Those we have lost

Published on Friday 26 December 2008 19:02

THIS year has brought the deaths of the great and good, the tuneful and the tale-tellers.

January

GEORGE MACDONALD FRASER, bestselling author

Born: 2 April, 1925, in Carlisle. Died: 3 January, 2007, on Isle of Man, aged 82.

His creation of the irascible ne'er-do-well Sir Harry Paget Flashman VC, turned the bully of Tom Brown's Schooldays into a cult hero and made Fraser a worldwide best-selling author. He was also a soldier, assistant editor on the Glasgow Herald, writer of several notable movie scripts, and the creator of the inimitably gormless Private McAuslan.

SIR EDMUND HILLARY, mountaineer

Born: 20 July, 1919, in Auckland, New Zealand. Died: 11 January, 2008, in New Zealand, aged 88.

The tall, gangling New Zealander and his Sherpa companion, Tenzing Norgay, became the first men to reach the summit of Everest – at 29,028ft the highest point on Earth – on 29 May, 1953, adding an additional note of jubilation to the Queen's coronation year.

JASON MACINTYRE, champion cyclist

Born: 20 September, 1973, in Lochgilphead. Died: 15 January, 2008, near Spean Bridge, aged 34.

A three-times British champion, MacIntyre died in a road accident while training, tragically curtailing a career he had put on hold for family reasons, which otherwise might have seen him making a reputation to rival that of fellow Scots cyclists Graeme Obree and Chris Hoy.

BOBBY FISCHER, chess master

Born: 9 March, 1943, in Chicago. Died: 17 January, 2008, in Reykjavik, aged 64.

An irascible genius, Bobby Fischer became world chess champion in his 1972 psychological duel with the Russian Boris Spassky, which became a metaphor for the Cold War and propelled chess into the headlines.

HEATH LEDGER, actor

Born: 4 April, 1979, in Perth, Australia. Died: 22 January, 2008, in New York, aged 28.

Heathcliff Andrew Ledger died shortly after his chilling performance as The Joker in Christopher Nolan's Batman movie, The Dark Knight, but made his reputation with his Oscar-nominated portrayal of a troubled gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain.

GENERAL SUHARTO, second president of Indonesia

Born: 8 June, 1921, in Java. Died: 27 January, 2008, in Jakarta, aged 86.

While he ushered Indonesia into a an era of economic growth, General Suharto's 32-year dictatorship was brutal and corrupt, his anti-communist purges cost many thousands of lives, while he and his family siphoned off vast amounts of money from state-controlled enterprises and charities.

February

MAHARISHI MAHESH YOGI, guru who developed transcendental meditation

Born: 12 January, 1917, in Madhya Pradesh, India. Died: 5 February, 2008, in Vlodrop, the Netherlands, aged 91.

A monk and entrepreneur, who, despite portrayals as "the Giggling Guru", built a multimillion-pound international self-help industry out of transcendental meditation, gaining wide exposure by becoming spiritual mentor to The Beatles.

ROY SCHEIDER, actor

Born: 10 November, 1932, in Orange, New Jersey. Died: 10 February, 2008, in Little Rock, Arkansas, aged 75.

Best remembered as police chief Martin Brody in Jaws, the lean, broken-nosed actor also brought penetrating performances to The French Connection, Marathon Man and All that Jazz.

STEVE FOSSETT, business tycoon and adventurer

Born: 22 April, 1944, in Jackson, Tennessee. Declared dead: 15 February, 2008, aged 63.

Having made his fortune as a commodities broker, Steve Fossett set 116 world records, among them the first non-stop round-the-world solo balloon flight and the first non-stop round-the-world solo aircraft flight. He was declared dead five months after disappearing on a routine short flight in Nevada. (The crash site was discovered in September and DNA tests confirmed his death.]

ARCHIE HIND, author of seminal Glasgow novel

Born: 3 June, 1928, in Glasgow. Died: 21 February, 2008, in Glasgow, aged 79.

The success of his award-winning and only completed novel, The Dear Green Place, not only made Archie Hind's reputation in 1966, but set a template for gritty chronicles of working-class life and has since been listed as one of the best 100 Scottish novels of all time.

STEPHEN FULLARTON, last surviving Scottish member of the International Brigades

Born: 23 August, 1919, in Glasgow. Died: 29 February, 2008, in Edinburgh, aged 88.

His socialist principles, engendered by the working-class Glasgow in which he grew up, Steve Fullarton was the last of a notable band of men and women who followed their ideals by fighting on the Republican side against Franco's Nationalist rebels in the Spanish Civil War.

March

ARTHUR C CLARKE, science fiction writer and visionary

Born: 16 December, 1917, in Minehead, Somerset. Died: 18 March, 2008, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, aged 90.

