Going downstairs (when i was 8) to watch Sunday morning cartoons only to hear that Princess Di was killed in a car accident. Still remember when me and my friend looked at each other in complete shock! (i was staying over)
I was 7 years old when Diana died. I still remember how we were having a meal at a local pub when the news came on, it must have been in the afternoon of the 31st, news didn't travel that fast back then.
Can't really remember any other celebrity deaths that left such an impression to be honest.
Lillian Board, who has been largely forgotten about , She was a British athlete who won a silver medal for the 400 metres in the 1968 Olympics and had a great future ahead of her. She died of bowel cancer just over 2 years later at the age of 22. It was the first time I really heard about cancer, as it wasn't spoken about openly in those days.
Lillian Board, who has been largely forgotten about , She was a British athlete who won a silver medal for the 400 metres in the 1968 Olympics and had a great future ahead of her. She died of bowel cancer just over 2 years later at the age of 22. It was the first time I really heard about cancer, as it wasn't spoken about openly in those days.
I remember that. I seem to remember it was announced on World of Sport and how stunned by older relatives were by the news.
President Kennedy.......my memory is that aged 11 and 10 me and brother were 'Home Alone' whilst Mum and Dad were at the pub and we told them the news when they got home
For me they were both in 1997 the first celebrity deaths I remember watching on the news.
At the time being young I didn't really grasp the weight of it but can still remember the news report for both.
Princess Diana and Michael Hutchence.
With regard to first celebrity death that shocked me first and then others after I'd say Heath Ledger then Michael Jackson and Robin Williams.
One death I still remember vividly, which really affected me was when I was about 11, in 1967 and watching tv footage with the family of Donald Campbell attempting to break his water speed record, when his boat suddenly flipped up into the air and he was killed. Presumably this was televised and played out live, because I'm sure I remember my dad being excited watching his record attempt and seeing him travelling so fast.
I remember the deaths of John Lennon and Elvis Presley, but it was the death of Eric Morecambe that saddened me the most.
Probably because I met him briefly in Morecambe town hall, I was young and smiled at him and he did the funny glasses movement back at me. Must have been done in less than two seconds, but you remember the little things.
I was never a great fan of Diana and as I was living in Germany at the time, I thankfully missed most of the mass hysteria.
Tommy Cooper. Was watching it with my mum and dad. We were unsure what was going on. Poor Tommy.
I missed it at the time, but have watched it on YouTube since. It's sad and a little unreal. You can understand how people thought it was part of his act.
I missed it at the time, but have watched it on YouTube since. It's sad and a little unreal. You can understand how people thought it was part of his act.
Strangely my OP has turned full circle.Sid James sadly passed away in very similar circumstances, although not on live TV.
Many thanks for all your contributions.Its amazing how these thing stick in your mind.
Lillian Board, who has been largely forgotten about , She was a British athlete who won a silver medal for the 400 metres in the 1968 Olympics and had a great future ahead of her. She died of bowel cancer just over 2 years later at the age of 22. It was the first time I really heard about cancer, as it wasn't spoken about openly in those days.
I remember that well as a youngster watching in black and white when they had the news cameras beside her hospital bed conducting what I assume would have been her final interview.
When I was 12 recall Ross McWhirter of the Guinness book of Records being shot dead by the IRA on his own doorstep - about 20 miles from where I lived.
A day or so later Graham Hill, the racing driver crashed his plane and also died.
I remember getting upset as there was the 1975 Xmas edition of Record Breakers that had been recorded, and was broacast a few weeks later with Ross and Norris both in it - but I missed it as I had a dentist appointment - no video recorders back then
When I was 12 recall Ross McWhirter of the Guinness book of Records being shot dead by the IRA on his own doorstep - about 20 miles from where I lived.
A day or so later Graham Hill, the racing driver crashed his plane and also died.
I remember getting upset as there was the 1975 Xmas edition of Record Breakers that had been recorded, and was broacast a few weeks later with Ross and Norris both in it - but I missed it as I had a dentist appointment - no video recorders back then
Yes, I think it was Ross McWhirter for me too - I used to love the programme Record Breakers and it was a real shock.
Also, Elvis Presley - my mum's friend came to our house in tears and my mum ended up crying too so I think I was more upset by them crying than about Elvis himself.
Yes, I think it was Ross McWhirter for me too - I used to love the programme Record Breakers and it was a real shock.
Also, Elvis Presley - my mum's friend came to our house in tears and my mum ended up crying too so I think I was more upset by them crying than about Elvis himself.
The fact that he was murdered on his own doorstep by the IRA.
