Spade_Cooley

Technically I think it's cheating to include someone who died in 2011... Phil the Greek is my top tip for 2013. I like the cut of this guy's jib.

Think he'll make it to the start line for 2013?

Gigi Giannuzzi, publisher of Trolley Books and general all-purpose hanger-on to the YBAs, died of pancreatic cancer on Christmas Eve. Someone cheer me up and tell me this wouldn't have been a unique pick for me in 2013.

Indeed. I have what I'm 95% sure is a unique pick and I'm repeatedly refreshing his Facebook fanpage to see if he's going to make it to the start line. Ray Collins, original vocalist for the Mothers of Invention, has caused me to go back to my Google Document notes file swearing aged 75.

Was part of the first wave of soldiers to land on Normandy during D-Day as well. Gotta be the GOAT character actor, on balance.

Zero Angry Men

Surely there can be no greater example of the increasing caucasianisation of hip-hop than the fact that rappers are now starting to commit suicide?

Indeed. I have what I'm 95% sure is a unique pick and I'm repeatedly refreshing his Facebook fanpage to see if he's going to make it to the start line.

So if these allegations turn out to be true, which they undoubtedly are, would this make Ian Watkins the most morally reprehensible person to ever have a top 40 single? Big Lurch and Ranking Dread never had a UK top 40 (and neither did Crazy Titch, Frank Rosolino, Claudine Longet or RL Burnside, unsurprisingly). His only real competition is Rick James and that guy from Derek & The Dominoes who beat his mother to death with a hammer, right?

So Thatcher, Mandela and Dunn's zombie are all going to die on the 23rd, then.

Another one of my 2013 team falls: one of the true "greats" of field hockey, whatever that means, Leslie Claudius has died aged 85.

Very good point. If there was a celebrity that indulged in the Deathlist my money would be on Richard Osman. He'd probably come up with a good team an' all... Are you implying something here?

John Kettley is a weatherman, a weatherman, a weatherman, John Kettley is a weatherman and Fred Talbot's a nonce.

This dude loves pious self-righteousness on Twitter nearly as much as every single New Statesman journo, so for him to put the social media to one side for a while... well, let's just say we're going to have two thumbs six feet down next year.

I thought this was going to be the next Schiavo. I called wrong :*(

As (I think) the only wop around these parts, I'm fully pushing for Andreotti to get a pick. If it encourages our readers to watch the 2008 Andreotti biopic "Il Divo", all the better.

Can we get the Savile thread posts moved over here? I don't care if I'm the only person posting on this thread, the schadenfreude will keep me going a long, long time. Anyway, so the mediocre post-hardcore pop frontman has been arrested with conspiracy to rape a one-year-old child. Here's some light reading from a year or so ago. http://www.whosdatedwho.com/tpx_74997/ian-watkins/ http://replyz.com/c/1358966-does-anyone-know-what-s-happened-with-ian-watkins-or

See, I love DotEH, but the fact he wasn't adverse to giving Tanya Tucker the occasional slap around the chops makes the song a little... harder to stomach.

Fuck, shit, no? I love "Columbo", I hate to see him in such poor health. Get well soon Pete.

Jimmy Webb – Wichita Lineman Feel like this is the "definitive" version of it, doe.

Gee, I wonder why?

Welcome to the 2013 Drop 40, Tito Vilanova.

Looks like he'll be taking the last train home.

I see myself right now as more like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=258k70qnNM8