BCAlum2000

Yeah because we all know who that is.... Seriously, I'd put Roy E. Disney as the most significant death of this month. And I think his death would be hard to top, unless someone like Elizabeth Taylor died. Well, Brittany Murphy died last December so I'd say that her death definitely tops Roy E. Disney's. For January 2010, most significant death so far (by far) is J.D. Salinger. Awfully bloody slow start so far, but things seem to be picking up a bit w/ the passings of J.D. Salinger, Jean Simmons, Zelda Rubinstein, and Howard Zinn within the past week or two.

Every year, there's always this one major celebrity that everybody is waiting on to die. Last year, it was Patrick Swayze. Year before, it was Charlton Heston and Sydney Pollack. This year ... it's Dennis Hopper.

Zelda Rubinstein seems a rather unusual and random name to start a death rumor. Though she's a decent actress, she's not exactly a household name. She carries the most name recognition to horror movie buffs like me. I do believe she's ill right now, though it's also possible that it's not as serious as reported. She probably will pass away this year, though probably later than we expected.

I would've picked Peter Falk over Angela Lansbury! Then again, Angela Lansbury is in her mid-80s, albeit still with an active career. Good for her.

2009 didn't have too many major losses in the film industry. Probably the biggest names in the film industry to have passed away in 2009 were ... you guessed it, Patrick Swayze and John Hughes with honorable mentions going to Brittany Murphy and Karl Malden (distinguished old school Hollywood character actor). Farrah was more well known for her TV work (her filmography was sporadic at best) and MJ only did the occassional movie. 2008 incurred heavy losses in the film industry with the deaths of Paul Newman, Charlton Heston, Sydney Pollack, and Heath Ledger. Wither 2011? It's looking too far forward for me, but I expect that Elizabeth Taylor, Kirk Douglas, and James Garner will have all died by 2011 if not in 2010.

Honestly, unlike last year, we don't really have any particularly interesting celebrities on the deathwatch. In 2009, we had Patrick Swayze, Farrah Fawcett, and Ted Kennedy all on the inevitable deathwatch. This year, we have what? Simon MacCorkindale? While a fairly accomplished actor, he's still relatively obscure outside the UK and frankly, he's no Patrick Swayze. On the politician front, we have Robert Byrd. He's pretty much a goner and is probably the most accomplished veteran US Senator outside Ted Kennedy, but again, he still lacks the international name recognition of Ted Kennedy. I guess actress Maura Tierney could be this year's Farrah Fawcett, but I'm not sure of her prognosis. However, she has had to stop working so that does say something... Here are some of the more "interesting" names that could've made the deathlist this year... David Hasselhoff (alcoholism has taken a severe toll on him last couple years) Robin Williams (recent heart problems, prediction would be that he won't survive the next heart attack) Maura Tierney (could be the Patrick Swayze/Farrah Fawcett of 2010, given her struggling battles w/ cancer) Amy Winehouse (she's doing better, but not out of the woods yet) Lindsay Lohan (still a hot mess, she's supposedly doing better but has a chance of regressing) Rush Limbaugh (recent health problems, hopefully he'll expire in 2010) Dick Cheney (wishful thinking admittedly, but he's had some health issues) Steve Jobs (health issues, supposedly on the mend though) Natalie Cole (has hepatitis C) Stephen Hawking (had some close calls recently w/ death) Bryant Gumbel (two words: lung cancer. Though he claims it's not that serious, you don't take lung cancer lightly.)

If anything of interest becomes of this .. a thread must be created. He looked like a heart attack waiting to happen. It must have been all that red meat. Unfortunately, this looks like another f%$king death tease by the media... Goddamnit, Why is that racist fat lard still alive? Why is Rush Limbaugh still breathing? Yet why did Michael Jackson have to die? Couldn't Rush die instead of MJ? This fat racist pig can survive yet MJ had to die... As you can all tell, I really hate this racist sonofabitch and I was hoping he would croak. It would've been an awesome New Years gift for us deathlisters.

I'm under the impression that Brittany Murphy was not all that well known in the UK (or rather, outside the States in general) after all. Fair enough. She has much more name recognition in the US only, despite her relative obscurity in the last few years. Unfortunately, it does appear that Brittany has had some medical issues which no doubt contributed to her death.

