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The grave of Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, in Dublin’s St. Fintan’s Cemetery, is the most-visited gravesite in all of Ireland. And those who made the pilgrimage would often be greeted by Philomena Lynott, his mother, who spent large amounts of time maintaining his grave. Before leaving, she would kick the headstone because he “was […]

Due to her love of the high life and free alcohol, Sylvia Miles was the origin of the phrase “she’ll turn up to the opening of an envelope” (the aphorist in question was her friend, veteran gossip columnist Earl Wilson). But she was more than just a party girl. The wrong side of 40 when […]

It’s one of the minor quirks of longevity that two of the people that have held the title “Britain’s Oldest Person” shared the same name: Grace Jones. The original carked it back in November 2013, and has now been joined by Grace Catherine Jones of Broadway. The likelihood of that trio being joined in super-centenarianity […]

And we have a new deadpool leader… Gabriele Grunewald was an American middle-distance runner, specialising in the 800 metres. She turned pro in 2010, one year after she was first diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma. Over the following decade, while still competing in track athletics, she had her thyroid and salivary glands removed, a six-inch […]

One has to feel some sympathy for the theme team Stiff Upper Lip, a line-up of 20 World War II veterans. So far two of their selections – both unique picks – have departed this mortal coil without a qualifying obituary, in the shape of Conway Berners-Lee and Jim Russell. And it was looking like […]

Few artists, let alone musicians, came to represent their home region as much as Mac Rebennack, better known as Dr. John. His medley of blues, boogie-woogie and old-time medicine show ephemera has become, for many, the platonic ideal of New Orleans culture. It very nearly didn’t happen that way, however. Dr. John was originally a […]

Lennart Johansson was the man in charge of international football at a team when money was being siphoned away from the smaller sides towards the bigger teams, player (and agent) demands were seen as more important than financial stability, and the stench of corruption followed a number of surprisingly well-funded smaller FAs. Thank God we’ve […]

Although he was a RADA-trained actor (where he was roommates with John Hurt and Ian MacShane) with a 40-year career on the stage, Paul Darrow will forever be remembered as Avon in Blake’s 7. Making his debut in the show’s second episode, he became the program’s focus following the departure of Blake (Gareth Thomas) at the […]

When he stood down in 2018, Thad Cochran was the longest-serving member of Congress, and the 10th-longest-serving member of the Senate in history. A moderate southern Republican (who would “vote like a right-wing extremist when we wanted him to” according to one GOP operative), Cochran was the first Republican to represent the state in the […]

Bart Starr’s younger brother, Hilton, died at the age of 10 from tetanus after stepping on a bone the family dog had been chewing. Bart managed a slightly lengthier life though, to the relief of Am-Fo fans everywhere. It could have been different though: he nearly quit the sport in his sophomore year of high […]