Farewell to 2008 and Welcome 2009
As the Old Year ends and a New Year comes into being, may I wish everybody reading this a very Happy New Year, with happiness and success in 2009, whatever your plans and desires.
It seems appropriate, as we say farewell to 2008, to note some of the people who have passed away during the year. They have all touched our lives, in some cases with extraordinary talent.
Leo Abse, politician, 91; Edie Adams, actress, 81; Bernard Archard, actor, 91; Neil Aspinall, Beatles business manager, 65; Carole Barnes, TV newsreader, 63; Jeremy Beadle, TV personailty, 59; Freddie Bell, rock `n` roll singer, 76; Delaney Bramlett, rock musician, 69; Ken Campbell, actor, 66; Cyd Charisse, dancer and actress, 96; Arthur C. Clarke, novelist, 90; Beryl Cook, artist, 81; Bill Cotton, TV executive, 80; Hazel Court, actress, 82; Jules Dassin, film director, 96; Bo Diddley, rock musician, 79; Derek Dooley, footballer, 78; Jack Douglas, comic actor, 81; Ronnie Drew, folk singer (Dubliners), 73; Gwyneth Dunwoody, politician, 73; Julie Ege, actress, 64; Bobby Fischer, chess player, 64; Peter Gordeno, dancer, 69; Cliff Hall, folk singer (Spinners), 82; Russ Hamilton, singer, 76; Vernon Handley, conductor, 77; John Harvey - Jones, industrialist, 83; Neal Hefti, composer, 85; Isaac Hayes, rock musician, 65; Charlton Heston, actor, 84; Edmund Hillary, conqueror of Everest, 88; Tony Holland, TV scriptwriter, 67; Clive Hornby, actor, 63; Hedley Howarth, New Zealand cricketer, 64; Van Johnson, actor, 92; Evelyn Keyes, actress, 91; Eartha Kitt, singer, 81; Harvey Korman, actor, 81; John Phillip Law, actor, 70; Heath Ledger, actor, 28; Byron Lee, bandleader, 73; Hugh Lloyd, actor, 85; Humphrey Lyttelton, jazz musician and TV presenter, 86; Maharihi Mahesh Yogi, spiritual adviser, 91; Jimmy McGriff, jazz musician, 72; Miriam Makeba, singer, 76; Dick Martin, comedian, 86; Tony Melody, actor, 84; Anthony Minghella, film director, 54; Mitch Mitchell, drummer, 61; Barry Morse, actor, 88; Pat Moss, rally driver, 73; Paul Newman, actor, 83; Norman O`Neill, Australia cricketer, 71; Harold Pinter, playwright, 78; Suzanne Pleshette, actress, 70; Nigel Plews, cricket umpire, 74; Sydney Pollack, film director, 73; Oliver Postgate, children`s writer, 83; Francis Pym, politician, 86; Paul Raymond, nightclub proprietor, 82; Jerry Reed, singer - songwriter, 71; Terence Rigby, actor, 71; Jonathan Routh, TV personality, 80; Lita Roza, singer, 82; Yves St. Laurent, couturier, 71; Roy Scheider, actor, 75; Paul Scofield, actor, 86; Jimmy Sirrel, football manager, 86; Mike Smith, rock singer (Dave Clark Five), 64; Norman "Hurricane" Smith, record producer, 85; Alexander Solzhenitsyn, author, 89; Mark Speight, TV presenter, 42; Elizabeth Spriggs, actress, 78; Kathy Staff, actress, 80; Jo Stafford, singer, 91; Levi Stubbs, rock singer (Four Tops), 72; Yma Sumac, singer, 86; Nat Temple, bandleader, 94; Reg Varney, actor, 92; Jerry Wexler, record producer, 91; David "Butch" White, England cricketer, 72; Richard Widmark, actor, 93; Brian Wilde, actor, 80; Rick Wright, rock musician, 65.
Thanks to all these for enriching our lives.
Posted by colin on Thursday 1st January, 2009 at 8:47am