Celeb Deaths that have stuck with you

[Whisperer]

My father was his main sparring partner in the build up to the fight and was one of the pallbearers. He still wears a St Christopher that Jonny Owens gave him as a thank you. Very sad.

Well im sure I would have crossed paths with your old man, I was a regular at Ynysowen boxing gym Troedyrhiw in the 70's and remember Johnny visiting regular, I loved the amateur circuit back then there were some great boxers like John Wall and Martin Galleozzi.

[Jonny London]

My father was his main sparring partner in the build up to the fight and was one of the pallbearers. He still wears a St Christopher that Jonny Owens gave him as a thank you. Very sad.

Some story that. I remember the fight with Lupe Pintor, and heard about him being stretchered off on the radio the following morning. The radio announcer was very sombre. Obviously a very serious matter. And so it proved. Very sad.

RIP The Matchstick Man

[dembethewarrior]

...loved Rock DJ..

I'm not on drugs, so not on your wavelength no idea what you're on about sorry butt

[cardiff55]

Peter Sellers, John Lennon and Jonny Owen from a long time ago. Also Amy Winehouse.

Speed and Whitts a couple of years back. And of course Sala, who died 10 days after my son! An awful month January 2019.

[jon1959]

Linda Smith (maybe not a celeb but well known on TV comedy shows and almost a neighbour), Gary Speed, Whitts.

I was shocked by the deaths of Lennon, Heath Ledger, Prince and Amy Winehouse (the days of musicians cashing out at 27 were long gone) but they didn't 'stick'.

[Allez Allez Allez]

Prince was a shock.

I remember being in school when Mercury died, but I wasn't too bothered. I hated Queen, and still think he was over-rated. Plus, we knew he was dying.

Bowie was a huge shock. Was driving to work, actually listening to Ziggy Stardust. The CD ended before I got to work, so I put the news on and they were reporting something on Radio 5. Got to work and just didn't feel like doing much because he was such a massive hero of mine.

Harrison dying was another shock, my car-sharing mate used to listen to Red Dragon, and I'd always moan about how crap the music was on the station. One morning they were playing "My Sweet Lord", I guessed it was a quiz question but then they said it was George Harrison dying and it was another day where I didn't do much in work.

I remember my gran coming to our flat to tell us Tommy Cooper had just died, and I also remember feeling sad when Morecambe died too. But, as a kid, all these were "old men" so their time had come. My gran also came to our house to tell us Diana had died.

Wacko Jacko was a shock but I honestly think the world is a better place without him.

Winehouse was a terrible tragedy, and I remember shouting out "No" in disbelief when news came through that Speedo had died.

Whitts is one of those I can't ever get my head around and so is probably the one that "sticks" with me at the moment.

[Des Parrot]

My list would be too long but having been born into a motorcycle racing family, far far too many deaths than I care to recall. They may not be celebs in some peoples minds but then I’m not familiar with some of the names associated with music in this thread.

[delmbox]

Speed because apart from the shock and sadness it was the realisation of just how not ok people who seem absolutely fine can be

[Madlock]

I think realising Sala had been killed tragically was one of the worst for me. Hoping for good news, then when it never materialised. I'd heard that Whitts was critically ill in hospital before it was made public and that was a real choker. I admit to sharing a tear over the death of Phil Suarez, even though I never met the guy.

An anecdote about my son and the death of Sala. He wanted a new City shirt with Sala's name on it when it was announced we'd signed him. He printed a photo of Sala and pinned it on his bedroom wall. He was 6 at the time. I remember picking him up from school the day we knew Sala had died, so I wondered how to tell him. In the end I just said what had happened. His reply was "it's ok Dad, we've got other strikers"...

Absolutely this. Horrific following the story over a few days, and the hope that they would be found alive.

Bowie’s death affected me a bit. I wasn’t a massive fan particularly, but it happened around two weeks after my mother passed, and I think I found it a bit overwhelming.

Whitts, Chris Barker and Speedo. Just gone way too soon.

[Sunnysideup]

Sorry to hear that Cardiff55
It’s not natural for a child to pass away before it’s parents
Heartfelt condolences my friend x

[Cleve van Leef]

Eddie Cochran, saw him at Gaumont Cinema Cardiff January 1960, died in a car accident April that year. Fabulous gig that night in January.

The Gaumont ended up as Top Rank a couple of years later.

[Mario Miethig]

Felt like I been punched in the stomach when I heard about Whitts and I still can’t get my head around it. Even though I wasn’t a fan, George Michael on Xmas day really shocked me also.
Always remember getting out of bed in 1977, walking down the stairs and finding my mum in floods of tears over the death of Elvis Presley. She explained to me when I was older, it was just the shock of someone that iconic passing away unexpectedly. She wasn’t even that much of a fan of his.

[Harry Lime]

Rik mayall for me

Me too

[splott parker]

Prince was a shock.

I remember being in school when Mercury died, but I wasn't too bothered. I hated Queen, and still think he was over-rated. Plus, we knew he was dying.

Bowie was a huge shock. Was driving to work, actually listening to Ziggy Stardust. The CD ended before I got to work, so I put the news on and they were reporting something on Radio 5. Got to work and just didn't feel like doing much because he was such a massive hero of mine.

