I am a massive Beatles fan, so the deaths of John Lennon and George Harrison have always upset me. When I visited New York, just standing opposite the entrance to the Dakota Building was enough to set this one off
Was having a think about this one this morning and I can think of a couple.
I was quite young and was told I was quite upset upon hearing Kenneth Williams had died in 1988. Was eating Icecream at the time and a total shock for me. I do remember Harry H Corbett's death in 1982.
I think the one that really got me in shock was Benny Hills death in 1992 as loved the guy on tv when I was a youngster and always kept the last show he did. I was suprised Frankie Howerd died the same day but researching now seems he died the day before but back then in the next they publicised both stories the same day but Benny's they covered more than Frankie.
I will say Owen Hart in 1999 because that was a right shocking thing to hear for someone to die in a freak accident on a live PPV. Recently The Warrior's death has been on the same feeling.
Sure I dont know them and never met them but because they were on tv every week to me it felt like a close friend had died. I felt the same way with Eddie & Chris.
The wrestling ones have gotten to me, Warrior and Eddie's more than any others. I think Warrior's death was more a shock to wake up to than upset though. I was inconsolable during the Eddie tribute on the next Raw though.
I can't think of any others that have upset me though. Quite a few shocking ones like MJ, Paul Walker.
I have never shed a tear over any celebrities death...that is until today, just can't believe it at all and I keep expecting him to pop up on the news and shouting " just kidding you b*stards!!" So hard to take it in. Rik Mayall, gone decades too soon.
I have managed to attain the age of 40 without blubbing at the death of any celebs. However, Rik has been an ever present in mine and my friends lives since we were kids, and I've been blubbing away tonight, I don't mind admitting.
I'm about to re-watch Bottom from the beginning as my own way of a tribute and I can't believe the man who gave such life to Richie is no longer with us.
He always felt like one of us- all of his comedy felt like you were part of a naughty little gang at school and he was chief joke teller. I can't believe he's gone.
I think a lot of people were knocked by the events of today as it was so unexpected. 56 years old, not ill (as far as we know), and as yet unexplained.
Apart from Rik's untimely passing today, for me the two 'celebrity' deaths that shocked or upset me most (assuming a footballer can be classed as a celebrity) were the loss of Gary Speed completely out of the blue a few years ago, and saddest was my team's goalkeeper Mel Rees in the early 90s, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer, and within a year had died, aged just 26...
I very rarely get upset over celeb deaths , i don't jump on the public bandwagon of saying rip and things like that. I like to leave it to the families & friends and people who knew them to properly grieve. They have the right to. But i can understand sometimes if you are a devoted fan it can be upsetting.
Only a couple of made me want to comment on it and feel some kind of emotion.
I was a bit sad when the snooker player Paul Hunter died , he was only 27 and left behind a young daughter. I hate snooker but i always watched when he was on. I still remember going to school the next day a bit upset and i had to leave the room when his wife went to collect a posthumous sports personality award on his behalf. I am actually getting a bit teary thinking about it.
And yesterday with Rik mayall as well hence the reason i finally commented on the thread. My sis is a huge fan so is more upset but i am in shock about it , so out of the blue. I watched drop dead Fred a lot when i was a kid and he was a British comedy legend. Just a decent & funny guy. It is weird to think he is not here anymore and he is not much older than my parents. I will watch drop dead Fred today i think in his honour. The world lost a great man yesterday and his brilliant comedy will live on.
It is weird you don't know these people personally but if you do grow up with them or are a huge fan it is upsetting. Also if they go suddenly and are young as well , it hits home a bit.
I have never shed a tear over any celebrities death...that is until today, just can't believe it at all and I keep expecting him to pop up on the news and shouting " just kidding you b*stards!!" So hard to take it in. Rik Mayall, gone decades too soon.
There are lots of times when famous people die and you think, "oh dear, that's a shame" but move on. For the first time ever my eyes filled with tears when I heard the news of Rik Mayall's death. It was a strange feeling - like losing a friend even though I didn't know him.
I personally haven't been "upset" at a celebrity death (shocked, definitely), but people react in their own ways to different people and events.
