Sadly we lost some amazing people in 2024 and this blog post celebrates just a few of the more famous people who died and the legacies they left behind. A summary of the person's achievements is provided alongside their photograph and there is a question for each if you want to make it more of a quiz. Don't forget to take some time to discuss each person as you work through the photos. If you want to open a slide show, just click on the first image.
 | Dame Maggie Smith was a British actress known for her wit in both comedic and dramatic roles. She had an extensive career on stage and screen for over seven decades and was one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actresses. 1. What role did Maggie Smith play in 'Downton Abbey'? |
 | Donald Sutherland was a Canadian actor with a career spanning six decades. He received numerous accolades including an 'Academy Honorary Award' in 2017. Sutherland rose to fame after roles in the war films 'The Dirty Dozen' (1967), 'M*A*S*H' (1970), and 'Kelly's Heroes' (1970). 2. His 1973 horror movie 'Don't Look Now' was based on a novel by which author? |
 | Jimmy Carter was 39th President of the USA, serving from 1977-1981. He was awarded the 2002 'Nobel Peace Prize' for work to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development. 3. Before his political career, what crop did Jimmy Carter farm in Georgia? |
 | Steve Wright MBE was an English disc jockey, radio personality and occasional television presenter, credited with introducing the "morning zoo format" to British radio with a humorous collection of personalities. 4. Which radio programme did Steve Wright host for 12 years on 'BBC Radio 1' and 23 years on 'BBC Radio 2'? |
 | Annie Nightingale CBE was an English radio and television broadcaster. She was the first female presenter on 'BBC Radio 1' in 1970, where she stayed for more than 25 years, and the first female presenter for BBC Television's 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' where she stayed for four years. 5. Annie Nightingale was a fan of new music genres and famously ushered in which two styles? |
 | Shelley Duvall was an American actress and producer. Known for her collaborations with Robert Altman and for playing eccentric characters, she won a 'Cannes Film Festival Award' for the drama '3 Women' (1977). Duvall gained further prominence for her leading role in Stanley Kubrick's horror film 'The Shining' (1980). 6. Who did Shelley Duvall star alongside in 'The Shining' (1980)? |
 | Timothy West CBE was an English actor with a long and varied career across theatre, film, and television. He made his London stage debut in 1959 and acted three seasons with the 'Royal Shakespeare Company' during the 1960s. On screen, his breakout role was playing King Edward VII in the television series 'Edward the Seventh' in 1975. 7. Who was Timothy West's famous actress wife? |
 | David Soul was an American-British actor and singer. With a career spanning five decades, he rose to prominence for portraying Detective Kenneth Hutchinson in the American TV series 'Starsky & Hutch' from 1975 - 1979. During his career, Soul also found success as a singer, achieving a number one single in 1977 with 'Don't Give Up On Us'. 8. What was the name of the informer in 'Starsky & Hutch'? |
Song break - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0MLN7gj9ZA
 | John Savident was a British actor, known for his numerous television roles, including his portrayal of Fred Elliott in the soap opera 'Coronation Street' from 1994 to 2006. He was also known for his performance as Monsieur Firmin in the West End cast of 'The Phantom of the Opera'. 9. What was Fred Elliott's job in 'Coronation Street'? |
 | Dr Michael Mosley was a British television and radio journalist, producer, presenter and writer who worked for the BBC from 1985 until his death. He presented television programmes on biology and medicine and regularly appeared on 'The One Show'. 10. How did Dr Michael Mosley help us improve our health? |
