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I wonder what the cause of death was? I WAH-WAH-WAH-wonderrr.

We do have a second DL-birthday today: Beside Pierre Cardin we can congratulate Imelda Marcos, 91 today!

Chiu Chuang-huan (try saying that with a mouthful of noodles), Vice Premier of Taiwan (81–84) dead at 94.

State of Indeepindanse. With apologies to Donna Summer and Camille Saint-Saëns.

Max Crook, co-writer of - and keyboard player on - Del Shannon's smash Runaway, dead aged 83: http://delshannon.com/

Linda Cristal Telegraph Obit for the DDP: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2020/07/02/linda-cristal-actress-played-fiery-mexican-western-series-high/

There's a good chance that this will be my last obit for a while, as I got some IRL stuff coming up soon. Although if more hits come during July, I should be back to writing obituaries by August or September...

we will continue to be ahead of every previous year until at least August 2, which is the previous earliest date for an 11th hit , in 2008.

The verse's classic descending chord sequence was borrowed and slowed down by Lennon for I'll Be Back,.

From what I've seen on t'internet, I understand he had some form of cancer. Still, 83 is a good age, outlived Del Shannon by thirty years. I see from his Wiki he also played keyboards on Brian Hyland's April 1971 UK #42, Gypsy Woman. No getting away from it, though, Runaway is probably one of the best enduring choons ever.

98 today!

Queen Victoria actually died on the Isle of Wight, which is as about as far from Balmoral as you can possible get in the UK.

It's maybe also worth pointing out at this stage that Bibliogryphon now has more points this year than he did at the end of last year's competition! Could this be his year?

Basking in the afterglow of my victory, I was crunching some numbers as to whether this game really was much more of a slog than the first round. SHBDP I lasted for 18 months, with 24 deaths in total before Rotten Ali's third unique pick of Keith Barron (Actors in Dr Who) ended the game. After 17 months, SHBDP II had scored 25 deaths, one more than the same period in Round 1 (there were no deaths in Month 18 [August 2019]). After this, there were just 8 further deaths in the next 11 months until the death of Johnny Mandel (Grammy Award Winners) gave me a hit in every category yesterday, with a particular drought in the second half of 2019 of just 1 death between August and December (Jacques Chirac in September). So blame late 2019 for the slow progress of this one! In Round 1, deaths were distributed in the following categories: Doctor Who actors - 5 House of Lords members - 10 US Presidential Candidates (and spouses) - 0 Test Match Cricketers - 5 UK #1 Hit Artists - 4 In Round 2, deaths were distributed in the following categories: EU Leaders - 5 (3 at same end point at R1) World Title Winning Boxers - 3 (2) Stars of Dallas - 8 (7) Grammy Award Winners - 11 (10) Actors in Kevin Bacon Films - 6 (3) So, unlike in Round 1, it was possible to get one in each category to win - that was actually possible as early as February last year, when the first boxer (Rocky Longridge) dropped as a unique for Spade. Closest we came to all 5 dying in a category this time was 3/5 (Kevin Bacon for YoungWillz, Grammy Winners for Death Impends and Dallas Stars for Time, Sir Creep, Death Impends, Rover and Out and Grim Up North). This was about the same level as last time round (in shorter time) when Death Impends and Toast scored 3/5 #1 Hit Artists and Rover and Out scored 4/5 Test Cricketers (Everton Weekes is still going now!). As many will remember, Death Impends has been close to winning this since September 2018, when Otis Rush (Grammy Winners) gave him 2 Uniques, but his other 4 Uniques have remained stubbornly alive. Rotten Ali won by this method in Round 1, taking 9 months to get his first 2 Uniques and another 9 months to get his remaining Unique (out of 6 possible outs). So what can we learn? Probably not much. It's down to the luck of who you pick (duh). The categories this time were full of ripe possibilities so everyone went in slightly different directions, which widened the scope for hits but also made it much more of a stab in the dark. The spread of hits was very similar in both rounds (1 category in double figures, 2 more on 5+). But to give an idea of how easily things could have changed this time, both Death Impends and Spade Cooley scored the first hits of Round 2 with the death of Charles Neville. If either one of them hadn't chosen him, the other would have earned a Unique hit and the game would have been over after 6 months for Death Impends or 12 months for Spade! This game really is a beauty that in both rounds so far has thrown up no end of permutations and gave 7 people a realistic chance of victory this time and saw an outsider in April win it in June. Already cooking up my categories for Round 3 (which I'm leaving in Biblio's safe hands to administrate) and hopefully they can continue the intrigue. Anyway, ramblings over...

Maybe next year if he is still alive then.