(EDIT) Whatever dude, i don't really give a f*ck. What you feel about Brittany Murphy is how I feel about many 90 to 100 year old British "celebrities" I have never heard of, yet are mourned by many here. I don't give a f*ck if say, some obscure 100 year old person passes away, b/c quite frankly, unless he's someone like Bob Hope, I never heard of him so his death doesn't really impact me. Nope. never heard of her. Never saw the crap she was in. I did though occasionally watch King of The Hill----but it got a liittle too insipid by season 3. Didn't know she did a voice for a character there though. Has anybody told her cartoon husband LUCKY? How about aunt Peggy and Uncle Henry or Chuck Mangione? Is the dog Ladybug dead as well? How about the Laotian next door? Well now we have you and TMZ having heard of her. Anyone else? As to her being solid-----well, the rigormortis thing gives way after a time and the body smooths out again (at least a little). Charm and sex appeal but doesn't have what it takes to be an A-lister in Hollywood? We may never know if she even wanted on since she be dead. Dead as yesterdays news. Dead as the late planet Pluto. Dead as King Of The Hill, her cartoon series which Fox cancelled in September......could it be, she couldn't stand that ultimate rejection, having her voice work ended and she went to shower her last shower......by the way has anyone seen Normie Bates around? I'm equally concerned that you say you have 'a soft spot for her' and 'find her appealing due to her cuteness'. I must ask, do you always find dead people cute and appealling? and now she has as well. Which might give you a clue to how few knew who she was......I guess that makes someone, er, um, uh......Clueless. I would think after she's cremated she will just have a look of Ash about her. Drat it all! I was going to submit that dreadful joke! (or were you hinting her ex boyfriend ASHton Kutcher will soon be joining her?)

Wow, I'm honestly surprised that almost nobody has heard of her.... Unless all of you are being sarcastic. I have definitely heard of her. Not only that, I have seen many of her movies including 8 Mile, Sin City, and Girl, Interrupted. I would describe Brittany as being a solid, if not spectacular actress. She exudes charm and sex appeal, but doesn't really have what it takes to be a true Hollywood A-lister. I have a soft spot for her though and find her appealing due to her cuteness. It's true that her film and TV careers have pretty much faded in the last few years. Her last notable roles were primarily voiceover work in the animated film Happy Feet and the hit animated TV series King of the Hill. Her last significant live action film role was in Sin City back in 2005. Since then, she has done mainly low budget B-movies and lower tier independent films. In terms of celebrity status, I would probably compare her to Brad Renfro or Jonathan Brandis. Both were promising young actors whose lives were cut short, but their deaths were pretty much ignored by the media (Renfro only received more coverage, ironically, due to Heath Ledger's passing about a week after Renfro's death.) I would say that Brittany's untimely death is receiving pretty much the same amount of media coverage that Brad Renfro received when he passed away. I'm honestly surprised at the lack of media coverage even in the United States outside of entertainment gossip sites. Sites like TMZ and EOnline are obviously covering Brittany's death extensively, but most other non-entertainment sites don't seem to care. NBC News pretty much gave her a quick five second tribute. I will miss her though and I find her death to be extremely tragic.

Canadian Paul: Excellent list and you did a very thorough job w/ your research! With that said, I would like to add four more names to your list: Ronnie James Dio, Robert Byrd, Tony Curtis, and James Garner. James Garner suffered a stroke a little over a year ago. He's also reportedly wheelchair bound. But they say he's fairly upbeat and doing OK so I would put him in the Famous Enough but Risky category. Tony Curtis also suffered a stroke a couple years ago. He's reportedly on the mend, but others say he's looking quite frail. Again, place him in the Famous Enough but Risky Category. Ronnie James Dio is suffering from stomach cancer. usually that's one of the deadlier forms of cancer. But they say he's still pretty active. Famous Enough but Risky? Robert Byrd is, I believe, the longest running US Senator in history. He's a very prominent politician in the United States and one of the most famous and well-known. But I admit that since deathlist.net is primarily a UK site, Byrd is of questionable fame outside the US. He's very ill, was hospitalized, is 92 years old, and doesn't have much time left. I guess put him in the Questionable Fame but Risky. Other thoughts: I think David Hasselhoff will end up being the Michael Jackson of 2010. Somehow, I think he's not going to make it, particularly w/ all his alcohol problems. I could very well see him ending up like Jacko in 2010 unless he gets serious intervention. Of course, in the past, I thought Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Amy Winehouse were all gonna die due to their issues, but they all appear to be doing much better now and I have removed them completely from consideration as death list candidates. So perhaps the Hoff can pull a Spears or Lohan and get his act back together. Or he can end up like Jacko, Heath Ledger, or Anna Nicole Smith. Dennis Hopper is awesome. but he's getting up there in age and I'm hearing his prostate cancer has gotten progressively worse. But i'm rooting for him to beat this monster. Simon MacCorkindale = Patrick Swayze of 2010. Stick a fork in him, he's done. Annette Funicello and Zsa Zsa Gabor should both be dead by now, but they are defying the odds. Zsa Zsa Gabor recently had a close call w/ death I believe earlier this year and has been near death several times in the past. Elizabeth Taylor is becoming one of the biggest death teases (along w/ Zsa Zsa). She's had illness after illness and has reportedly been on the verge of death several times, only to "miraculously" recover.

