The celebrities and public figures we lost in 2022

27 December 2022, 11:09 | Updated: 11 January 2023, 23:16

Radio X remembers the musicians, celebrities and other notable people that passed away over the past 12 months.

Please note: this is not an exhaustive list

1. Dame Vivienne Westwood, Fashion Designer

   Iconic fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood was credited with bringing punk fashion into the mainstream, running a boutique on London's King's Road alongside Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren and styling the band themselves. In her life, she was also known as an activist and campaigner.

   The legendary fashion designer died peacefully, surrounded by her family on Thursday 29th December, aged 81.

   

2. Pelé, footballer

   The former Santos FC star, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, had been at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in Sao Paulo since 29th November. He died on 29th December, aged 82.

   

3. Maxi Jazz, musician

   The frontman of Faithless - whose real name was Maxwell Fraser - died on 23rd December, aged 65.

   

4. Terry Hall, musician

   The respected singer and songwriter, best known for his work with The Specials and Fun Boy Three, died from pancreatic cancer on 18th December, aged 63. He also worked with Gorillaz, The Lightning Seeds, Bananarma and many more, plus co-wrote Our Lips Are Sealed, which was a huge hit for US band The Go-Go's.

   

5. Martin Duffy, musician

   Duffy was keyboard player with influential indie band Felt, then joined Primal Scream in 1989 as a permanent member. He also played with The Charlatans after the death of keyboardist Rob Collins. He died on 18th December, aged 55, after a fall in his home in Brighton.

   

6. Mike Hodges, film director

   The British screenwriter and film director, best known for his 1971 gangster thriller Get Carter and the 1980 remake of Flash Gordon, died on 17th December, aged 90.

   

7. Stephen "tWitch" Boss, dancer and TV presenter

   tWitch was a reality TV star who became well-known in the US for appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. He took his own life on 13th December, aged 40.

   

8. Angelo Badalamenti, composer

   The New York-born composer was best known for his work with David Lynch, including Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet. He died on 11th December, aged 85.

   

9. Ruth Madoc, actor

   Madoc was best known for playing Gladys Pugh in the 1980s sitcom Hi-De-Hi, and died on 9th December, aged 79.

   

10. Jet Black, musician

    Brian Duffy was a founding member and drummer with The Stranglers. He died on 6th December, aged 84.

    

11. Kirstie Alley, actor

    Alley was best known for her roles in the TV series Cheers and the film Look Who's Talking. She died from cancer on 5th December, aged 71.

    

12. Christine McVie, musician

    Christine Perfect was keyboard vocalist and singer with British blues rock band Chicken Shack, but when she married bass player John McVie, she took his surname and joined his band Fleetwood Mac. As part of the "classic" line-up that recorded the mammoth-seller Rumours, she wrote the hits Don't Stop, Everywhere and Little Lies. She died on 30th November, aged 79.

    

13. Irene Cara, musician

    The singer and actress, starred in the 1980 musical film Fame as Coco Hernandez. She also sang the theme song, plus the title track to 1983's Flashdance. She died on 25th November, aged 63.

    

14. Wilko Johnson, musician

    The guitarist of the influential 1970s R&B band Dr Feelgood died on 21st November, aged 75.

    

15. Keith Levene, musician

    A founding member of The Clash and guitarist with Public Image Ltd, died on 11th November of liver cancer, aged 65.

    

16. Leslie Phillips, actor

    The TV and movie actor starred in a number of the early Carry On films, the hugely-popular Doctor In The House series and the long-running radio comedy The Navy Lark. He died on 7th November, aged 98.

    

17. Aaron Carter, musician

    The singer and brother of Backstreet Boys star Nick died on 5th November aged 34.

    

18. Bill Treacher, actor

    The actor, best known for playing Arthur Fowler in EastEnders, died on 5th November from COVID-19 and pneumonia.

    

19. Jerry Lee Lewis, musician

    The controversial, pioneering rock'n'roll star died on 28th October aged 87.

    

20. Robbie Coltrane, actor

    The Scottish actor, best known for the lead role in Cracker and Hagrid in the Harry Potter films, died on 14th October, aged 72.

    

21. Joyce Sims, musician

    The singer and composer, best known for the hits Come Into My Life and All And All, died on 13th October, aged 63.

    

22. Dame Angela Lansbury, actor

    The stage, film and television star, best known for TV's Murder, She Wrote, died on 11th October, aged 96.

    

23. Bill Turnbull, journalist and broadcaster

    The BBC and Classic FM broadcaster died on 31st August 2022 aged 66.

    

24. Loretta Lynn, musician

    The US country music star died on 4th October aged 90.

    

25. Coolio, musician

    The rapper, real name Artis Ivey Jr, was best known for his hit Gangsta's Paradise. He died on 28th September, aged 59.

    

26. Harry Landis, actor

    That star of Friday Night Dinner died on 11th September, aged 95.