Clarke fused his vivid imagination with hard science. As well as writing almost 100 books – including the film 2001: A Space Odyssey with director Stanley Kubrick, he forecast telecommunications satellites as far back as 1945.

ANTHONY MINGHELLA, film, TV and opera director

Born: 6 January, 1954, on Isle of Wight. Died: 18 March, 2008, in London, aged 54.

Stars clamoured to work with Minghella, who graduated from writing scripts for TV's Grange Hill to directing The English Patient, which won him a best director Oscar, followed by The Talented Mr Ripley and Cold Mountain.

PAUL SCHOFIELD, Stage and screen actor

Born: 21 January, 1922, in Sussex. Died: 19 March, 2008, in Brighton, aged 86.

Credited with some of the most notable performances in post-war British theatre, Paul Schofield also took his distinctive voice and stage skills on to the big screen, playing Sir Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons, but eschewed Hollywood glitz.

April

CHARLTON HESTON, actor and campaigner

Born: 4 October, 1923, in Evanston, Illinois. Died: 5 April, 2008, in Beverly Hills, California, aged 84.

Remembered largely for his epic roles such as Moses or Ben Hur, the rugged-jawed actor had a more controversial role as president of the National Rifle Association and a high-profile campaigner against gun control.

SIMON MACKENZIE, actor and Gaelic activist

Born: 4 December, 1949, in Leverburgh, Harris. Died: 8 April, 2008, in Dunbartonshire, aged 58.

Perhaps best known for his role in the Gaelic soap opera Machair, Simon Mackenzie made a huge contribution to the furtherance of Gaelic culture, whether touring with John MacGrath's 7:84 Theatre Company or promoting Gaelic drama in schools.

HUMPHREY LYTTELTON, jazz musician and broadcaster

Born: 23 May, 1921, at Eton College. Died: 25 Apri,l 2008, in London, aged 86.

The trumpeter who caught Louis Armstrong's ear as early as 1948 became a leading British jazz crusader, but also gained a wide audience through his wittily deadpan chairmanship of the eccentric radio show I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.

May

BARONESS MICHIE OF GALLANACH, former Liberal Democrat MP for Argyll and Bute

Born: 4 February, 1934, in Balmaha. Died: 6 May, 2008, in Oban, aged 74

A campaigner for Gaelic, which she spoke fluently, and for Scottish devolution, Ray Michie, the daughter of liberal Peer Lord Bannerman, became MP for Argyll and Bute in 1987 – the Liberal Party's only woman MP at the time – and was subsequently re-elected twice with increased majorities

TOMMY BURNS, Footballer, coach and manager

Born: 16 December, 1956, in Glasgow. Died: 15 May, 2008, in Glasgow, aged 51.

TOMMY Burns, described by Rangers' Ally McCoist as "the nicest man in Scottish football", was the Celtic player, coach and manager who transcended all Old Firm hatreds. As a nippy midfielder, he also collected eight Scotland caps.

BRIAN KEENAN, senior IRA commander

Born: 1941, in Swatragh, Co Londonderry. Died: 21 May, 2008, in South Armagh.

Brian Keenan was director of IRA terrorist operations in England in the mid-1970s, masterminding dozens of bombings and shootings. A ruthless strategist labelled "the single biggest threat to the British state", he was jailed for 18 years but later endorsed the peace process.

BERYL COOK, artist

Born: 10 September, 1926, in Surrey. Died: 28 May, 2008, in Plymouth, aged 81.

Best known for her buxom ladies and other larger-than-life, sausage-fingered characters, with a distinct smack of naughty seaside postcards, Cook's work was often sniffed at by critics but attracted a huge following.

June

YVES SAINT LAURENT, fashion designer

Born: 1 August, 1936, in Oran, Algeria. Died: 1 June, 2008, in Paris, aged 71.

One of the most influential and iconic couturiers of the 20th century, Yves Saint Laurent effectively changed the way women dress, putting them into trousers, jackets and pantsuits, as well as glamorous gowns, in styles which endured for decades.

BO DIDDLEY, R&B singer and guitarist

Born: 30 December, 1928 in McComb, Mississippi. Died: 2 June, 2008, in Florida, aged 79.

Born Otha Ellas Bates, Bo Diddley became famous for his insistent three-beat-two-beat rhythm, "the Bo Diddley beat", which was seized upon by generations of largely white musicians, from Buddy Holly to the Rolling Stones and U2.

ESBJRN SVENSSON, jazz pianist and composer

Born: 16 April, 1964, in Skultuna, Sweden. Died: 14 June, 2008, in Stockholm, aged 44.

