loved this man so much." added Front Row presenter Samira Ahmed. "The metaphysical poet of British cinema and a generous, brilliant, kind and politically engaged man."

Born in Bristol in 1932, Hodges worked as a chartered accountant and spent two years serving on a Royal Navy minesweeper around fishing ports in the north of England.

His first job in the entertainment industry was working as a teleprompter operator for TV, which led him to producing and directing news and documentary series.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64050014

Hollywood actress Raquel Welch has died at the age of 82.

She "passed away peacefully early this morning after a brief illness", her management company said. She had two children - son Damon and daughter Tahnee.

Welch won a Golden Globe in 1975 for her role in The Three Musketeers. She made her initial breakthrough in 1966 in the sci-fi adventure Fantastic Voyage and prehistoric drama One Million Years BC. Despite having just a few lines of dialogue, her appearance in the latter was one of her best-known roles. Her only costume was a deer skin bikini. A publicity still of her in the two piece became a best-selling poster. In 2011, Time magazine put it at number six in the "top 10 bikinis in pop culture".

Alongside her acting career, Welch was seen as a sex symbol, with Playboy magazine calling her the "most desired woman" of the 1970s. Other screen credits in the late 1960s and early 70s included starring roles in Bedazzled, Bandolero!, 100 Rifles, Myra Breckinridge and Hannie Caulder. There were also lots of TV appearances, from 1964 and 2017, and in the early 1980s she was on Broadway, starring on the New York stage in Woman of the Year, alongside Lauren Bacall.

news.sky.com/story/raquel-welch-hollywood-actress-dies-at-82-after-brief-illness-12811943

bye Raquel, you were a symbol of my adolescence, rest in peace

Very sad news. I couldn't believe it when I found out this morning.

Mick Hutson, celebrated music photographer, died on Thursday, 1 June 2023, aged 58.

Mick was known for his work for Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Q and Select magazines among others, and he photographed many of the biggest names in music. His pictures were used on official album releases by Nirvana, AC/DC, Primal Scream, Queens of the Stone Age, Mike Oldfield, Judas Priest and more.

Mick was born in Newcastle in May 1965. He grew up in Aberdeen and when he left school, went to work on the North Sea oil rigs: 12 hours a day, 14 days on, 14 days off. On LinkedIn, he lists his occupation back then as “roughneck”: slang for an unskilled labourer on the drill floor. The Collins dictionary says that a roughneck is someone who is “not gentle or polite and can be violent” – it’s not even close to being a fair description of Mick, who was known for his good humour and charm.



www.loudersound.com/news/music-photographer-mick-hutson-has-died-aged-58

Veteran broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson has died at the age of 88.

His TV career spanned seven decades, and he interviewed the world's biggest stars on his long-running chat show.

A statement from Sir Michael's family said: "After a brief illness Sir Michael Parkinson passed away peacefully at home last night in the company of his family."

Sir David Attenborough led the tributes, saying the host "always wanted the interviewee to shine".

Sir David, who was a guest on Parkinson a number of times, told BBC Radio 4's The World At One: "With Michael, it was always friendly, always thorough, always intelligent, always a pleasure to do it, and I think that came over no matter who is interviewee was.

"He always did his homework, he always knew what the interesting bits were, and he steered you through."

He added: "As a viewer, you knew if Michael was asking the questions there were going to be good questions, they would illicit good answers."



www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-66411604

Actor Sir Michael Gambon has died peacefully in hospital aged 82, according to his family.

He is best known for playing Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore in a number of the Harry Potter films.



Sir Michael began his acting career more than 60 years ago, and was one of the original members of the Royal National Theatre alongside Laurence Olivier.

He also played French detective Jules Maigret in the ITV series Maigret, as well as starring in the BBC series, The Singing Detective.

A statement issued on behalf of Lady Gambon and son Fergus Gambon said: "We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon.

"Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside, following a bout of pneumonia."

More recently, Sir Michael appeared in Sky Atlantic's Fortitude and the biographical film about Judy Garland.

Former Top Gear presented Jeremy Clarkson was among the first to leave tributes to the actor, writing on X, formerly Twitter: "I'm so sad to hear that Michael Gambon has died.

"He was hugely amusing, and such a tremendous guest, we even named a corner after him."

Clarkson is referring to his time on the BBC motoring show where a corner on the test track they used was named Gambon, after he nearly flipped the "reasonably priced car" he was driving there.

news.sky.com/story/harry-potter-and-gosford-park-actor-sir-michael-gambon-has-died-12971592

US actor Matthew Perry, best known for playing wisecracking Chandler Bing in the hit '90s TV sitcom Friends, has died at the age of 54.

The actor was found dead at his home in Los Angeles, law enforcement sources told US media.

Friends, which followed the fortunes of six young friends living in New York City, aired from 1994 until 2004.

Its final episode was watched by 52.5 million in the US, making it the most watched TV episode of the 2000s.

The LA Times and TMZ, which first reported that Perry had died, said the actor was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his house.



www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67252752

Former England manager Terry Venables has died at the age of 80 after a long illness.

Venables managed England from 1994 to 1996, most notably leading them to the semi-finals of Euro 96 on home soil.

He also had spells in charge of Barcelona, Tottenham and Australia.

"We are totally devastated by the loss of a wonderful husband and father who passed away peacefully yesterday after a long illness," read a family statement.

"We would ask that privacy be given at this incredibly sad time to allow us to mourn the loss of this lovely man who we were so lucky to have had in our lives."

Venables won La Liga and reached the European Cup final with Barcelona, and won the FA Cup with Tottenham.

As a player, he won two England caps and made more than 500 club appearances between 1960 and 1975, largely for Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers and Tottenham.



www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67536465

very sad^

Denny Laine, lead singer of the Moody Blues and a guitarist with Paul McCartney's band Wings, has died at the age of 79.

His wife Elizabeth Hines said he died after a long battle with lung disease.

"I was at his side, holding his hand as I played his favourite Christmas songs for him," she said in a statement.

Among other achievements, Laine sang on the Moody Blues' multi-million selling Go Now and co-wrote the Wings hit Mull of Kintyre.

Born Brian Hines in the Channel Islands, he grew up in Birmingham and was inspired to play guitar by jazz legend Django Reinhardt.

His stage name derived from a childhood nickname, Denny, and his sister's favourite singer, Frankie Laine. (The similarity to Penny Lane, written by his future Wings' bandmate, was apparently coincidental.)

His professional career began as the frontman of a local band called Denny and the Diplomats, which featured future E.L.O musician Bev Lane on drums.

But when the band failed a record label audition, Laine left to join The Moody Blues.

There, he scored a number one hit with Go Now and followed it up with a number of R&B-influenced singles like From The Bottom of My Heart (I Love You) and Bye Bye Bird.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67630264