 | David Wilkie MBE was a Scottish swimmer who was the Olympic 200m breaststroke champion in 1976, the first British swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal since 1960. He is the only person to have held British, Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic swimming titles at the same time. 11. Where were the 1976 'Olympic Games' held? |
 | Dave Myers was an English television presenter, and one half of the 'Hairy Bikers'. He also appeared on the BBC celebrity talent show 'Strictly Come Dancing'. 12. Who was the other 'Hairy Biker'? |
 | James Earl Jones was an American actor. A pioneer for black actors in the entertainment industry, he is known for his extensive and acclaimed roles on stage and screen. He received an 'Academy Honorary Award' in 2011. 13. Which part did James Earl Jones voice in the Disney film 'The Lion King'? |
 | John Prescott, Baron Prescott, was a British politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and as First Secretary of State from 2001 to 2007. A member of the Labour Party, he was Member of Parliament for Kingston upon Hull East for 40 years, from 1970 to 2010. 14. What was John Prescott's nickname? |
 | Sven-Göran Eriksson was a Swedish football player and manager. After a playing career as a right-back, Eriksson went on to experience major success in club management, including manageing the England team from 2001-2006. 15. Which TV presenter did Sven-Göran Eriksson famously date in 2002? |
 | Eric Carmen was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was the lead vocalist of 'The Raspberries', which recorded the hit 'Go All the Way' and embarked on a solo career in 1975, achieving global success with 'All By Myself'. 16. Which 2001 rom com movie saw Renee Zellwegger lip sync to a version of 'All By Myself', sung by Celine Dion, in the opening titles? |
Song break - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoiN8vZ6WwE
 | Ian Lavender was an English stage, film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Private Pike in 'Dad's Army', a BBC sitcom set during World War II, of which he was the last surviving main cast member. 17. In 'Dad's Army', what did Captain Mainwaring regularly call Private Pike? |
 | John Peter Rhys Williams MBE was a Welsh rugby union player who represented Wales in international rugby during their Golden Era in the 1970s. He became affectionately known as J. P. R. four years after his Welsh debut, in 1973. 18. What was J.P.R. Williams's other successful career? |
 | Geoff Capes was a British shot putter, strongman, and 'Highland Games' competitor. He was famous for his sporting prowess and appearances on television in shows such as 'Superstars' and 'World's Strongest Man'. He received the 'Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal' in 1977 for community service. 19. (Nearest guess). Geoff Capes still holds the 1980 British record for the longest shot put. How far did he throw it? |
 | Quincy Jones was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career he received many accolades, including four 'Academy Awards' and a 'Grammy Legend Award' in 1992. 20. Quincy Jones produced three best selling albums for which pop star? |
 | Alex Salmond was a Scottish politician who served as 'First Minister of Scotland' from 2007 to 2014. A prominent figure in the Scottish nationalist movement, he was 'Leader of the Scottish National Party' on two occasions, from 1990 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2014. 21. Which year was the 'Scottish Independence Referendum'? |
 | Johnnie Walker was an English radio disc jockey and broadcaster. He began his career in 1966 on pirate radio and joined 'BBC Radio 1' in 1969 and 'BBC Radio 2' in 1998. He retired from broadcasting in 2024 after 58 years because of ill health. 22. What was the name of the pirate radio station which was broadcast from a ship off shore? |
 |
Jonnie Irwin was an English television presenter, writer, lecturer, businessman, and property expert. He was best known for presenting the Channel 4 lifestyle programme 'A Place in the Sun' between 2004 and 2021, as well as the BBC daytime programme 'Escape to the Country' between 2010 and 2023.