So the first half of 2020 is over, the Committee did a great job with 11 hits so far and most likely more to come. As always, people are also concerned about next year's list, and I've put their ideas and suggestions together here (I was a little bored last Sunday). Make up your own mind whether there are any useful (new) suggestions ... I guess 3-4 might make it ... The List:

Can confirm via a query to DWM that Trevor Ray died in December 2019. So the Doctor Who Guide is correct.

Back to the Future III MAIN CAST: Michael J. Fox // Marty McFly & Seamus McFly (1961-) Christopher Lloyd // Dr. Emmett Brown (1938-) Mary Steenburgen // Clara Clayton (1953-) Lea Thompson //Lorraine McFly & Maggie McFly (1964) Thomas F. Wilson // Biff Tannen & Buford 'Mad Dag' Tannen (1959-) SUPPORTING CAST: Elisebeth Shue // Jennifer Parker (1963-) James Tolkan // Marshall James Strickland (1931-) Matt Clark // Chester the Bartender (1936-) Jeffrey Weissman // George McFly (1958-) Marc McClure // Dave McFly (1957-) Wendie Jo Sperber // Linda McFly (1958-2005) Cause of death: Breast cancer (aged 47) MINOR ROLES: Richard Dysart // Barbwire Salesman (1929-2015) | Cause of death: Cancer (aged 86) Pat Buttram // Jeb (1915-1994) | Cause of death: Kidney Failure (aged 78) Harry Carey Jr. // Zeke (1921-2012) | Cause of death: Natural Causes (aged 91) Dub Taylor // Levi (1907-1994) | Cause of death: Heart Attack (aged 87) [!] Christopher Wynne // Tannen Gang Member (Lack of information regarding age) [!] Sean Sullivan // Tannen Gang Member (Lack of information regarding age) [!] Mike Watson // Tannen Gang Member (Lack of information regarding age) [!] Hugh Gilin // Mayor Hubert (1925-2004) | Cause of death: Information needed (aged 78) Burton Gilliaam // Colt Gun Salesman (1938-) Bill McKinney // Engineer (1931-2011) | Cause of death: Cancer (aged 80) Donnovan Scott // Deputy (1947-) Flea // Needles (1962-) Ricky Dead Logan // Needles Gang Member (1967-) J.J. Cohen // Needles Gang Member (1965-) [!] Marvin J. McIntyre // Mortician (Lack of information regarding age) [!] Dannel Evans // Verne Brown (Lack of information regarding age) [!] Todd Cameron Brown // Jules Brown (Lack of information regarding age) Dean Cundey // Photographer (1946-) Jo B. Cummings // Pie Lady (1939-2011) | Cause of death: Natural Causes (aged 72) Frank Beard // Band Member #1 (1949-) Billy Gibbons // Band Member #2 (1949-) Dusty Hill // Band Member #3 (1949-2021) | Cause of death: Unknown (aged 72) NOTEABLE CREW: Robert Zemeckis // Director & Writer (1951-) Bob Gale // Writer & Producer (1951-) Neil Canton // Producer (1948-) Kathleen Kennedy // Executive producer (1950-) Frank Marshall // Executive producer (1946-) Steven Spielberg // Executive producer (1946-) Alan Silvestri // Music (1950-) Dean Cundey // Cinematographer (1946-) Harry Keramidas // Editor (1940-) Arthur Schmidt // Editor (1937-2023) | Cause of death: Natural Causes (aged 86) [!] Michael Taylor // Set Decorator (Lack of information regarding age) [!] Joanna Johnston / Costume Designer (Lack of information regarding age) [!] Charles Croughwell // Michael J. Fox Stunt double (Need birth year)

Literally just seen the news perusing the BBC website. Couldn't believe my eyes! Headed straight here to confirm my unlikely suspicions. Thanks for all the congratulations folks, very good of you for a modest outsider. My first deathpool victory, I'd like to think it was down to strong tactical nous but let's be honest it was sheer luck. It was on September 29th 2018 that Death Impends was one hit away from victory. Even then I was only 3 hits away but it took another 20 months to put me within 1 hit of victory, during which time 5 others had moved into contention before me! Hilariously, my 98 year-old Grammy winner is still going strong, but thank you Johnny Mandel. Can I also just say I'm glad it was decided decisively and not on a technicality or countback? The completist in me also like that I did it with a full house of one in every category. Thanks as always to @Bibliogryphon for running this, it's a great game and I'll be in touch regarding Round 3!!!

There is a man in Eithiopia who claims to be 114. He also has recovered from Covid.

Just had a look at my Facebook page and a bunch of ads have appeared overnight. They started with a nice helpful warning from the NHS. Then there was another NHS one with advice on how to prevent catching the virus. Then two from pharmacies advertising their wares and a bit on prevention. One from Listerine also about the virus. Then in case none of that works there was one from a Free Will Writing Service and another from a company explaining they can help to pay all your bills after you have died and thus not be a burden on your family. No hint of pessimism there then. Bring on the apocalypse.

Hm...