Latest News: The Lady's for interring...
8th Apr 2013Former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, has passed away, putting another point on the DeathList 2013 scoreboard. In the earlier stages of her career she attracted the Milk Snatcher moniker, when, as Secretary of State, she cut free milk allowance for school children. Thatcher became leader of the Conservative party in 1975 and Prime Minister in 1979. The Iron Lady ruled Britain for 11 years, during which time she dismantled Britain’s nationalised industries and battered the trade unions, the Argentinians and any others that got in her way. Public feeling against her culminated when she forced the introduction of the poll tax in 1990 and soon after found she had few allies left in her own party. Despite the passage of time, much hatred for Thatcher remains to this day. She was making her sixth appearance on DeathList, this year elected in 29th place. Her death is the fifth success for DeathList 2013.
The DeathList 2013
The DeathList committee has completed its deliberations and finalised DeathList 2013. To recap, the list comprises the celebrities thought, in the opinion of the DeathList committee, most likely to pass away during 2013. The candidates must have a level of famousness such that their death is expected to be reported by the UK media, however their fame cannot be result purely from the fact they are likely to die shortly. The other main rule is that only a maximum of half the list can comprise of candidates on the previous year’s list. DeathList 2012 saw a return to form with a final score 12 dead, however the list had some notable misses. Some strong new candidates appear on the 2013 list, however, although he may float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, there’s no place on DeathList 2013 for Muhammad Ali!The DeathList 2013
1. Ronnie Biggs, 842. Hugo Chavez, 59
3. Mikhail Kalashnikov, 94
4. Clive James, 74
5. Erich Priebke, 100
6. Chapman Pincher, 99
7. Anna Wing, 99
8. Zsa Zsa Gabor, 96
9. João Havelange , 97
10. George Bush Senior, 89
11. Eli Wallach, 98
12. Nelson Mandela, 95
13. Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh, 92
14. Gough Whitlam, 97
15. Hosni Mubarak, 85
16. Ian Paisley, 87
17. Kirk Douglas, 97
18. Olivia De Havilland, 97
19. Fidel Castro, 87
20. Bernadette Nolan, 53
21. Vera Lynn, 96
22. Henry Cecil, 70
23. Denis Healey, 96
24. Reg Presley, 72
25. Harper Lee, 87
26. Bob Dole, 90
27. Patty Andrews, 95
28. Michael Winner, 78
29. Margaret Thatcher, 88
30. Peter O'Sullevan, 95
31. Billy Graham, 95
32. Helmut Schmidt, 95
33. Al Molinaro, 94
34. Richard Attenborough, 90
35. PD James, 93
36. Richard Adams, 93
37. Jake Lamotta, 92
38. Nancy Reagan, 92
39. Peter Sallis, 92
40. Doris Day, 91
41. Stan Lee, 91
42. General Jaruzelski, 90
43. Henry Kissinger, 90
44. Pete Seeger, 94
45. Nicholas Parsons, 90
46. Elaine Stritch, 88
47. Fats Domino, 85
48. James Garner, 85
49. Peter O'Toole, 81
50. Ian Brady, 75
2013 News
Another coup for DeathList as Chavez passes
5th Mar 2013: Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela, has succumbed to cancer, providing DeathList 2013 with another score. Rumours of 58 year old Chavez’s deteriorating health had been circulating for some time and his return home from treatment in Cuba signalled that the end was near. Despite his poor health, Chavez was re-elected as president in an election as recent as October 2012. His social democratic politics made him a natural enemy of the United States, although perhaps his description of George W Bush as a donkey reinforced that role. Chavez was making his debut appearance on DeathList and found himself sitting in the number 2 slot behind our self-appointed ambassador. Chavez is the fourth success for DeathList 2013.
Wild Thing - You've made DeathList sing!
4th Feb 2013: DeathList’s fast start to the year continues with the news that Reg Presley, lead singer of The Troggs, has passed away. The Troggs had a number of hits through the 60’s to the 90’s including Wild Thing (1966), Wild Thing (new version) (1972), Wild Thing (Reggae version) (1975), Wild Thing '89 (1989) Wild Thing (1992) (featuring Oliver Reed and Hurricane Higgins), Wild Thing (1993) (featuring Wolf from Gladiators), With a Girl Like You (1966) and Love is all Around (1967). Presley succumbed to lung cancer at the age of 71. He was making his first appearance on DeathList, securing the number 24 position.
Patty's In The Mood for another DeathList success
30th Jan 2013: Patty Andrews, the last surviving members of The Andrews Sisters, has passed away to give DeathList 2013 its second success. Close harmony singing group, The Andrews Sisters, had a string of hits in the 1940, with such songs as Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Hold Tight and Beer Barrel Polka (aka Roll Out The Barrel), but the only bugle that will be heard now is that playing the Taps, as the pallbearers hold tight while the DeathList committee rolls out the barrel. Andrews was 94 years old and making her third appearance on DeathList, this year at number 27 in the charts.
Winner's Death Wish granted!
21st Jan 2013: Michael Winner, British film director, pompous food critic and star of UK motor insurance TV commercials, has added to his long list celebrity claims by being the first success of DeathList 2013. Winner was perhaps best known for the Death Wish movies in the 1970s and 80s, although in recent years had also become well known for his weekly Winner’s Dinners column in The Sunday Times. In the early 2000s, he starred in TV commercials for online insurance company, Esure, firing out the infuriating catchphrase “Calm down dear, it’s a commercial”. In later life, Winner suffered from a series of serious illnesses and had his own Death Wish, publicly announcing that he was investigating assisted suicide with Dignitas. He finally passed away aged 77. In 2013 he making his first appearance on DeathList and would have perhaps been disappointed by only claiming the number 28 position.