23. What sport did Johnnie Irwin play before breaking his back?
|
 | Steve Harley was an English singer-songwriter and frontman of the rock group 'Cockney Rebel'. The band achieved six UK hit singles in the mid-1970s, including 'Judy Teen', 'Mr. Soft', and the number one 'Make Me Smile'. 24. Where do you have to be born to call yourself a 'Cockney'? |
Song break - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAoaVU3-ve0
 | Barry John was a Welsh rugby union fly-half who played in the 1960s and 70s during the amateur era of the sport. He was part of the team that won the 1971 'Five Nations Championship', the first time since 1952. His excellent balance whilst running and precision kicking earned him the nickname 'The King'. 25. What is it called when one of the 'Six Nations' win every match in the tournament? |
 | Ray Reardon MBE was a Welsh professional snooker player who dominated the sport in the 1970s, winning the 'World Snooker Championship' six times and claiming more than a dozen other professional titles. 26. Due to Ray Reardon's dark widow's peak and prominent eye teeth, he was nicknamed what? |
 | Kris Kristofferson was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a pioneering figure in the outlaw country music movement of the 1970s. During the 1970s, he also embarked on a successful career as a Hollywood actor. 27. In which 1976 movie did Kris Kristofferson star in alongside Barbra Streisand (they sang 'Evergreen' together in it)? |
 | Glynis Johns was a British actress. In a career spanning eight decades on stage and screen, Johns appeared in more than 60 films and 30 plays. She won a 'Tony Award' in 1973 for 'Best Actress In A Musical' for the movie 'A Little Night Music'. 28. In the 1964 movie 'Mary Poppins' Glynis Johns was depicted as a member of which movement? |
 | Mitzi Gaynor, was an American actress, singer and dancer. She achieved international fame with her starring role as Ensign Nellie Forbush in the 1958 Rodgers and Hammerstein movie 'South Pacific'. She was nominated for the 'Golden Globe Award for Best Actress' at the 1959 awards. 29. Where was 'South Pacific' set (think of the title of one of the songs sung by Bloody Mary)? |
 | Terry Griffiths was a Welsh professional snooker player, coach and pundit. After winning several amateur titles, he turned professional in 1978 at the age of 30. In his second professional tournament, he won (as a qualifier) the 1979 'World Snooker Championship'. 30. What was the name of the TV show in which single-frame knockout snooker games were played? |
 | O. J. Simpson, also known by his nickname "The Juice", was an American professional football player, actor, and media personality who played in the 'National Football League' for 11 seasons, primarily with the 'Buffalo Bills'. His success was overshadowed by his criminal trial and controversial acquittal for the murders of his former wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994. 31. Which 1988 comedy movie did O.J. Simpson star in, alongside Leslie Nielsen? |
 | Martin Lee was an English singer-songwriter, best known as a member of the pop group 'Brotherhood of Man.' The group won the 'Eurovision Song Contest' in 1976 with their song 'Save Your Kisses For Me'. 32. Can you name either of 'Brotherhood Of Man's other two number one UK hits? |
Song break - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yJUi6ke71I
Final Songs ....
Mary Weiss 28 Dec 1948 - 19 Jan 2024
Mary Weiss was an American singer and interior designer, best known as the lead singer of the 'Shangri-Las' in the 1960s. Their single 'Leader of the Pack' went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964.
'Shangri-Las' - 'Leader Of The Pack'
33. In which country is the fictional paradise 'Shangri-La' said to be (clue Yetis are said to live there)?
Evelyn Thomas 22 August 1953 – 21 July 2024 was an American singer from Chicago, Illinois, best known for the hi-NRG dance hit 'High Energy', which was a UK top ten hit.
Evelyn Thomas - 'High Energy'
34. What genre of music does this track define?
Liam Payne 29 Aug 1993 - 16 Oct 2024
Liam Payne was an English singer and songwriter. He was a member of the pop band 'One Direction', one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. He twice appeared as a solo auditionee on the British television series 'The X Factor' in 2008 and 2010; in the latter, he was invited to join 'One Direction' alongside fellow contestants, placing third and later achieving global success.
'One Direction' - 'What Makes You Beautiful' -
35. Which member of 'One Direction' went on to have a successful acting career?
Finally, I wanted to pay tribute to Rob Burrow 26 Sep 1982 - 2 Jun 2024
Rob Burrow CBE was an English professional rugby league footballer who played as a scrum-half or hooker. He spent his entire professional career with the 'Leeds Rhinos', making nearly 500 appearances as well as representing Great Britain, England, and Yorkshire. In December 2019, Rob Burrow was diagnosed with 'Motor Neurone Disease' (MND). Following his diagnosis, he raised awareness for MND with fellow player Kevin Sinfield. Both were awarded CBEs in 2024 because of their efforts in raising funds and awareness of the disease.
