The stars we said goodbye to in 2019
As the year draws to a close, we look back at the lives of some famous faces who left us in 2019
Luke Perry 4 MARCH, AGED 52
As Dylan in Beverly Hills, 90210, Perry’s handsome face graced thousands of teenage bedroom walls. He went on to star as a grizzled divorcee in drama Riverdale. The dad-of-two, who was regarded by his peers as modest and charming, was engaged to Wendy Bauer when he died of a stroke on 4 March.
Keith Flint 4 MARCH, AGED 49
With his spiky hair, tattoos and facial piercings, the Prodigy frontman may have looked alarming as he belted out hits such as Firestarter, but off stage, Flint was a gentle, if troubled, soul. A huge star of the music scene in the Nineties he sold more than 30 million records and dated Gail Porter. He battled drink and drug addictions and died at his Essex home on 4 March.
Magenta Devine 6 MARCH , AGED 61
Famous for her dark glasses (worn indoors as well as outside), and her stylish black bob, in the Eighties and Nineties, Devine, who was born Kim Taylor, was the face of ‘youth’ television, She fronted Rough Guide, and Network 7. A former heroin addict, she was in recovery when she died of a short illness on 6 March.
Peter Mayhew
30 APRIL, AGED 74
He was a star of one of the biggest films ever, but hardly anyone would have recognised him if they passed him in the street. At 7ft 2in, his enormous height made him the perfect choice to play Chewbacca, the Wookiee companion of
Harrison Ford’s Han Solo in five Star Wars films. The dad-of-three died on 30 April of a heart attack at his home in Texas.
Freddie Starr 9 MAY, AGED 76
At various times a singer, an impressionist and a comedian, Starr, born Frederick Fowell in Merseyside, was an entertainer of the old school. He first found fame as a pop star, but found his niche as a comedian, although his star had faded in later years. A dad-of-six, he died at his home in Spain on 9 May.
Doris Day 13 MAY, AGED 97
The ultimate girl-next-door, who was born Mary Ann Kappelhoff, enjoyed a showbiz career spanning more than 80 years. Starting off as a singer, famous for Que Sera Sera, she starred in many romantic comedies. Despite the image she described as ‘Miss Chastity Belt’ she was married four times. In later years, she devoted herself to her animal foundation before her death on 13 May.
Gloria Vanderbilt 17 JUNE, AGED 95
As the daughter of a millionaire, who became the subject of a custody battle as a baby, she was born into fame. Vanderbilt went on to become a model, an actress, an artist, an author and a designer. She married four times and had four sons, one of whom is broadcaster Anderson Cooper. She died of cancer on 17 June.
Leah Bracknell SEPTEMBER, AGED 55
It was back in 1989 that actress Bracknell landed a role in Emmerdale. Her character, vet Zoe Tate, would go on to shoot a man,
jilt a woman at the altar, and blow up the family farm. Diagnosed with lung cancer in 2016, Bracknell fought bravely, but the mum-of-two died in September.
Peter Sissons 1 OCTOBER, AGED 77
A Liverpool boy who went to school with the Beatles, Sissons went on to become one of the greatest television journalists of his age. He worked for all the major TV channels and presented the flagship political show Question Time. The dadof-three had also worked as a foreign correspondent. He died on 1 October.
Diahann Carroll 4 OCTOBER, AGED 84
As Dynasty’s Dominique Deveraux, she was a super bitch to match up to Joan Collins’ Alexis. Beginning her career as a singer and model, Carroll was one of the first black stars to break through to mainstream fame, and had a distinguished career in film and theatre. She was married and divorced four times, and had one daughter. Carroll died of cancer on October 4.
Gary Rhodes 26 NOVEMBER, AGED 59
Famed for his spiky hair, Rhodes was the original rock’n’roll chef. He began cooking after his father left the family and his mother returned to work. He went on to win two Michelin stars and star on TV shows, including Hot Chefs. A devoted family man, he was living in Dubai when he died of a brain haemorrhage on 26 November.
David Bellamy OBE 11 DECEMBER, AGED 86
With his bushy beard, enthusiastic hand gestures and that very distinctive voice, botanist David Bellamy was one of our most memorable TV personalities. After falling in love with plants on a trip to Scotland, the former plumber became a botanist, environmental campaigner and broadcaster, going on to present programmes such as Bellamy’s Backyard Safari and Bellamy on Botany. He wed wife Rosemary, who died last year, in 1959, and they had five children.