    

27. Queen Elizabeth II

    The United Kingdom's longest-serving monarch died on 8th September, aged 96. She was given a full state funeral on 19th September.

    

28. Darius Danesh, musician

    The Scottish singer, who rose to fame on the reality TV shows Popstars and Pop Idol, diedon 11th August aged just 41.

    

29. Olivia Newton-John, musician

    The British-Australian singer, who shot to world fame playing Sandy in the movie musical Grease (1978), died on 8th August, aged 73.

    

30. Anne Heche, actor

    Heche was best known for appearing in Donnie Brasco, I Know What You Did Last Summer and the remake of Psycho. She died on 5th August after a car crash. She was 53.

    

31. Nichelle Nichols, actor

    Best known for playing Lieutenant Uhura in the original Star Trek, Nichols was one of the first black women to receive a prominent role on US TV in the 60s. She died on 30th July, aged 89.

    

32. Bernard Cribbins, actor

    The British actor, who starred in The Railway Children, Hitchcock's Frenzy, was the voice of The Wombles and enjoyed a supporting role in Doctor Who in the 00s, died on 27th July, aged 93. He also enjoyed a successful pop career with songs like Right Said Fred and Hole In The Ground.

    

33. Paul Ryder, musician

    The Happy Mondays bassist - frontman Shaun Ryder's brother - died suddenly on 15th July. He was 58.

    

34. James Caan, actor

    The New York-born actor, who shot to stardom in The Godfather, died on 6th July, aged 82. He became known to a new generation as Will Ferrell's father in Elf (2003).

    

35. Dame Deborah James, journalist and podcaster

    The broadcasters and campaigner, best known for her podcast You Me And The Big C, died from bowel cancer on 28th June, aged 40.

    

36. Lester Piggott, jockey

    One of the greatest flat racing jockeys of all time died on 29th May, aged 86.

    

37. Ray Liotta, actor

    The star of Field Of Dreams and Goodfellas died on 26th May, aged 67.

    

38. Andrew Fletcher, musician

    One of the founding members of UK band Depeche Mode died on 26th May, aged 60.

    

39. Vangelis, musician

    The pioneering Greek musician, who received an Oscar for his score to the film Chariots Of Fire, died on 17th May, aged 79. He was a member of the band Aphrodite's Child and was also well known for his score to Blade Runner.

    

40. Dennis Waterman, actor

    The British actor and singer, best known for starring in The Sweeney, Minder and New Tricks, died of lung cancer on 8th May, aged 74.

    

41. June Brown, actor

    Best known for her iconic role as Dot Cotton in EastEnders, Brown died on 3rd April, aged 95.

    

42. Jordan Mooney, model and actress

    Born Pamela Rooke, Jordan was best known for her work with the Sex Pistols and designer Vivienne Westwood in developing the punk "look". She died on 3rd April, aged 66.

    

43. Tom Parker, musician

    A member of British pop act The Wanted, Parker died on 30th March after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. He was 33.

    

44. Taylor Hawkins, musician

    The drummer with Foo Fighters died suddenly on 25th March while the band were on tour in Colombia. He was 50. In September, Dave Grohl and his bandmates held two enormous tribute shows, in London and Los Angeles.

    

45. Lynda Baron, actor

    The start of the British sitcom Open All Hours and the kids' TV show Come Outside, died on 5th March, aged 82.

    

46. Shane Warne, cricketer

    The Australian Hall of Fame cricketer died from a heart attack on 4th March, aged 52.

    

47. Mark Lanegan, musician

    The star of Screaming Trees and Queens Of The Stone Age died on 22nd February, aged 57.

    

48. Jamal Edwards, entrepreneur and DJ

    The founder of SBTV, which helped launch Stormzy, Ed Sheeran, Jessie J and Emeli Sandé, died on 20th February, aged 31.

    

49. Ivan Reitman, film director

    The Czechoslovak-born Canadian director of Ghostbusters and Kindergarten Cop died on 12th February, aged 75.

    

50. Barry Cryer, writer and comedian

    Cryer was a performer and scriptwriter, who worked with Ronnie Corbett, Les Dawson, Spike Milligan, Morecambe & Wise and The Two Ronnies. He died on 25th January, aged 86.

    

51. Meat Loaf, musician

    The singer, born Marvin Lee Aday, was best known for his 1977 album Bat Out Of Hell and its 1993 sequel Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell. He died on 20th January, aged 74, from complications from COVID-19.

    

52. Ronnie Spector, musician

    Born Veronica Bennett, the US singer fronted The Ronettes, best known for Be My Baby and Baby I Love You. She died on 12th January from cancer, aged 78.

    

53. Sidney Poitier, actor

    The first black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor was best known for his roles in The Defiant Ones, In The Heat Of The Night and To Sir With Love. He died of heart failure on 6th January, aged 94.