Not Exactly Famous...

[Octopus of Odstock 1,920]

Michael Sellers, Peter Sellers only son died at the weekend.

He was 52 and he died of exactly the same heart problem as his father, almost exactly 26 years to the day after he died as well.

No link, but I read it in todays paper.

 

Good God, I've just watched I Told You I Was Ill.. A Tribute to Spike Milligan on BBC4 tonight, he was on that, filmed last year.

 

Link here, by the way.

 

[Tempus Fugit 212]

Bob Simpson, former BBC correspondent, he reported from Baghdad during the first Gulf War.

[Tempus Fugit 212]

Women's chess prodigy and former Women's World Amateur Champion Jessie Gilbert has died at the age of 19

She fell from an 8th floor window in the Czech Republic

Though she obviously went higher and higher ...

An unfortunate choice of words considering.

[VSBfromH 74]

Joyce Hatto

 

Concert pianist described by the Boston Globe as "The greatest living pianist that almost no one has ever heard of." (so not one for the "Near Misses" thread then!)

 

Died of cancer some time last month according to Radio 3.

 

Stopped playing in 1976 having contracted cancer, so she lasted a fair while since then.

 

"...she was criticized by journalists for her appearance and had once been told that it is ''impolite to look ill." " !!!

[Octopus of Odstock 1,920]

Sci-fi writer David Gemell has died, aged 57, after heart surgery. Link

[Tempus Fugit 212]

Sci-fi writer David Gemell has died, aged 57, after heart surgery. Link

He's pretty well known, I'd have thought Near Misses thread for him. I haven't read any of his books yet I'd still heard of him.

 

He's now got a prominent BBC obit,

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5224868.stm

Edited July 28, 2006 by Tempus Fugit

[Phantom 2,489]

Sci-fi writer David Gemell has died, aged 57, after heart surgery. Link

 

He's pretty well known, I'd have thought Near Misses thread for him. I haven't read any of his books yet I'd still heard of him.

 

wow, I'm astonished. I saw Gemell at a book signing at Forbidden Planet in London a couple of years ago, he looked really well. His "Waylander" series was one of the most popular of all his works

[Octopus of Odstock 1,920]

He's pretty well known, I'd have thought Near Misses thread for him. I haven't read any of his books yet I'd still heard of him. He's now got a prominent BBC obit.

 

There are only 6 news reports (thus far) on Google News Search (my main reason for NFB...) carrying a report of his death, and, as you have said before, a BBC article is not really a real judgement of somebody's fame. No doubt famous in his field, but worldwide, generally.. nah.

 

I'm quite comfortable with my decision, here, though I appreciate that in the past I have put less notables in the Near Misses, but that was back in the Iain days when you almost felt obliged to post any semi-notable death so that Iain wouldn't "confirm" it, 8 days later.

[Phantom 2,489]

He's pretty well known, I'd have thought Near Misses thread for him. I haven't read any of his books yet I'd still heard of him. He's now got a prominent BBC obit.

 

There are only 6 news reports (thus far) on Google News Search (my main reason for NFB...) carrying a report of his death, and, as you have said before, a BBC article is not really a real judgement of somebody's fame. No doubt famous in his field, but worldwide, generally.. nah.

 

I'm quite comfortable with my decision, here, though I appreciate that in the past I have put less notables in the Near Misses, but that was back in the Iain days when you almost felt obliged to post any semi-notable death so that Iain wouldn't "confirm" it, 8 days later.

 

In terms of fame value, Gemmell is well known amongst fantasy fiction readers and those who would work in a book store. Admittedly his only real hits regarding his writings have been Legend and Waylander, he's not really widely known as someone say Stephen King

I'd probably say he was a borderline case

[Tempus Fugit 212]

He's pretty well known, I'd have thought Near Misses thread for him. I haven't read any of his books yet I'd still heard of him. He's now got a prominent BBC obit.

 

There are only 6 news reports (thus far) on Google News Search (my main reason for NFB...) carrying a report of his death, and, as you have said before, a BBC article is not really a real judgement of somebody's fame. No doubt famous in his field, but worldwide, generally.. nah.

 

I'm quite comfortable with my decision, here, though I appreciate that in the past I have put less notables in the Near Misses, but that was back in the Iain days when you almost felt obliged to post any semi-notable death so that Iain wouldn't "confirm" it, 8 days later.

Jessie Gilbert got 60, yet I venture nobody had heard of her until she took a tumble.

 

David Gemmell is a successful author with a considerable body of work behind him.

 

Be honest, if Stanley Kunitz wasn't on the list how many would have heard of him?

[Phantom 2,489]

He's pretty well known, I'd have thought Near Misses thread for him. I haven't read any of his books yet I'd still heard of him. He's now got a prominent BBC obit.