Yeah because we all know who that is.... Seriously, I'd put Roy E. Disney as the most significant death of this month. And I think his death would be hard to top, unless someone like Elizabeth Taylor died.

No doubt Michael Jackson was not only the most significant death of the year, he was probably the most significant death of the decade. December so far is a pretty lackadasical month in terms of celebrity deaths (especially compared to the last previous Decembers). So far, only Richard Todd and Gene Barry have died this past December and both were already in their early 90s. Then again, it seems like things have slowed down quite a bit since Patrick Swayze and Mary Travers died in mid-September. Anyway, just as a thought. Say Tiger Woods did perish in that car crash. His death would've most likely eclipsed Michael Jackson's as both the most significant death of the year and of the decade. That's how much of an icon Tiger Woods is. The media coverage would probably have been even more in depth had, say, Tiger Woods died in that car accident.

January: John Updike February: Paul Harvey March: Ron Silver April: Bea Arthur May: Jack Kemp June: Michael Jackson (duh) July: Walter Cronkite (another duh) August: Ted Kennedy (yet another duh) September: Patrick Swayze October: Claude Levi Strauss (definitely a slow month for celebrity deaths) November: Edward Woodward (only real celebrity death of that month) December: Richard Todd (disappointing month so far)

May this Christmas be a noteworthy holiday for all us deathlisters... Anyway, looks like the Holiday season is off to a good start. Actor Richard Todd, a leading man of 1950s Hollywood cinema, has passed away (this was also reported in the "The Dead of 2009" thread). http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8394812.stm

Legendary Spanish horror actor/filmmaker Paul Naschy has passed away at the age of 75. http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/ocioycultura/...40626173170.htm (obituary is in Spanish)

November was a particularly bloody slow month for celebrity deaths. The only real notable celebrity to pass away in November was Edward Woodward -- but his death received virtually no media coverage in the US despite starring in a popular 80s TV series in the States (The Equalizer) and him having a starring role in the well known cult classic The Wicker Man. Besides Woodward, the only other celebrity who died this past month that I'm familar with is Ken Ober. He was very popular in the late 80s, early 90s, particularly w/ the Gen X crowd b/c of his appearances on MTV's Remote Control (one of the most popular shows of that time for young people). Expect things to pick up in December. There are tons of celebrities for death to choose from!

The media is once again "teasing" us w/ the claim that Tiger Woods suffered "serious" injuries in this car accident. They're trying to hype this up and make a bigger deal of it than it really is. It's a slow news day (heck, a slow news week) so they're trying to spice things up by claiming Tiger was "seriously" injured in the car crash. They're trying to add some desperate suspense, and build the non-existent tension as to whether Tiger will live or succumb to his pseudo-serious injuries from the car crash. I read the article, and from the circumstances of the crash, I'm honestly surprised that Tiger was even injured at all!

For me putting Dohety or Winehouse or Lohan or any twenty or even thirty something celebrity drug addict on the list would simply be a spoilt ballot. Celebs simply aren't allowed to die of drugs the way they used to be. They all have strong suppprt networks around them that stop them going the way of Sid Vicious, Jimmy Hendrix, et al/ The clue, by the way, is in what we know about Lindsay and Amy's using;they are bothn famous fo going into rehab at regualr intervals and not for doing drugs. Now,if you knew of any suicidally depressed singers in their twenties or thirties, then that would be worth looking in to. I see your point, but then again, look what happened to Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson, and DJ AM. All three probably had decent support networks, but they couldn't save them from their drug addictions.

