Vinegar Tits

Cool. Despite not being Catholic, I might pop along to have a nosey if he goes to Canterbury or somewhere close by. Obviously to report on how well he looks, if he looks like he might croak soon, etc. The usual.

Wess, one half of Wess & Dori Ghezzi has died. Very popular in Italy, they famously represented the country in the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest where they came a very respectable third behind Teach-In and the Shadows with Era, one of my favourite Italian entries. Let's remember this fine moment - 'Era' from Eurovision 1975

Does he know you've found these undergarments in his left-behind things or is he too busy playing Mafia Wars?

I can't believe he was 87! So that's Diane Holland and Felix Bowness this year. Who'll be next?

He's obviously started a trend: Singer falls into orchestra pit at Glyndebourne Pffft. Patti Smith was doing that 30-odd years ago...

You said that back in 2007, which is why we put her in our 2008 team *twiddles thumbs*

Indeed. He looked bloody awful - very old and very frail.

DEAD!!!! Always thought the Dolly Dots were a poor man's Luv' personally, only there were twice as many of 'em. Better than Babe though.

Sad news, but it was inevitable at such an age. Good innings and all that. EDIT: Argh! Not on my team(s). Surprised he died before Harry Patch to be honest. RIP to a unique man with such an incredible life.

She's nothing but a coffin tease. It'll come to nowt, believe me*. * which means she'll be dead within the week. Probably.

Whichever miserable, humourless DWP jobsworth put this site on the 'offensive and sick' internet filter. Gits.

Like your argument, but a Pope isn't a one-off. Rather like the death of a monarch - unless there is a serious regime change (ie - scrapping the monarchy) then it is a case of "The Pope is dead - Long live the Pope" as there's always going to be a new one chosen in a few days. Plus in the case of JPII he'd been probably the most watched soon-to-be-dead-person since the Queen Mum (Gawd bless 'er) and certainly in his final few days, and for a couple of days around Nov/Dec the year previously whe he was ill, everyone was waiting for him to die. At the time I was working for a news gathering agency and I usually answered the phone with "is he dead yet then?" such was the anticipation. Michael Jackson was unique, a one-off. He is irreplacable; and for all the rumours about his health and the feeling that he wold never reach old age, his death still came as a shock and out of the blue. There hadn't been a death like this since Saint Diana. Therefore most significant death of 2009? Certainly. I'd argue it's the second most significant event of this decade in fact.

His dad was my sister's history teacher at our upper school.

Both the main team and my personal team are on 43 points, and now my flipping sister's team (who, like my personal team, has a Siouxsie And The Banshees related name) is also on 43 points! This is going to be a real personal battle...

They were my exact immediate thoughts when I heard the news about Diana. Had it been Madonna (or Debbie Harry, or one of Abba) I'd have probably had to have the day off work as I'd be inconsolable. But Jacko has always left me cold. His music does not play a role in any part, significant or otherwise, of my life and as such I don't feel any emotion about the news. I'm fascinated by the coverage and cultural aspects but ...nope, don't feel anything. I'm a lot sadder about Farrah, who was hugely significant in my childhood, even if I was more of a Sabrina fan than Jill. While I'm generally not one for conspiracy theories, I wouldn't put it past him having done a Reggie Perrin. Wouldn't believe it in most cases, but Jackson... yup. It's freakishly good timing, as I never expected the O2 gigs to go ahead. My one doubt is that I can't imagine he would have wanted to upstage Farrah but otherwise it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. So, soon to be seen down your local chip shop along with Elvis perhaps?

Good to see some parts of the media have principles. Though the BBC have allegedly confirmed it, the wording of their reports seems oddly non-committal with lots of "reports say" and 'is dead' rather than just saying he is dead.

Somewhat crass to say but it's probably the second biggest news story this decade after 9/11.

Again, they seem to be quoting TMZ. I'm not a fan to be honest so don't feel very much at all. I'm definitely sadder about Farrah joining the Angels in heaven than Jacko's possible demise.

My old place of work (a certain news gathering/wires company) is reporting he's in a coma, and I'm inclined to believe them. Either way, it looks like he really is, actually ill this time. Are we heading for the biggest internet meltdown since 9/11 I wonder?

Farewell Farrah. A true Seventies icon gone

Who, Henry Allingham? Going on the last video from BBC it wouldn't surprise me, but what sources? I have to say I thought he looked very frail and rather ill in the most recent television pictures of him. He seems to have really aged in the last three years or so. Good luck to him though - I hope he goes on and on. An incredible man and a true hero.

at tonight's result. I know the omens were bad as the match clashed with my other passion, the second semi final of the Eurovision Song Contest.

I've just posted it in the 'dead of 2009' thread but I feel it should be mentioned here as well - legendary Aussie actor Charles 'Bud' Tingwell has said g'bye.

Aussie legend Bud Tingwell has died.

Hard not to when there's swine flu around...