THIS WEEK’S BIRTHDAYS
TODAY, DEC 2
Britney Spears, pop star, is 37. Joachim Kelly, former Offaly hurler, is 63. Lucy Liu, actress, is 50. Monica Seles, tennis star, is 45. Rick Savage, Def Leppard bassist, is 58. Nelly Furtado, pop singer, is 40. Gwyneth Strong, Cassandra in Only Fools & Horses, is 59.
MONDAY, DEC 3
Brendan Fraser, actor, is 50. Julianne Moore, actress, is 58. Daryl Hannah, actress, is 58. Eamonn Holmes, TV presenter, is 59. Jean-Luc Godard, movie director, is 88. Ozzy Osbourne, rocker, is 70. Sean Parker, Napster, Facebook and Spotify mogul, is 39. Mike Gibson, former Ireland and Lions rugby player, is 76. John Wilson, former drummer with Them and Taste, is 71.
TUESDAY, DEC 4
Paul McGrath, footballing legend, is 59. Jay Z , rapper, is 49. Marisa Tomei, actress, is 54. Jeff Bridges, actor, is 69. Terry Woods, musician with The Pogues, is 71. Chris Hillman, singer-bassist with The Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers, is 74. Philip Hammond, UK finance minister, is 63.
WEDNESDAY, DEC 5
Sean Quinn, businessman, is 71. Little Richard, one of the original rock ’n’ rollers, is 86. Ronnie O’Sullivan, snooker ace, is 43. Frankie Muniz, Malcolm in the Middle actor, is 33. Jose Carreras, tenor, is 72. Eddie Edwards, British skier, aka Eddie the Eagle, is 55.
THURSDAY, DEC 6
Rick Buckler, drummer with The Jam, is 63. Jan O’Sullivan, former Labour minister, is 68. Peter Buck, REM guitarist, is 62. Judd Apatow, movie director, is 51. Gerry Francis, former England midfielder, is 67. Steve Mahon, former Galway hurler, is 61. Alberto Contador, 2007 Tour de France winner, is 36. Andrew Flintoff, former England cricketer, is 41. David Lovering, The Pixies drummer, is 57. Noel Skehan, outstanding Kilkenny hurler, with nine All-Irelands, is 74.
FRIDAY, DEC 7
Damien Rice, singer-songwriter, is 45. Charlie McGettigan, singer-songwriter, is 68. Jeffrey Donaldson, DUP politician, is 56. Ellen Burstyn, actress, is 86. Nicole Appleton, ex-singer with All Saints, is 44. Noam Chomsky, intellectual, is 90. Mike Nolan, Dublin-born Bucks Fizz singer, is 64. John Terry, ex-Chelsea centre-half, is 38. Stan Boardman, comedian, is 81. Tom Waits, singer-songwriter, is 69.
SATURDAY DEC 8
Sinead O’Connor, singer, is 52. James Galway, flautist and composer, is 79. John Banville, novelist, is 73. Kim Basinger, actress, is 65. Toots Hibbert, singer with Toots and the Maytals, is 76. Bill Bryson, writer, is 67. Geoff Hurst, former England striker, is 77. Bobby Elliott, The Hollies drummer, is 77. Phil Collen, Def Leppard guitarist, is 61.