What about Pete Doherty? If Amy Winehouse or Lindsay Lohan don't fit the bill of "next young tragic celebrity death" b/c they appear to be on the mend (not sure of Lohan, but I've definitely read that Winehouse is actually doing quite well though last year, I recall she appeared to have several close calls), how about Pete Doherty? Read that Doherty is still not doing well. So who knows?

I think the lack of celebrity deaths (or rumors of celebrities being gravely ill or dying) have played a part. Seriously, the only major celebrity to have died in the last few months was Edward Woodward -- and even he didn't receive much media coverage in the United States! (though that's probably b/c he's much more well known in the UK than in the US -- in the US, he's probably best known for starring in the TV series The Equalizer back in the 1980s). I also think that there hasn't been much news of celebrities being gravely ill lately. All the celebrities who were expected to die (Farrah Fawcett, Ted Kennedy, Patrick Swayze, etc.) have already died. I know Dennis Hopper is ill right now as is Maura Tierney, but are their illnesses terminal? I have those two as potential picks for 2010 -- I'm probably one of the very few out there that believes that somehow, Maura Tierney is not going to make it. Nothing against her, as I think she's a fine actress and will be happy to hear if she fully recovers, but I have this gut instinct that she's gonna be the next young tragic celebrity death. (Either her, or we will have a "shocking, unexpected" celebrity death in his/her 20s; potential picks include Amy Winehouse, Lindsay Lohan, and Pete Doherty.) Things have grinded to a halt in the world of death pools. Alas, life goes on.

Honestly, Zsa Zsa Gabor is one celebrity I wouldn't mind seeing her exit. I honestly think it's time for her to go. She's worn out her welcome and honestly, she really has no reason to live. She's 92 years old, she's in very poor health, she obviously can't work, and having her continue to live is a waste of resources. If I were to make a decision, I think she's be the perfect candidate for euthanasia. Seriously, why is she still alive? Her living is draining our medical resources and I think she's a drag. I know it's a controversial, perhaps even morally tasteless stance, but I'm really not a big fan of her and I won't be sad to see her go.

Amy Winehouse, from what I hear, (unfortunately) she appears to be on the mend. I read somewhere that she has been drug free for a year. Amy probably has had several close calls w/ death, particularly due to drugs. Those instances when she was hospitalized certainly had nothing to do w/ reactions to her medication. On the contrary, I think that they definitely have to do w/ her likely overdosing and almost dying from it. Of course, this is pure speculation. But word has it she's actually doing a lot better and may not be dying so tragically young after all. Lindsay Lohan, now she's an interesting subject. A lot of people are predicting her to be the next major celebrity to die young. They expect her to be the next tragic celebrity death in the mold of Heath Ledger and River Phoenix. While Lindsay no doubt has her personal issues, I am not sure if there is concrete evidence to support her being on the brink of death. I think there was a lot more proof of Britney Spears being on the brink of death than that of Lohan (remember back in early 2008, Britney was hospitalized and reportedly in serious condition. She was taken to the hospital right around the time Heath Ledger died of drug overdose.) I actually think that between the two, Lindsay Lohan is likely to die first b/c her behavior, at least from what I read in gossip sites like TMZ.com, is certainly heading in a reckless direction. Her film career is in a slump and she's having relationship troubles. I'm not at all surprised to also hear she's fallen off the wagon and back to drinking. I think it would be interesting to guess who would be the next major celebrity to die tragically young. I too would like to see a 20-something on next year's list.

Castro unfortunately ain't dead. He's just been a motherf*cking goddamn tease! This Castro dictator really aggravates me!!!! He's probably the biggest deathpool tease ever!! Burn in hell, Castro! He's a brutal scumbag dictator. Here's wishing to a quick death soon. Stop teasing us Castro! You know you don't have much to live for! Life is worth leaving, Castro. Sick of this goddamn tease.

Wow, the fact that Hopper's manager has said that they're "hoping for the best" in regards to Hopper's health likely means he's not doing well. Prostate cancer usually is not as lethal as pancreatic or lung cancer, but it does kill and is itself a very agonizing form of cancer. I'm definitely considering him for my 2010 DL. He's a huge Hollywood legend and is probably one of the biggest names in America. He'll be a huge loss. Perhaps he might pass away as soon as this year -- if he does, he'll probably be the biggest loss to Hollywood this year. He needs his own thread (hopefully a mod will merge all the posts here) and he should be seriously considered for the DL 2010. I think he'll be doing very well to see 2011.