Death happens. Why not make it interesting?
The online competition to guess which famous people won't make it to the end of the current year. If they're elderly, ill, or just live a high-risk lifestyle, stick 'em in your team, and for each one whose death you correctly predict, you'll score points. DDP was dreamt up in Derby, England (hence the name...) by Big Iain back in 1996. Other hosts: Siegfried Baboon and Rude Kid (2003-7), Octopus of Odstock (2008-9), The Man in Black (2010-17), Spade Cooley (2018-19), msc (2020-21), Grim Up North (2020-22), and Reptile (2020-23). Now the Committee of DI (2022), time (2024), and Banana (2023) oversee the biggest deadpool going...
BUS STOP, BUS GOES, SHE STAYS, DON GOES Actor Don Murray has died aged 94. He was perhaps best known for his breakout role in Bus Stop, where he acted opposite Marilyn Monroe and was nominated for an Oscar. In recent years he was cajoled out of retirement to join the Twin Peaks revival. Despite […]
GRIM SHOT THE RASTA Last of the original Wailers, Aston Barrett, has died aged 77. The bassist for the group was seen as an instrumental pioneer in reggae, helping shape the sound of Marley hits like “No Woman, No Cry”, “I Shot the Sheriff”, and “Jamming”. He was nicknamed “Family Man” for seeing his bands […]
SIRIUS ILLNESS US radio host and civil rights activist Joe Madison has died aged 74. “The Black Eagle” was long active in the NAACP before deciding to take his civil rights message to radio. He deftly cultivated a multiracial following while using his air waves pulpit to speak out against apartheid and for voting rights. […]
DONLON DUSTED US Medal of Honor recipient Roger Donlon has died aged 89. He was the first to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in the Vietnam War after saving the lives of many of his unit during a surprise ambush. In his later years he suffered from a Parkinson’s disease connected to Agent […]
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE CREM Bricklayer minimalist artist and OJ of the art world Carl Andre has died aged 88. His most famous pieces were Equivalent VIII and Lever, both cubical arrangements of firebricks. He later married performance artist Ana Mendieta until her death after a heated argument. Though he was acquitted in court and […]
LAID DOWN Folk singer Melanie has died aged 76. The Woodstock participant had her first hit with the gospel-tinged “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)”, and she became a surprise hero in the Netherlands. Her biggest hit was the quirky “Brand New Key”, a US #1 that also got a bizarre rustic treatment from the […]
OSGOOD DEFILED News anchor Charles Osgood has signed off aged 91. Known for his bowties and his poetic flair, he long helmed The Osgood File on radio and CBS News Sunday Morning on TV. He also narrated aughties Dr. Seuss adaptation Horton Hears a Who! He was picked by Rigor Mort Us. Charles Osgood8 January […]
BUT HE KNEW HOW TO DIE Music impresario Frank Farian has died aged 82. At first he was a singer, hitting the top of the charts in his native Germany. Then… he continued to be a singer, while producing other artists who lip synced to him. Sometimes, he did this right. Boney M was fronted […]
REAPER GRABS A HOLD ON SHAW Jazz and soul singer Marlena Shaw has died aged 81. Her most enduring track was the funky “California Soul”, penned by Motown power couple Ashford & Simpson and a staple of hip hop samples and junk food adverts alike. She was also known for “Woman of the Ghetto”, a […]
ROGER THAT Among the canon of 60s girl groups, the Shangri-Las were the sole Caucasian entity worth mentioning in the same breath as the Ronettes, the Supremes, the Crystals, or the Shirelles. Fronted by Mary Weiss, they were closest in spirit to the Ronettes with a street-savvy New Yorker spunk that later formed the heartbeat […]
