Vinegar Tits

Ginger Baker? That old c*** will outlive everyone out of pure spite. You may as well just pick any 60s/70s rocker at random, hellraiser or otherwise, as they're all at an age where they're going to start dropping fast. Surprising how many of the old punks are still with us, thinking about it. They're beginning to get on a bit too these days. Leah Bracknell is a must, as everyone has already said. Still don't think Charles Aznavour is going anywhere yet. I get the feeling someone much much loved is going to go in 2017 - Bruce Forsyth seems most likely but take your pick of Tom Baker, Brian Blessed, Leslie Phillips and Miriam Margoyles. Not so much that any of them (except Baker) have been ill recently, just that they're much loved characters and good chat show fodder who we'll miss when they go.

Muhammad Ali... Castro in that case. But neither Ali nor Castro's deaths came as shocks. Arguably Carrie Fisher's hasn't either but I think we all hoped she'd pull through, which you don't with old age or Parkinsons.

Dreadful news but possibly for the best if reports that her heart had stopped/stopped breathing for 15 minutes were true. She seemed like someone who would have been hilarious to go out for a night on the piss with (with her sober or otherwise, wouldn't make a difference). As for bigger death - I think Bowie nudges it. As brilliant as she was, it was Princess Leia who was an icon, not Carrie Fisher herself.

Ultimately everyone dies of heart failure. Why his heart failed is the question.

Bloody hell!

Brucie, on 24-25-26 December to spoil Christmas.

Err... Terry Wogan and Victoria Wood. I've never even heard of Doris Roberts. Anyway - toss-up between Bowie and Prince. I'd argue Bowie - a bigger deal as Blackstar was released just days earlier plus Prince had that scare on the plane a few weeks before he died so it was obviously something was up.

I worked with him many many times back in the day. While his writing can be sarky and mean, I always found him very very nice indeed. Terribly dyslexic you know.

She was born in 1939 so she's 77.

Won't make the nationals but has been mentioned on here before - Sarah Smith, Lib Dem candidate for Dover & Deal, has died of ovarian cancer aged 52 Really sad news. She was a lovely woman.

Sad news but a fine age. I hope she's up there complaining to Anne Haddy about the state of *that* portrait. Mind you, I'd have never commissioned Helen Daniels to paint a picture of me anyway judging by the rest of her 'art'...

Sounds a bit like Sheila Rossall, all this can't eat foods, can only wash in mineral water, electromagnetic doodah re phone, etc.

Meat Loaf collapses on stage in Canada Shades of Tommy Cooper. Doesn't look good at all.

Anyone been to any matches yet? I went to Germany v Ukraine in Lille last Sunday. Fantastic (and friendly) atmosphere, not a hint of trouble. I'm going to the R16 match (so probably Spain v ???) next Saturday in Lens too.

You obviously have more faith in the GB public than I have then. Batley & Spen used to be my old stomping ground by dint of living on a road that straddled Bradford and Kirklees (indeed, it's the only time I've ever voted in a GE where the person I voted for got in (1992)), and so obviously I know Birstall very well. It's unthinkable something like this could happen there. It also turns out she was a friend of a friend, though I didn't know her myself. Said friend is devastated. When the referendum was first announced I really hoped the UK would finally have a proper, grown-up, honest debate on immigration, as that's what it was going to boil down to. Nope, not even close. And, despite this, regardless of how the referendum goes - and yes, I think it may have an effect on the result though even in death a week is a long time in politics - such a debate is still sorely needed. Hopefully politics will grow up after this tragedy. God knows it needs to. Bloody awful news and thoughts go out to family, friends and the good people of her constituency. Would I be right in saying she's the first MP to be murdered in the modern era that wasn't anything to do with the IRA?

If it turned into pneumonia it could fell anyone

TMZ reporting it is Prince, and they've usually been right before http://www.tmz.com/2016/04/21/prince-dead-at-57/

Absolutely devastated by this news. Seriously massive fan. 2016 can just piss right off.

My sister went to the Madge gig in Melbourne last night, where Molly Meldrum was also in attendence. She says he really doesn't look well at all.

I know. The original post is from 2006.

Apparently he was suffering illness problems which made it difficult for him to play. Makes me wonder if he did a Bob Welch rather than it being a 'I hate myself and want to die' situation. We'll probably find out soon enough I guess. Not a fan to be honest (not a prog fan in general other than Curved Air and Yes before Wakeman joined) but he was always good value in documentaries. 2016 continues to be sad.

One of my finest Twitter moments (in a different guise to my 'normal' account) was being called "Seriously mental... insensitive and downright bad taste Tweeter" by Paul Daniels I don't quite understand all the hatred either. He's a fantastic magician and his TV shows were always entertaining.

Right, let's see. Better than: Heart Of Glass by Blondie = nope Mamma Mia by Abba = definitely not Like A Prayer by Madonna = you're 'avin' a laff Planet Earth by Duran Duran = pfffft As a fellow ginge, I can't really comment on that...

Hahahahaha! That would be just typical. I can see my sister (who lives in Melbourne and has tickets) frothing at the mouth already. Mind you, I'm someone who sent my sister highlights of the MDNA Tour Hyde Park gig the day Madge decided she couldn't be arsed going to Australia and cancelled

French pop star France Gall was hospitalised earlier this week, but has since been discharged. Rag Ici France said it was 'kidney problems' and mentioned 'heart failure', but Europe 1 and others have said it was due to an adverse drug reaction. Anyway, she's all right for now.