Labelled as jazz musicians, Svensson and his trio reached far wider audiences and became one of the few European jazz outfits to crack the US market.

CYD CHARISSE, dancer and actress

Born: 8 March, 1922, in Amarillo, Texas. Died: 17 June, 2008, in Los Angeles, aged 86.

During the golden age of Hollywood musicals Charisse became a memorable dance partner for Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain and Band Wagon.

July

BOB CRAMPSEY, broadcaster, writer and historian

Born: 8 July, 1930, in Glasgow. Died: 27 July, 2008, in Glasgow, aged 78.

A one-time Brain of Britain, Crampsey's enthusiasm and encyclopaedic knowledge made him the genius of Scottish football coverage. He also wrote knowledgeably on many other subjects.

LORD RUSSELL-JOHNSTON, Politician

Born: 28 July, 1932, in Edinburgh. Died: 27 July, 2008, in Paris, aged 75.

A former Liberal Party leader, David Russell Johnston was MP for Inverness and Lochaber for 33 years, passionately pro-Europe and an early parliamentary campaigner for Scottish home rule.

August

ALEXANDER SOLZHENITSYN, author and political dissident

Born: 11 December, 1918, in Kislovodsk, Russia. Died: 3 August, 2008, in Moscow, aged 89.

The dissident writer and Nobel prizewinner revealed the ghastly reality of Stalin's prison camps – in which he spent eight years – in novels such as One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich and The Gulag Archipelago.

JIM JOHNSTONE, accordionist and band leader

Born: 21 January, 1937, in Tranent. Died: 4 August, 2008, in Edinburgh, aged 71.

The son of a musical household, where the great Jimmy Shand was among the visitors, Johnstone became a major figure in the Scottish dance band scene, a meticulous player whose motto was "play for your audience".

ISAAC HAYES, musician and songwriter

Born: 20 August, 1942, in Covington, Tennessee. Died: 10 August, 2008, in East Memphis, Tennessee, aged 65.

Hayes's velvety, libidinous growl, his burly, extravagantly clad frame and funky arrangements, such as the theme song from the film Shaft, made him a seminal figure in the development of 1970s soul music. He also provided the voice for the character Chef on the cult animated TV series South Park.

RONNIE DREW, folk singer and actor

Born: 16 September, 1934, in Dn Laoghaire, Co Dublin. Died: 16 August, 2008, in Dublin, aged 73.

As a founder member of the Dubliners, the larger-than-life, gravel-voiced singer and raconteur had a massive impact on the Irish folk revival and consequently on the international folk music scene.

LEO ABSE, politician and social reformer

Born: 22 April, 1917, in Cardiff. Died: 19 August, 2008, in London, aged 91.

The fiery and dandyish Welsh Labour MP was a pioneering campaigner for legislative reforms on homosexuality and divorce during the 1960s and, in later life, the author of a bizarre series of psychosexual analyses of eminent politicians. He was an opponent of devolution and described Welsh-language television as an "expensive farce" and a "gravy train".

September

DUNCAN GLEN, poet, publisher and cultural activist

Born: 11 January, 1933, in Cambuslang. Died: 20 September, 2008, in Kirkcaldy, aged 75.

An accomplished poet as well as typographer, scholar and visual communications lecturer, Duncan Glen played an inestimable role on the Scottish literary scene through his long-standing small poetry press and magazine, Akros.

PAUL NEWMAN, actor

Born: 26 January, 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio. Died: 26 September, 2008, in Westport, Connecticut, aged 83.

Paul Newman was the enduring blue-eyed, likeable rogue of such films as Hud, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Hustler. He was also a winning racing driver, while his Newman's Own salad dressing earned 100 million for charity.

JOHN HOUSTON, artist and teacher

Born: 1 April, 1930, in Buckhaven. Died: 27 September, 2008, in Edinburgh, aged 78.

Houston was an outstanding painter of his generation, producing often grand-scaled still lives, portraits, landscapes and luminous seascapes.

JOCK WILSON, Britain's oldest surviving D-Day veteran

Born: 7 September, 1903, in Edinburgh. Died: 29 September, 2008, in Dunbar, aged 105.

With the 79th regiment of the Royal Artillery, "Jock" Wilson landed at Juno Beach on 6 June 1944, earning the Military Medal for bravery and, on the 60th anniversary of the landings, the Lgion d'honneur.

October

LORD HOGG OF CUMBERNAULD, Labour MP and life peer

Born: 12 March, 1938, in Aberdeen. Died: 8 October, 2008, in Aberdeen, aged 70.

Known as an affable and self-effacing politician, Norman Hogg was Labour MP for East Dunbartonshire and the party's deputy chief whip in opposition during the Thatcher years.