And just a few towns away from where I lived
Was such a bizarre situation and like everyone in the audiance me and my family initially throught it was all part of the act... Until they suddenly cut to adverts and you knew something was terribly wrong.
After that, Senna, Diana and Jill Dando's death was pretty shocking at the time as well (more for the brutal way she died than anything else)
Hasn't been a really shocking death for a long while...
The first celebrity death that I remember getting upset about was Freddie Mercury. I was 13 at the time. It came out of blue as he only announced that he had HIV the day before his death so I never had time to digest that info before he passed.
I still can't watch the These Are The Days Of Our Lives video all the way through as that was one of if not the last video he ever made. He looked so gaunt and pale and when he says/sings "I still love you" down the camera at the end it was like he knew he was saying goodbye.
I was going to write the same thing. Even now I can't watch Days of our Lives without tears at the end. I was twenty five when he died.
We knew he was ill but as soon as I read his statement I wrote to him. I posted it the day before he died. I was devastated and to me no one has or will come close to him.
It's sad his mum passed away almost to the day of the anniversary of his death.
While not a 'celebrity' in the modern, degraded usage of the the term, it would have to be JFK. Heard about the assassination on the car radio while driving home from evening classes. Nothing else has come close.
I was a bit too young to remember JFK being assassinated but I do remember the assassination of his brother Bobby a few years later.
I also remember my mum shaking me awake one Sunday and saying 'You'll never guess who's died'. Me: 'my uncle Jimmy?'. 'No, Princess Diana.'
I'd been out on the pop on the Saturday night so woke up on the Sunday morning a little on the delicate side. Without even so much as a good morning my dad, in his inimitable way (not long on the niceties, is pater) simply said: "Diana's dead." No Princess Diana, just Diana.
I spent the next five minutes racking my addled brain, trying to think if I knew anybody called Diana.
Comments
Can't really remember any other celebrity deaths that left such an impression to be honest.
I remember that. I seem to remember it was announced on World of Sport and how stunned by older relatives were by the news.
At the time being young I didn't really grasp the weight of it but can still remember the news report for both.
Princess Diana and Michael Hutchence.
With regard to first celebrity death that shocked me first and then others after I'd say Heath Ledger then Michael Jackson and Robin Williams.
I also remember the announcement of Elvis dying but I was even younger and had no real feeling about it.
I think Diana was one which caused a lot of upset in many people.
Probably because I met him briefly in Morecambe town hall, I was young and smiled at him and he did the funny glasses movement back at me. Must have been done in less than two seconds, but you remember the little things.
I was never a great fan of Diana and as I was living in Germany at the time, I thankfully missed most of the mass hysteria.
I missed it at the time, but have watched it on YouTube since. It's sad and a little unreal. You can understand how people thought it was part of his act.
Strangely my OP has turned full circle.Sid James sadly passed away in very similar circumstances, although not on live TV.
Many thanks for all your contributions.Its amazing how these thing stick in your mind.
I remember that well as a youngster watching in black and white when they had the news cameras beside her hospital bed conducting what I assume would have been her final interview.
A day or so later Graham Hill, the racing driver crashed his plane and also died.
I remember getting upset as there was the 1975 Xmas edition of Record Breakers that had been recorded, and was broacast a few weeks later with Ross and Norris both in it - but I missed it as I had a dentist appointment - no video recorders back then
Yes, I think it was Ross McWhirter for me too - I used to love the programme Record Breakers and it was a real shock.
Also, Elvis Presley - my mum's friend came to our house in tears and my mum ended up crying too so I think I was more upset by them crying than about Elvis himself.
The fact that he was murdered on his own doorstep by the IRA.
And just a few towns away from where I lived
Was such a bizarre situation and like everyone in the audiance me and my family initially throught it was all part of the act... Until they suddenly cut to adverts and you knew something was terribly wrong.
After that, Senna, Diana and Jill Dando's death was pretty shocking at the time as well (more for the brutal way she died than anything else)
Hasn't been a really shocking death for a long while...
I also remember my mum shaking me awake one Sunday and saying 'You'll never guess who's died'. Me: 'my uncle Jimmy?'. 'No, Princess Diana.'
I was going to write the same thing. Even now I can't watch Days of our Lives without tears at the end. I was twenty five when he died.
We knew he was ill but as soon as I read his statement I wrote to him. I posted it the day before he died. I was devastated and to me no one has or will come close to him.
It's sad his mum passed away almost to the day of the anniversary of his death.
I was a bit too young to remember JFK being assassinated but I do remember the assassination of his brother Bobby a few years later.
I spent the next five minutes racking my addled brain, trying to think if I knew anybody called Diana.