December 3, 2002. Copyright, 2002, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Goodbye to some famous faces in 2002
By Mark Samms

LONDON, December 3, Graphic News:

James Coburn: Died November 18, aged 74
The taciturn, tough-guy actor made his name in action movies such as The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape, but it was not until late in his career that Coburn picked up an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for his role as an abusive father in Affliction, opposite Nick Nolte.

Billy Wilder: Died March 27, aged 95
One of the worldÕs finest and most controversial film-makers, whose directorial flair and sardonic scripts earned him a total of six Oscars. Among WilderÕs best-known films are Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot and The Apartment.

Linda Lovelace: Died April 22, aged 53
Born Linda Boreman, she starred in the notorious, ground-breaking blue movie Deep Throat before renouncing her past and becoming a high-profile anti-porn crusader. Boreman, one of only a few people to have written four autobiographies, died following a car crash.

Richard Harris: Died October 25, aged 72
Legendary hell-raiser, whose drinking, brawling and womanizing tended to overshadow his considerable acting skills. Harris was twice declared bankrupt, but restored his fortune and his professional integrity late in his career with roles in Clint EastwoodÕs Unforgiven and the first two Harry Potter films.

Peggy Lee: Died January 21, aged 81
The singerÕs singer, who worked unceasingly for years to make her style seem so effortless. Lee always refused to be pigeon-holed, and was equally at home with big-band anthems, jazz, contemporary classics and even voice-overs for Disney films.

Rosemary Clooney: Died June 29, aged 74
Popular, multi-faceted singer who was once described as Òone of the best friends a song ever had.Ó ClooneyÕs warm personality, her loyalty to family and friends, and her generosity of spirit meant she was always as popular off-stage as on.

Princess Margaret: Died February 9, aged 71, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: Died March 30, aged 101.
Queen ElizabethÕs golden jubilee year got off to a sorrowful start when her mother and sister died within a few weeks of each other. Indeed, the worldÕs last view of the ever-popular Queen Mother was when she defied medical advice to attend her younger daughterÕs funeral. As many as 200,000 people paid their respects to BritainÕs wartime Queen during her own lying-in-state in Westminster Hall.

Rod Steiger: Died July 9, aged 77
One of the finest exponents of method acting, Steiger won an Oscar for his performance in In the Heat of the Night. He appeared in some of the biggest critical and box office successes of the 50s and 60s, although his reputation as a loner and his refusal to embrace the Hollywood system cost him a number of top roles.

Spike Milligan: Died February 27, aged 83
Undisputed founding father of alternative comedy and creator of the Goons, Milligan paid a high price for his success. He suffered five nervous breakdowns and spent his life battling depression, but his place in the pantheon of comedy greats is assured.

John Entwistle: Died June 27, aged 57
Always regarded as the quiet man of The Who, Entwistle was nevertheless a talented musician who played an integral part in the bandÕs success. His sudden death from a heart attack in a Las Vegas hotel occurred as The Who were about to begin a comeback tour of the United States. 

Dudley Moore: Died March 27, aged 66
Film star, jazz pianist, classical musician, comedian and unlikely heart-throb, Moore died after a long and distressing fight against the degenerative brain condition supranuclear palsy. His last public appearance came five months before his death, when he flew to London to receive the CBE at Buckingham Palace.
/ENDS