Adele Edling Shank obituary
My friend Adele Edling Shank, who has died aged 74, was a playwright and academic. She nurtured entire generations of successful playwrights in the US, and was well known to many in British theatre....
View ArticleJane Bown obituary
World-renowned photographer whose career on the Observer spanned six decadesThroughout her long career as an Observer photographer, Jane Bown, who has died aged 89, produced a consistent and singular...
View ArticleBillie Whitelaw – a screen and stage career in pictures
The actor Billie Whitelaw, who was best known for her work with Samuel Beckett and film roles such as Violet in The Krays, has died aged 82. She was awarded a CBE by the Queen in the 1991 birthday...
View ArticleBillie Whitelaw obituary
Actor whose compelling presence inspired new works by Samuel Beckett and made her a chilling nanny in The Omen“I could have easily have become a nun, or a prostitute, or both,” said Billie Whitelaw,...
View ArticleDavid Hay obituary
My father, David Hay, who has died aged 79, was a pioneering researcher into the study of contemporary reports of religious experience.He was born in Aberdeen, son of John, a merchant seaman, and...
View ArticleJohn Westcott obituary
Pioneer in the field of control engineeringThe human body depends on myriad feedback mechanisms ensuring instantaneous adjustments to cell activity, for the correction of imbalances in temperature,...
View ArticleIvan Pinfield obituary
As head of catering at the BBC from 1949 to 1978, my father, Ivan Pinfield, who has died aged 94, ran the BBC canteens that were a haven for the stars and crews of television and radio. But he was also...
View ArticleLetter: Oliver Bannister obituary
As a concertgoer, I very much admired the flute playing of Oliver Bannister. It can be heard on Hallé recordings from the 1950s of which Debussy’s Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un Faune is one, and he...
View ArticleJoe Cocker obituary
Sheffield-born rock star with a raucous vocal style whose 1968 version of With a Little Help from My Friends became his unofficial theme tuneIn a musical career lasting more than 50 years, Joe Cocker,...
View ArticleJoe Cocker – a life in pictures
The Sheffield-born singer, famous for hits such as Up Where We Belong, You Are So Beautiful and his cover of the Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends, has died aged 70Continue reading...
View ArticleErnie Terrell obituary
Heavyweight boxing champion who lost his world title to Muhammad Ali in the brutal ‘What’s my name?’ fightErnie Terrell, who has died aged 75, lost his heavyweight championship to Muhammad Ali in the...
View ArticleJanis Martin obituary
Opera singer best known for her performances of WagnerIt was a brave decision for Janis Martin, who has died at the age of 75, to cross the tracks mid-career from mezzo-soprano to soprano. There were...
View ArticleJeremy Lloyd obituary
Actor and screenwriter who was co-creator of popular TV comedies such as Are You Being Served? and ’Allo ’AlloJeremy Lloyd, who has died aged 84, is best remembered for co-creating with his fellow...
View ArticleAlan Williams obituary
Long-serving Labour politician with a profound commitment to public serviceAlan Williams, the former Labour minister and Father of the House of Commons, who has died aged 84, was the longest serving...
View ArticleJohn Osborne: a natural dissenter who changed the face of British theatre
John Osborne died 20 years ago today. In this obituary, published in the Guardian in 1994, Michael Billington reflects on the playwright’s life and legacyOne of the most famous stories about John...
View ArticleKarl Otto Pöhl obituary
German economist and president of the Bundesbank from 1980 to 1991Karl Otto Pöhl, who has died aged 85, was from 1980 to 1991 president of the Bundesbank, the (West) German federal or central bank, at...
View ArticleLetters: A degree for Jane Bown, a photographer uninclined to ceremony
Peter Barnes writes: In 2009 the Open University awarded Jane Bown an honorary degree, and it was my privilege to present her for it. In my speech I noted that the OU was celebrating the 40th...
View ArticleBuddy DeFranco obituary
Jazz clarinettist who developed a flawless technique for bebopThe role of the clarinet in jazz changed from vital to marginal in little more than a decade, between the last hurrahs of the big swing...
View ArticleLetter: How Chris Holmes came to Notting Hill’s community movement
John O’Malley writes: In July 1966, Chris Holmes joined a small group of us on a study trip of workers’ control in what was then Yugoslavia. We travelled in an uncomfortable minibus, camping overnight....
View ArticleWilliam Fishman obituary
Historian of London’s East End, he recorded Jewish immigrants’ struggle out of povertyWilliam Fishman, universally known as Bill, who has died aged 93, was one of the pioneers of history from below,...
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