1. What role did Maggie Smith play in 'Downton Abbey'?
DOWAGER DUCHESS VIOLET CRAWLEY
2. His 1973 horror movie 'Don't Look Now' was based on a novel by which author?
DAPHNE DU MAURIER
3. Before his political career, what crop did Jimmy Carter farm in Georgia?
PEANUTS
4. Which radio programme did Steve Wright host for 12 years on 'BBC Radio 1' and 23 years on 'BBC Radio 2'?
'STEVE WRIGHT IN THE AFTERNOON'
5. Annie Nightingale was a fan of new music genres and famously ushered in which two styles?
PUNK & NEW WAVE
6. Who did Shelley Duvall star alongside in 'The Shining' (1980)?
'THE SHINING'
7. Who was Timothy West's famous actress wife?
PRUNELLA SCALES
8. What was the name of the informer in 'Starsky & Hutch'?
HUGGY BEAR
9. What was Fred Elliott's job in 'Coronation Street'?
BUTCHER
10. How did Dr Michael Mosley help us improve our health?
HE INTRODUCED US TO HEALTHY DIETS
11. Where were the 1976 'Olympic Games' held?
MONTREAL
12. Who was the other 'Hairy Biker'?
SI KING
13. Which part did James Earl Jones voice in the Disney film 'The Lion King'?
MUFASA
14. What was John Prescott's nickname?
"TWO JAGS" (OR "TWO JABS")
15. Which TV presenter did Sven-Göran Eriksson famously date in 2002?
ULRIKA JONSSON
16. Which 2001 rom com movie saw Renee Zellwegger lip sync to a version of 'All By Myself', sung by Celine Dion, in the opening titles?
'BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY'
17. In 'Dad's Army', what did Captain Mainwaring regularly call Private Pike?
"YOU STUPID BOY"
18. What was J.P.R. Williams's other successful career?
ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON
19. (Nearest guess). Geoff Capes still holds the 1980 British record for the longest shot put. How far did he throw it?
71FT 2INS
20. Quincy Jones produced three best selling albums for which pop star?
MICHAEL JACKSON ('OFF THE WALL', 'THRILLER' & 'BAD')
21. Which year was the 'Scottish Independence Referendum'?
2014
22. What was the name of the pirate radio station which was broadcast from a ship off shore?
'RADIO CAROLINE'
23. What sport did Johnnie Irwin play before breaking his back?
'RUGBY LIONS RFC'
24. Where do you have to be born to call yourself a 'Cockney'?
A PERSON IS CONSIDERED A COCKNEY IF THEY WERE BORN WITHIN EARSHOT OF THE BOW BELLS IN THE CITY OF LONDON
25. What is it called when one of the 'Six Nations' win every match in the tournament?
'GRAND SLAM' ('WOODEN SPOON' IF A TEAM LOSES EVERY MATCH)
26. Due to Ray Reardon's dark widow's peak and prominent eye teeth, he was nicknamed what?
'DRACULA'
27. In which 1976 movie did Kris Kristofferson star in alongside Barbra Streisand (they sang 'Evergreen' together in it)?
'A STAR IS BORN'
28. In the 1964 movie 'Mary Poppins' Glynis Johns was depicted as a member of which movement?
'SUFFRAGETTES'
29. Where was 'South Pacific' set (think of the title of one of the songs sung by Bloody Mary)?
BALI H'AI (A FICTIONAL ISLAND)
30. What was the name of the TV show in which single-frame knockout snooker games were played?
'POT BLACK'
31. Which 1988 comedy movie did O.J. Simpson star in, alongside Leslie Nielsen?
'THE NAKED GUN'
32. Can you name either of 'Brotherhood Of Man's other two number one UK hits?
'ANGELO' & 'FIGARO'
33. In which country is the fictional paradise 'Shangri-La' said to be (clue Yetis are said to live there)?
TIBET
34. What genre of music does this track define?
DISCO
35. Which member of 'One Direction' went on to have a successful acting career?
HARRY STYLES
Comments