THIS WEEK’S BIRTHDAYS
Meg White, of rock band The White Stripes, is 43. Kenneth Branagh, actor and director of stage and screen, is 57. J Mascis, singer-guitarist of Dinosaur Jr, is 52. Clive Anderson, British comedian and talk show host, is 65. Fionnula Flanagan, Dublin-born actress, is 76. David Gates, singer in Bread, is 77. Brenda Lee, singer, is 73. Chris Hughton, former Ireland and Spurs footballer, is 59. Noel Lane, former Galway hurler, is 63. John Kerry, American politician, is 74. Nikki Sixx, bassist of Motley Crue, is 59. Dave King, Dublin-born singer with Flogging Molly, is 56. Jermaine Jackson, singer and former member of The Jackson 5, is 63. Dionne Warwick, singer, is 77. Bill Nighy, English actor is 68. Jennifer Connelly, actress, is 47. Connie Francis, singer, is 79. Bob Barker, American game-show host, is 94. Daniel O’Donnell, Donegal-born country music singer, is 56. Pat Shortt, actor and comedian, is 50. Taylor Swift, pop star, is 28. Jamie Foxx, actor, comedian, and singer, is 50. Steve Buscemi, actor and director, is 60. Anouska Hempel, actress and dress designer, is 76. Ted Nugent, rock musician and reality TV star, is 69. Christopher Plummer, Canadian actor, is 88. Peter Stringer, Worcester and former Ireland rugby player, is 40. Dick Van Dyke, actor who starred in Mary Poppins, is 92. Jane Birkin, actress, is 71. Beth Orton, singer, is 47. Michael Owen, former Liver- pool and England footballer, is 38. Philip Orr, ex-Irish rugby player, is 67. Peter
‘Spider’ Stacy, tin whistle player in The Pogues, is 59.
Vanessa Hudgens, American actress, is 29. Mike Scott, singer-songwriter of The Waterboys, is 59.
FRIDAY, DEC 15
Stuart Townsend, Irish actor, is 45. Edna O’Brien, novelist and short story writer, is 87. Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist with Kasabian, is 37. Dave Clark, drummer and bandleader of The Dave Clark Five, is 78. Frankie Dettori, flamboyant jockey, is 47. Paul Simonon, former bassist of The Clash, is 62. Jamie Heaslip, Leinster and Ireland rugby player, is 34. Michelle Smith de Bruin, controversial triple Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer, is 48. Singer-songwriter Benny Andersson, of ABBA, is 71. Billy Gibbons, guitarist/singer of ZZ Top, is 68. Quentin Blake, illustrator best known for his work on the books of Roald Dahl, is 85. Krysten Ritter, American actress, is 36. Paul McGinley, Irish golfer, is 51.