Latest News

• 31st December 1998

  The year finishes with 8 successes

  

  1998 finished quietly and closed the year with 8 Death List deaths. A moderate year by our standards and disappointing considering the media attention that arose the year. Thanks to everybody who submitted suggestions for the 1999 list. Lets hope 1999 sees a better performance.

• 13th December 1998

  Lew makes the Grade!

  

  Lord Grade, broadcasting giant, has ceased transmitting! The 92 year old gave some festive joy to the Death List experts by finally yeilding to the years. He was number 15 on the 1998 list. Media coverage of the Death List has started to wane but this may just be the lift that was needed. Its eight deaths now and we're looking carefully at that list for some end of year surprises.
  2 appearances: 1998 (15), 1989 (4)
  

  8th Death

  Age: 88, founder BBC, Cause of death: More Old Age

• 17th October 1998

  Whodunnit??

  

  A slow period in death list activity has been ended by the death of the Number 14 selection Joan Hickson, the actress who played Miss Marple. At 92 years of age she was always going to be a good selection. Surprisingly her death was not surrounded by mystery - she simply appears to have died of old age - but it still counts as the 7th death of the year for the list.
  1 appearance: 1998 (14)
  

  7th Death

  Age: 88, Miss Marple, Cause of death: Old Age

• 8th July 1998

  Trigger Happy??

  

  1940's Cowboy Roy Roger's has taken his last ride into the sunset and chalked up the sixth death of the year for this year's list. Roger's was 86 and occupied the 24 spot. His horse, Trigger, died in the 1960's and was stuffed and put on display in Roger's own museum. We await confirmation that Roger's himself will be joining Trigger in the museum.
  1 appearance: 1998 (24)
  

  6th Death

  Age: 82, Actor, Cause of death: Old cowboy syndrome

• 10th June 1998

  Catherine Cooks-gone!

  

  Number five is chalked up with the death of Catherine Cookson. The 91 year age author, who has written more books than years she lived, wrote her final chapter by succumbing to a rare blood disease. The 1998 Death List is now just ahead of pace for the record of 10 deaths in a year.
  5 appearances: 1998 (12), 1997 (20), 1996 (23), 1995 (24), 1994 (11)
  

  5th Death

  Age: 87, Writer, Cause of death: Rare blood disease

• 14th May 1998

  Start spreading the news...They're grieving today!

  

  Yes that's right...Frank wanted to be a part of it! Frank Sinatra, the Death List's number 4 candidate, died today finally bringing to a close a long series of near misses. He had be in and out of hospital in recent years but just seemed to be toying with us. Finally the trusty heart attack has taken him out to score our fourth death of the year. Its now three death's in a month and there's plenty more where they came from.
  6 appearances: 1998 (4), 1997 (6), 1995 (34), 1993 (53), 1991 (20), 1990 (42)
  

  4th Death

  Age: 79, Singer, Cause of death: Heart Attack

• 22nd April 1998

  Hip Hip For Ray! (James Earl that is)

  

  The news wires are hot with reports that James Earl Ray has failed to serve out the full 99 years of his jail term for the murder of Martin Luther King. Ray was widely tipped for the 1997 list but disappointed the committee by surviving the year. Dropping this year to the No. 27 spot was just the incentive he needed to finish the job. That's two deaths in a week, bringing back memories of last years glorious 4 in 3 weeks. Keep 'em comin'!
  2 appearances: 1998 (27), 1997 (7)
  

  3rd Death

  Age: 69, Assassin, Cause of death: Cancer

• 15th April 1998

  Fred Davis dies

  

  2 appearances: 1990 (27), 1987 (9)
  Age: 93, Snooker, Cause of death: Unknown

• 15th April 1998

  Pot Luck

  

  Rumours have been confirmed of the death of Pol Pot in jail in Cambodia. Information regarding Pot, who was either 70 or 73, was very confused for some time as some reports denied his death. Pot was of course famous for operating his own personal 2 Million strong death list on which every last candidate dies. Pot is the second death for this years list, dropping off from the number 47 slot.
  1 appearance: 1998 (47)
  

  2nd Death

  Age: 64, Dictator (Deposed), Cause of death: Heart Attack (if he had a heart)

• 2nd January 1998

  Frank Muir dies

  

  1 appearance: 1993 (31)
  Age: 78, Call My Bluff Personaility, Cause of death: Unknown

• 2nd January 1998

  Ace!

  

  With the blue touchpaper of the 1998 Deathlist barely lit, Helen Wills Moody, 30's tennis heroine, has become 98's deathlist heroine. The disappointment of missing out on Frank Muir is more than compensated by the death in California of the Number 11 seed, who was 92. The record books show that this is the quickest death in the 11 year history of the list and is an ominous sign of the quality of the celebrities that have been included this year.
  5 appearances: 1998 (11), 1997 (19), 1996 (18), 1995 (45), 1994 (48)
  

  1st Death

  Age: 88, Tennis, Cause of death: Old age (and maybe tennis elbow)

• 1st January 1998

  They're under orders...and They're off!

  

  The 1998 Death List becomes active today. After some late fine tuning we're expecting a bumper haul in 1998. The second half of 1997 saw celebrity death become cool again and we're confident it's gonna stay that way.