 

There are only 6 news reports (thus far) on Google News Search (my main reason for NFB...) carrying a report of his death, and, as you have said before, a BBC article is not really a real judgement of somebody's fame. No doubt famous in his field, but worldwide, generally.. nah.

 

I'm quite comfortable with my decision, here, though I appreciate that in the past I have put less notables in the Near Misses, but that was back in the Iain days when you almost felt obliged to post any semi-notable death so that Iain wouldn't "confirm" it, 8 days later.

Jessie Gilbert got 60, yet I venture nobody had heard of her until she took a tumble.

 

David Gemmell is a successful author with a considerable body of work behind him.

 

Be honest, if Stanley Kunitz wasn't on the list how many would have heard of him?

 

I have to admit that I'd heard of Jessie Gilbert for a couple of reasons

1. I knew a teacher from her school and he sometimes spoke of her.

2. she sometimes featured in the chess magazines that my dad is subscribed too

[Anubis the Jackal 76]

David Gemmell used to edit my local rag. He once presented me with a signed copy of his book 'Legend' along with a cassette of the ZX Spectrum game version of it.

 

 

 

Both were irredeemably sh*t.

[Canadian Paul 93]

I'm glad to see that the departure of iain and the creation of "The Names" thread has solved all our Not Exactly Famous problems...

[VSBfromH 74]

No link yet, and I suspect that there might be a response of "who?" if you don't live in the NW of England, but "Granada Reports" has just reported that their long time stalwart Bob Smithies has died.

 

He was also a crossword compiler for "The Guardian" under the pseudonym of Bunthorne.

 

Apologies to those who think he's a bit "regional", but he was a well-known face to many for aeons in these parts! I will post a link once I can find one.

[Handrejka 1,844]

No link yet, and I suspect that there might be a response of "who?" if you don't live in the NW of England, but "Granada Reports" has just reported that their long time stalwart Bob Smithies has died.

 

He was also a crossword compiler for "The Guardian" under the pseudonym of Bunthorne.

 

Apologies to those who think he's a bit "regional", but he was a well-known face to many for aeons in these parts! I will post a link once I can find one.

 

 

I remember good old Bob Smithies

[VSBfromH 74]

...if you don't live in the NW of England...

 

I remember good old Bob Smithies

 

Thanks, Handrejka. I should have said "or the Isle of Man"!

 

... and bits of North Wales also!

 

I'm sure many people in those areas remember his wonderfully clear, deep tones very fondly!

[Guest a sad mourner]

a very good friend of mine died a week ago.She was a catwalk model called Heather Bratton and she was only 19 when she died ion a car crash.She was a very nice person I thought i would mention her as this site seems to be a memorial site of some kind.Here is her tribute website http://www.heatherbratton.com/home.html

[Lady Die 63]

a very good friend of mine died a week ago.She was a catwalk model called Heather Bratton and she was only 19 when she died ion a car crash.She was a very nice person I thought i would mention her as this site seems to be a memorial site of some kind.Here is her tribute website http://www.heatherbratton.com/home.html

That's very sad. I'm so sorry you've lost your friend.

 

[Posts moved -- MH]

Edited August 1, 2006 by Magere Hein

[VSBfromH 74]

Man dies after waking up and falling over cliff

[VSBfromH 74]

Herbie Kalin of the Kalin Twins

 

Massive hit in 1958 with "When".

 

And before you ask, the other one (Hal) died last year in a car crash.

[Captain Oates 21]

The great haggis entrepreneur John Angus MacSween, who opened the first purpose-built haggis factory in the world and was the "inventor" of vegetarian haggis has died.

 

"The English couldn't get enough of our haggis. They took car-loads of the stuff home with them."

[Anubis the Jackal 76]

They should mash up his corpse with some floor sweepings and bury him packed into his own guts. It's what he would have wanted etc.

 

 

The great haggis entrepreneur John Angus MacSween, who opened the first purpose-built haggis factory in the world and was the "inventor" of vegetarian haggis has died.

 

"The English couldn't get enough of our haggis. They took car-loads of the stuff home with them."

 

[Tempus Fugit 212]

Hungary's second highest goal scoring footballer Ferenc Szusza has died aged 82.

[Phantom 2,489]

Fitz Eugene Dixon Jr former owner of The Philadelphia 76ers has died at the age of 82

[Vinegar Tits 586]

Tony Ogden, frontman of early Nineties Manc popsters World Of Twist has died. Strange chap apparently with many hang-ups (I went to college with someone who lived next door to his gran and so heard all sorts about him). Still v sad though - Sons Of The Stage is a classic.