United Kingdom

A Look at Notable & Celebrity Deaths from January 2025 Week 3

Here are the most recent deaths in the national news, as reviewed and fact-checked by the Legacy.com news team in the third week of January 2025.

Mike Pinder (1941–2024), the Moody Blues' last original member

Mike Pinder was the original keyboardist and the last surviving founding member of the superstar English rock band the Moody Blues, and an inductee in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Margaret Macfarlane (1920–2023), WWII Enigma code breaker

Margaret Macfarlane was a Scottish woman who worked secretly during World War II as one of the Enigma codebreakers alongside Alan Turing at Bletchley Park, as depicted in the film “The Imitation Game."

J.J. Barnes (1943–2022), "Baby Please Come Back Home” singer 

J.J. Barnes was a soul singer best known for his 1967 hit song “Baby Please Come Back Home.”  

Wilko Johnson (1947–2022), Dr. Feelgood guitarist

Wilko Johnson was a musician and actor who was the guitarist for the British pub rock band Dr. Feelgood and played an executioner in “Game of Thrones.”  

David Trimble (1944–2022), Nobel Peace Prize winner for Good Friday Agreement

David Trimble was a British politician who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998 for his work negotiating peace between Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Tom Parker (1988–2022), member of the UK boy band The Wanted 

Tom Parker was a singer who was a member of the popular UK boy band The Wanted.   

Prince Philip (1921–2021), husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and was born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. Having married Elizabeth in 1947, he was the longest-serving royal consort in British history, as well as Britain’s oldest male royal in history.

UK Celebrity Deaths 2021

Though these famous figures have died, their legacies live on and continue to inspire and delight us. Join us as we remember celebrities who died in 2021.

Tony Lewis (1957–2020), lead singer for the Outfield

Tony Lewis was an English musician best known as the lead singer for the Outfield, who had a Top Ten hit in 1986 with “Your Love.”

Spencer Davis (1939–2020), classic rock legend

Spencer Davis was the namesakeand guitaristof the legendary classic rock band The Spencer Davis Group known for theirhits GimmeSome Lovin and ImAMan.

Margaret Nolan (1943–2020), actress in “Goldfinger,” “A Hard Day’s Night”

Margaret Nolan was a British actress known for films including “Goldfinger,” in which she was painted gold and wore a gold bikini for the iconic title sequence.

Tony “Cookie Monsta” Cook (2020), popular dubstep DJ

Tony Cook, known as “Cookie Monsta,” was a popular dubstep DJ on the EDM festival circuit.

Diana Rigg (1938–2020), played Emma Peel in TV’s “The Avengers”

Diana Rigg was an actress best known for playing the tough, smart, and stylish spy Emma Peel in TV’s “The Avengers” from 1965 to 1968. Rigg also portrayed the Queen of Thorns, Olenna Tyrell, in “Game of Thrones.”

Ben Cross (1947–2020), “Chariots of Fire” star

Ben Cross was a British actor best known for starring as Harold Abrahams in “Chariots of Fire” and Sarek in “Star Trek (2009).”   

Peter Green (1946–2020), cofounder of Fleetwood Mac

Peter Green was an influential guitarist who was one of the cofounders of Fleetwood Mac.

Annie Ross (1930–2020), jazz singer known for “Twisted”

Annie Ross was a jazz singer with Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, best known for her 1952 song “Twisted.”

Tony Elliott (1947–2020), founder of Time Out magazine

Tony Elliott was the founder of Time Out, the print and online magazine that offers entertainment and dining recommendations in cities across the world.

Judy Dyble (1949–2020), Fairport Convention singer

Judy Dyble was an English singer-songwriter who was an early member of the influential folk group Fairport Convention.

Ian Holm (1931–2020), British star played Bilbo in "Lord of the Rings"

Sir Ian Holm was a British actor whose many roles included the hobbit Bilbo Baggins in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and the android Ash in "Alien" (1979).

Steve Priest (1948–2020), Sweet bassist and vocalist

Steve Priest was a founding member, bassist, and vocalist for the legendary UK glam rock band Sweet.

Stirling Moss (1929–2020), legendary British racecar driver

Stirling Moss was a top Formula One racer called "the greatest driver never to win the World Championship," though he was runner-up four times.  

William Frankland (1912–2020), founding father of allergy medicine

Dr. William Frankland was a pioneering allergist who popularized pollen count reporting and helped develop the science behind allergy shots.

Jay Benedict (1951–2020) "Aliens" actor

Jay Benedict was an actor known for his roles in "Aliens" and "The Dark Knight Rises."

Crispus Attucks's death 250 years ago started the American Revolution

One man’s death, 250 years ago this month, became a great symbol of U.S. independence. That man was Crispus Attucks, and he’s considered the first person killed in the American Revolution.