Harrison dying was another shock, my car-sharing mate used to listen to Red Dragon, and I'd always moan about how crap the music was on the station. One morning they were playing "My Sweet Lord", I guessed it was a quiz question but then they said it was George Harrison dying and it was another day where I didn't do much in work.

I remember my gran coming to our flat to tell us Tommy Cooper had just died, and I also remember feeling sad when Morecambe died too. But, as a kid, all these were "old men" so their time had come. My gran also came to our house to tell us Diana had died.

Wacko Jacko was a shock but I honestly think the world is a better place without him.

Winehouse was a terrible tragedy, and I remember shouting out "No" in disbelief when news came through that Speedo had died.

Whitts is one of those I can't ever get my head around and so is probably the one that "sticks" with me at the moment.

Funny you say ‘as a kid, they were old men and their time had come’. Eric Morecambe was 58, same age Sean Lock.

[Alan Lung]

Roy Hattersley

[J R Hartley]

Well im sure I would have crossed paths with your old man, I was a regular at Ynysowen boxing gym Troedyrhiw in the 70's and remember Johnny visiting regular, I loved the amateur circuit back then there were some great boxers like John Wall and Martin Galleozzi.

My old man is Michael Pickett. Good amateur record, pro not so good as we keep reminding him Hes a little bit older than John Wall and Martin Galliozzie but boxed from same gym. He boxed for Danny Galliozzie.

My uncle Les Pickett was decent by all accounts. Always involved in good value for money bouts. Micky Duff wanted to sign him up but he wouldn’t move to London and stayed with Eddie Thomas. Had a big following from Merthyr wherever he fought.

[J R Hartley]

Some story that. I remember the fight with Lupe Pintor, and heard about him being stretchered off on the radio the following morning. The radio announcer was very sombre. Obviously a very serious matter. And so it proved. Very sad.

RIP The Matchstick Man

We didn’t have a phone in those days. My grandsha came up to our house to let my dad know. One of few times I seen him cry.

Pinto come to Merthyr about 10 years ago to unveil the Jonny Owen statue and was given a huge welcome by the Owen family and the Merthyr boxing family. Tragic but the family never blamed him.

[Whisperer]

My old man is Michael Pickett. Good amateur record, pro not so good as we keep reminding him Hes a little bit older than John Wall and Martin Galliozzie but boxed from same gym. He boxed for Danny Galliozzie.

My uncle Les Pickett was decent by all accounts. Always involved in good value for money bouts. Micky Duff wanted to sign him up but he wouldn’t move to London and stayed with Eddie Thomas. Had a big following from Merthyr wherever he fought.

😂😂😂 of course I know the pickets, Les was a bit of class and should have achieved a bit more than he did, I looked up to those guys when I was a kid growing up lots of happy memories.

[goats]

Prince was a shock.

I remember being in school when Mercury died, but I wasn't too bothered. I hated Queen, and still think he was over-rated. Plus, we knew he was dying.

Bowie was a huge shock. Was driving to work, actually listening to Ziggy Stardust. The CD ended before I got to work, so I put the news on and they were reporting something on Radio 5. Got to work and just didn't feel like doing much because he was such a massive hero of mine.

Harrison dying was another shock, my car-sharing mate used to listen to Red Dragon, and I'd always moan about how crap the music was on the station. One morning they were playing "My Sweet Lord", I guessed it was a quiz question but then they said it was George Harrison dying and it was another day where I didn't do much in work.

I remember my gran coming to our flat to tell us Tommy Cooper had just died, and I also remember feeling sad when Morecambe died too. But, as a kid, all these were "old men" so their time had come. My gran also came to our house to tell us Diana had died.

Wacko Jacko was a shock but I honestly think the world is a better place without him.

Winehouse was a terrible tragedy, and I remember shouting out "No" in disbelief when news came through that Speedo had died.

Whitts is one of those I can't ever get my head around and so is probably the one that "sticks" with me at the moment.

I recall being gutted about George, he died on my birthday, I just arrived in Amsterdam so we had a few in his memory. Anthony Bordain another, loved watching his no reservations series and everything about the guy. I didn’t know Rik Mayal had died…..how did I miss that one.

[RonnieBird]

Marty Hopkirk

[cardiff55]

Sorry to hear that Cardiff55
It’s not natural for a child to pass away before it’s parents
Heartfelt condolences my friend x

Thank you Sunnysieup.

[cardiff55]

Nobody has mentioned Diana , Princess of Wales?

[The Bloop]

A few spring to mind.
The first was probably Tommy Cooper. He was my dads favourite comedian and the nature his death was upsetting. We also lived next door to relatives of his, so they were also affected.
Jock Stein aswell as I was at the game and got home in time to see the story on the news.
More recently i think Prince, Amy Winehouse and Victoria Wood as they were all too young and still had so much more to give.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Nobody has mentioned Diana , Princess of Wales?

I'm an anti-royalist and far from being a 'Hello' reader but I think the her death and that of John Lennon were the most shocking for me. Funnily enough, I flew to Austria on holiday the morning after her death and I was surprised at the outporing of grief over there.

[Alan Lung]

Nobody has mentioned Diana , Princess of Wales?

Why would they? Another one of the establishment gone, happy days.