GRAPHIC CONTENT
What we’ve been talking about It’s been said before and we might as well say it again: 2016 has been the proverbial annus horribilis for celebrities shuffling off this mortal coil. From Bowie to Prince and Burt Kwouk to Victoria Wood, we have lost far too many and we’re not even halfway through the year. So, it’s time to reflect back on those famous folk who have departed during this century as we asked a select panel of mourners which celebrity death most cut them to the core . . .
PRINCE OR
BOWIE I honestly can’t
decide. As a result I now constantly have a mash-up of ‘China Girl’ and ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ in
my head.
PHIFE DAWG (A TRIBE
CALLED QUEST) He did not get the
attention he deserves between all the others. He spent most of his career demonstrating
that a diabetic could be
funky.
ROBIN WILLIAMS A really tragic death for
me, especially when it was shrouded with loads of controversy because of how it
happened. I just loved him in Jack: he played vulnerable and young
so well. ‘Star’, the movie’s theme tune,
still makes me think of
him now.
PIERRE BOULEZ
Great conductor, tireless propagandist for and encourager of
new music, founder of IRCAM but above all one of the most brilliant, exhilarating composers of the last
60 years.
RIK MAYALL One of the first comedians I ever saw live and the
only one (probably)
who had a killer impersonation of Geordie middle- distance runner
Steve Cram in his armoury. Admittedly, this merely involved
him bolting
manically back and forth across
his stage for about four minutes
before yelling (in a very Rik voice) ‘I’m Steve Cram!’ Still genius though.
PRINCE He has the same
birthday as me and I was
always convinced he would come to my party.
Now it will just be me and Bear Grylls . . .
VICTORIA WOOD
She was the first example of a woman
comedian I ever
discovered and was
also my first live comedy show. Her
gentleness and genius were eye-opening (I’m legit tearing up now).
2 THE LIST 2 Jun–1 Sep 2016
MARY HANSEN (STEREOLAB)
She was killed on her bike by some effing idiot in a
truck. Stereolab was
an important band for me during the 1990s. After Mary’s death, cycling lost all enjoyment and I basically just spat
venom at every
inconsiderate driver I came across; that was until my (third)
bike was nicked a couple of years later, after which I caught the train.
LOU REED
Because Transformer transformed me.
PRINCE
He’s the one who appeared on my
bedroom wall, who I had a crush on but didn’t tell anyone except my best pal
because, well, he was a short man with an
afro and Cuban Heels! He was a supremely
talented musician and I’m sad I didn’t see him live. God help me when George Michael goes: a week of compassionate leave will be required.
JAMES GANDOLFINI A big man in both
stature and reputation, surely there has been no better screen representation of
flawed maleness than his Tony Soprano? To
make a monster almost loveable is a colossal feat of both acting and
humanity.
DAVID BOWIE He was prolific with his
output, never uncool
and seemed to be entirely untainted by fame. And I REALLY
wanted to see him back in Twin Peaks.
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