Paul Farnes (1918–2020), last surviving WWII Battle of Britain flying ace

Paul Farnes was a fighter pilot for the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force, the last of the flying aces who fought the Battle of Britain during World War II. The fighter pilots who flew in the Battle of Britain were known as “The Few,” recalling Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s famous speech praising them: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” Farnes was a sergeant during the battle, later promoted several times until he was wing commander as the war ended, and his eight kills merited him the title of ace. Two other Battle of Britain fighter pilots survive, neither of them aces. In addition to the Battle of Britain, Farnes fought in the Battle of France as well as in North Africa.

Neil Innes (1944–2019), Monty Python comedian who co-created The Rutles

Neil Innes was a comedian, writer, and songwriter best known for collaborating with the Monty Python team. He wrote songs and sketches for their TV show, “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” and he wrote and performed songs on some of the comedy troupe’s albums. Innes played several small roles in the movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” — the leader of Sir Robin’s minstrels, a serf crushed by the Trojan Rabbit, the leader of the chanting monks, and more — as well as writing the songs “Knights of the Round Table” and “Brave Sir Robin.” He also had small roles in “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” and Python member Terry Gilliam’s “Jabberwocky,” and he had his own show on British TV, “The Innes Book of Records.” Innes was a member of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, who were featured in the Beatles’ movie “Magical Mystery Tour,” and the Rutles.

Ginger Baker (1939–2019), influential drummer for Cream

Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker  was the highly influential drummer for Cream, whose hits including “Sunshine of Your Love” and “White Room" are among the iconic tracks of classic rock. Baker went on to form Blind Faith along with Cream bandmate Eric Clapton, then founded Ginger Baker’s Air Force. He performed and recorded with musicians including Fela Kuti, Public Image Ltd., and Hawkwind.

Terrance Dicks (1935–2019), beloved Doctor Who writer

Stories he crafted introduced the Time Lords, the Master, and the Fourth Doctor.

Emily Hartridge (1984–2019), YouTube celebrity and TV presenter

Emily Hartridge, also known as Emily Hart, was an English YouTube celebrity and television presenter.

Claus von Bülow (1926–2019), socialite acquitted of trying to kill his wife

Claus von Bülow was a Danish-British socialite who became the subject of a sensational 1980s court case when he was accused, then convicted, then acquitted of attempting to kill his American wife, Sunny von Bülow.

Peter Mayhew (1944–2019), Chewbacca in “Star Wars”

Beloved as the loyal friend and co-pilot of Han Solo.

Ian Cognito (1958–2019), comedian died on stage during stand-up routine

The British comic had been compared to Lenny Bruce.

Nadja Regin (1931–2019), James Bond actress

Nadja Regin, a Serbian-born actress who appeared in two James Bond movies, has died, according to a twitter announcement on April 8, 2019 by the official James Bond account. She was 87.

Tania Mallet (1941–2019), Bond girl in “Goldfinger”

She was a successful model before and after “Goldfinger”...

Ranking Roger (1963–2019), vocalist for the English Beat and General Public

Roger and Dave Wakeling led the popular 1980s college rock bands.

Scott Walker (1943–2019), pop star with the Walker Brothers

Scott Walker was a member of the pop group The Walker Brothers who found great fame in England in the 1960s. Born Noel Engel, Scott joined The Walker Brothers and took on the name Scott Walker. The group had moderate success in the states before moving to England where they became big stars, their version of “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore,” reaching number one in the UK. Walker moved on to a solo career where he was a pioneer of baroque pop and avant-garde music, influencing many including David Bowie, Brian Eno, and Johnny Marr. He was an enigmatic figure, rarely appearing in public or giving interviews.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Crash Victims (2019)

157 people were killed Sunday morning when an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 crashed just six minutes after takeoff. There were no survivors.

Keith Flint (1969–2019), The Prodigy frontman

Energetic frontman sang on hit singles “Firestarter” and “Breathe.”

Mark Hollis (1955–2019), Talk Talk frontman

'80s synth-pop band known for hits “Talk Talk” and “It’s My Life”

Stewart Adams (1923–2019), inventor of ibuprofen, used himself as test subject

“I always felt it was important to take the first dose.”

Sister Wendy Beckett (1930–2018), nun became a BBC TV star

Sister Wendy’s art history documentaries aired on PBS in America.

Thomas Billington (1958–2018), wrestling legend known as “Dynamite Kid”

One half of former WWE tag team champions The British Bulldogs.

Geoff Emerick (1945–2018), Beatles chief sound engineer

The man behind the board for “Revolver,” “Abbey Road,” and “Sgt. Pepper’s.”

Robin Leach (1941–2018), “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” host

His signature catchphrase was “champagne wishes and caviar dreams.”

Alan Longmuir (1948–2018), Bay City Roller

Founding member of the band known for “Saturday Night.”

Peter Thomson (1929 – 2018), Australian golfing legend

Five-time British Open champion…

Danny Kirwan (1950–2018), former Fleetwood Mac guitarist

Fleetwood Mac band member from 1968 until 1972.

Gena Turgel (1923 – 2018), Holocaust survivor nursed Anne Frank

Gena Turgel, a Holocaust survivor who comforted Anne Frank at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp before the young diarist's death and the camp's liberation a month later, has died. She was 95.