JRG HAIDER, controversial right-wing Austrian politician

Born: 26 January, 1950, in Bad Goisern, Austria. Died: 11 October, 2008, in Carinthia, Austria, aged 58.

The leader of Austria's Freedom Party was an outspoken maverick, notorious for his pro-Nazi, anti-Semitic and xenophobic remarks and his contacts with Saddam Hussein and the Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi.

TOMMY SAMPSON, bandleader

Born: 28 April, 1918, in Newhaven. Died: 20 October, 2008, in Dunfermline, aged 90.

Trumpeter, wartime PoW and long-time member of the Salvation Army. Sampson's postwar band – "the Twenty Mighty Men" – is still regarded by connoisseurs as one of the great bands of the era.

STUDS TERKEL, author, broadcaster and people's historian

Born: 16 May, 1912, in New York. Died: 31 October, 2008, in Chicago, aged 96.

Championing the voice of ordinary Americans, Terkel helped establish oral history as a serious genre, winning the Pulitzer Prize, as well as hosting a long-running radio show.

November

BROOKS MILESON, entrepreneur and football chairman

Born: 13 November, 1947, in Sunderland. Died: 3 November, 2008, in Carlisle, aged 60.

A classic self-made businessman, Mileson latterly ploughed his enthusiasm and his multimillion pound fortune into Gretna FC, taking the little club improbably to the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Cup Final.

MICHAEL CRICHTON, bestselling author

Born: 23 October, 1942, in Chicago. Died: 4 November, 2008, in California, aged 66.

The author of such thrillers – and subsequent films and TV series – as Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain and Sphere, Crichton consistently produced multi-million-sellers, directed Coma and created ER.

DOUGLAS SCOTT, mountaineer and photographer

Born: 13 May, 1911, in Glasgow. Died: 10 November, 2008, in Inverness, aged 97.

Doug Scott was the last surviving member of the celebrated 1950 Scottish Himalayan expedition, which chalked up several major peaks and blazed a trail for the conquest of Everest three years later.

REG VARNEY, comic actor

Born: 11 July, 1916, in London. Died: 16 November, 2008, in Devon, aged 92.

Varney became the archetypal Cockney cheery chappie and fall guy in the popular TV sitcoms On the Buses and The Rag Trade. The former spawned three films.

RICHEY EDWARDS, missing rock guitarist

Born: 22 December, 1967, South Wales; Declared dead: 23 November, 2008.

The troubled guitarist of the Manic Street Preachers disappeared in 1995, then aged 27, surrounded by much media speculation. He was already a controversial figure and embodiment of damaged teenage angst, and may have jumped to his death from the Severn Bridge.

December

ODETTA, singer and voice of the US civil rights movement

Born: 31 December, 1930, in Birmingham, Alabama. Died: 2 December, 2008, in New York, aged 77.

Steeped in the songs of the oppressed black community of the Deep South, Odetta Holmes marched with Martin Luther King, performed for John F Kennedy and inspired everyone from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen.

OLIVER POSTGATE, creator of Bagpuss, The Clangers and Noggin the Nog

Born: 12 April, 1925, in London. Died: 8 December, 2008, in Broadstairs, Kent, aged 83.

Working from a converted byre in Kent, Postgate used cardboard cut-outs, hand-knitted puppets and basic stop-motion animation to create some of children's television's best-loved characters.

KATHY STAFF, actress

Born: 12 July, 1928, in Dukenfield, Manchester. Died: 14 December, 2008, in Dukenfield, Manchester, aged 80.

The mild-mannered and warm-hearted actress transformed herself into the resident wrinkled stocking-clad battleaxe Nora Batty in Last of the Summer Wine.

DAVEY GRAHAM, guitarist

Born: 26 November, 1940, Leicester. Died: 15 December, 2008, London, aged 68.

A hugely influential folk-jazz guitarist, Graham's free-ranging style and formidable technique tapped into "world music" long before the term was ever heard of.

SIR BERNARD CRICK political writer, polemicist, biographer and teacher

Born: 16 December, 1929, London. Died: 19 December, 2008, Edinburgh, aged 79

A socialist intellectual of the old school and mentor to David Blunkett, among others, Crick is probably best known for devising the "Britishness" test for immigrants and his biography of George Orwell, but his earlier In Defence of Politics was a vigorous exposition of his essentially republican vision.

HAROLD PINTER, playwright, director, actor, poet and political activist.

Born: 10 October, 1930, London. Died: 24 December, 2008, aged 78

Renowned for his left wing politics and his outspoken criticism of US and UK foreign policy, the Nobel prize-winner wrote more than 30 plays including The Caretaker and The Birthday Party. His film scripts include The French Lieutenant's Woman.