I agree Kurt Cobain's death kinda of got to me a bit and some of the vitrioil that was spouted about him in the Daily Heil (probably it was at that point I started to get how evil those bloody people are) and by some morons interviewed at random on the street for their reaction - one Scottish 'gentlemen''s (nothing against Scots in general - in fact I have a Scottish mate and there is a list of Scottish celebs whose deaths would make me very sad especially as most of them are my age or younger it's just what stuck in my mind) made me particularly irrate I kinda of hope someone he admired died so he understand how annoying his comments were but fear he doesn't have enough a soul for that. Surfice to say after that I would never diss a fan's sadness over the death of a figure who meant something to them - I hated most of Whitney Houston's output for example with a vengence but I understand and appreciate the sadness her death caused to her fans. Sorry if that sounds pretentious.
Eric Morecambe, although I was aware of his heart problems, I was realy quite sad when he died. Although not a celebrity as such, I was also saddened when Douglas Bader died suddenly.
Just remembered another one, Mel Appleby from Mel and Kim.
I watched a video of her on youtube today where she and her sister Kim were being interviewed by Terry Wogan.
It was in 1988, and she had already been diagnosed with cancer. But she was so upbeat while talking about her diagnosis, talking about being positive and that not everyone dies from cancer.
She was so lovely and brave, and died way, way before her time.
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Before that John Peel hit me, and before that, Dermot Morgan.
The wrestling ones have gotten to me, Warrior and Eddie's more than any others. I think Warrior's death was more a shock to wake up to than upset though. I was inconsolable during the Eddie tribute on the next Raw though.
I can't think of any others that have upset me though. Quite a few shocking ones like MJ, Paul Walker.
I'm about to re-watch Bottom from the beginning as my own way of a tribute and I can't believe the man who gave such life to Richie is no longer with us.
He always felt like one of us- all of his comedy felt like you were part of a naughty little gang at school and he was chief joke teller. I can't believe he's gone.
Only a couple of made me want to comment on it and feel some kind of emotion.
I was a bit sad when the snooker player Paul Hunter died , he was only 27 and left behind a young daughter. I hate snooker but i always watched when he was on. I still remember going to school the next day a bit upset and i had to leave the room when his wife went to collect a posthumous sports personality award on his behalf. I am actually getting a bit teary thinking about it.
And yesterday with Rik mayall as well hence the reason i finally commented on the thread. My sis is a huge fan so is more upset but i am in shock about it , so out of the blue. I watched drop dead Fred a lot when i was a kid and he was a British comedy legend. Just a decent & funny guy. It is weird to think he is not here anymore and he is not much older than my parents. I will watch drop dead Fred today i think in his honour. The world lost a great man yesterday and his brilliant comedy will live on.
It is weird you don't know these people personally but if you do grow up with them or are a huge fan it is upsetting. Also if they go suddenly and are young as well , it hits home a bit.
It's surreal somehow.
Comic genius who was too young to die!
Aww,i remember him!
Mr Timothy Claypole from RentaGhost, loved that programme as a youngster!
Same here.
But, I care a lot more about rik. He was so talented, and not yet passed his prime. Imagine all the great work the will never exist......
There are lots of times when famous people die and you think, "oh dear, that's a shame" but move on. For the first time ever my eyes filled with tears when I heard the news of Rik Mayall's death. It was a strange feeling - like losing a friend even though I didn't know him.
I whole heartedly agree on this.
To think I was watching Living Doll the day before he died.
I agree Kurt Cobain's death kinda of got to me a bit and some of the vitrioil that was spouted about him in the Daily Heil (probably it was at that point I started to get how evil those bloody people are) and by some morons interviewed at random on the street for their reaction - one Scottish 'gentlemen''s (nothing against Scots in general - in fact I have a Scottish mate and there is a list of Scottish celebs whose deaths would make me very sad especially as most of them are my age or younger it's just what stuck in my mind) made me particularly irrate I kinda of hope someone he admired died so he understand how annoying his comments were but fear he doesn't have enough a soul for that. Surfice to say after that I would never diss a fan's sadness over the death of a figure who meant something to them - I hated most of Whitney Houston's output for example with a vengence but I understand and appreciate the sadness her death caused to her fans. Sorry if that sounds pretentious.
BTW - RIP Rik and thanks for the memories.
I watched a video of her on youtube today where she and her sister Kim were being interviewed by Terry Wogan.
It was in 1988, and she had already been diagnosed with cancer. But she was so upbeat while talking about her diagnosis, talking about being positive and that not everyone dies from cancer.
She was so lovely and brave, and died way, way before her time.