A-list singers, actors, sports stars and politicians: Remembering some of the famous faces we lost in 2024

27 December 2024, 10:24

From Dame Maggie Smith to Liam Payne - LBC looks back on some of the famous people who died this year.

Liam Payne

One Direction star Liam Payne fell to his death from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina in October.

Beloved by millions, Liam rose to fame as a member of the X-Factor-created boy band One Direction.

Following his death, former bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson said that they miss Payne "terribly".

They said in a statement: "We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say.

"But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.

"For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us.

"We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam."

Dame Maggie Smith

An icon of British TV and film, Maggie Smith passed away at the age of 89 in September.

Oscar winner Dame Maggie Smith was born in Ilford, Essex on 28 Dec 1934 and went on to become one of Britain's greatest-ever actors, winning her first Academy award for her performance in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969 and her second for California Suite in 1978.

In recent years, she captured the hearts of a whole new generation as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, in Downton Abbey and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films.

Dame Maggie Smith dies aged 89

James Earl Jones

The Hollywood actor James Earl Jones died at the age of 93 in September.

Best known for his roles as Darth Vader in Star Wars and the voice of Mufasa in Disney’s the Lion King, Jones was an icon of the silver screen.

During his career, he won a host of awards including Emmys, Tony Awards, a Grammy and he was given an honorary Oscar.

Following his passing, tributes poured in, including from his on-screen son Mark Hamill.

Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville branded Dame Maggie a "true legend of her generation".

"Anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent," he said.

Sven-Göran Eriksson

Sven-Göran Eriksson, affectionately referred to as Sven by England fans, passed away in August after a battle with cancer.

The Swede, who had been suffering from cancer, was the first foreign manager of the English national side, taking charge of 67 matches from 2001 to 2006.

He led England to the quarter-finals of three major tournaments in succession, including the World Cups of 2002 and 2006.

Known for his rare ability to listen, Sven was never far away from the front pages during his England tenure.

Prior to his death, Sven said: “Whoever it was said ‘life is too short’ is right. I had a good life, maybe too good. You have to pay for it.

“I think we all are scared of the day when it's finished, when you die. You have to learn to accept it for what it is.”

David Beckham among mourners at Sven-Goran Eriksson’s funeral in Sweden

John Prescott

Labour grandee John Prescott died at the age of 86 following a battle with Alzheimer's in November.

Lord Prescott was a key figure of Tony Blair's New Labour project, seen by many as custodian of the party's traditional values in the face of a modernising leadership.

Known for his unrivalled ability to down a pint, Prescott once famously punched a protester who threw an egg at him during an election campaign visit to North Wales in 2001.

However, during most of his time in office, he acted as a mediator between Sir Tony and chancellor Gordon Brown.

Alex Salmond

A giant of the Scottish independence movement Alex Salmond led his country’s bid for self-determination during the 2014 Scottish referendum.

Salmond is credited with bringing the fight for Scottish independence to the mainstream of British politics, with the SNP describing him as a "titan" of their movement.

He led the "Yes Scotland" campaign which led to the Scottish independence referendum in 2014.

After a very public fallout with his disciple Nicola Sturgeon, Salmond quit the party to found his own pro-independence Alba Party.

He died aged 69 after collapsing on stage during a speech in North Macedonia.

Carl Weathers

Legendary actor Carl Weathers, best known for his role as Apollo Creed in the Rocky films, passed away aged 76 in February.

Star of both the screen and the American football field, Weather’s turn as Creed is perhaps one of the most iconic roles in all of cinema.

He also featured in other hits, such as Predator alongside Arnold Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as Happy Gilmore and more recently The Mandalorian TV series.

Weathers said of being cast in the Rocky franchise: "It puts you on the map and makes your career, so to speak. But that's a one-off, so you've got to follow it up with something.

"Fortunately those movies kept coming, and Apollo Creed became more and more in people's consciousness and welcome in their lives, and it was just the right guy at the right time," he told The Daily Beast in 2017.

Janey Godley

Beloved Scottish comedian Janey Godley died aged 63 after being diagnosed with cancer.

Born into poverty in Glasgow in 1961, Godley went on to become a regular co-presenter on BBC Radio 4's Loose Ends, as well as fronting BBC Radio 4 series The C Bomb.

The comedian was photographed at Turnberry golf resort with her infamous "unwelcome" sign for Donald Trump in 2016.

In 2023, Godley became the winner of the inaugural Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

The comedian was given the all-clear in 2022 but later that year announced another scan had shown signs of the disease in her abdomen.

However, she said that she would continue touring with her Not Dead Yet gigs. In September 2024 she cancelled her tour this autumn due to her stage four ovarian cancer, which had been kept at bay through NHS treatment over the last few years but had returned with some added complications.

Nicola Sturgeon leads tributes after death of ‘force of nature’ Janey Godley

Quincy Jones

Jones was perhaps the most iconic producer in American music history.

Known for working with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and countless other artists - Jones won an honorary Oscar earlier this year for "extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy”.

Jones rose from running with gangs on the South Side of Chicago to the very heights of show business, becoming one of the first black executives to thrive in Hollywood and amassing an extraordinary musical catalogue that includes some of the richest moments in American music.

For years, it was unlikely to find a music lover who did not own at least one record with his name on it, or a leader in the entertainment industry and beyond who did not have some connection with him.

Jones kept company with presidents and foreign leaders, movie stars and musicians, philanthropists and business leaders.

He toured with Count Basie and Lionel Hampton, arranged records for Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, composed the soundtracks for Roots and In The Heat Of The Night, organised then-president Bill Clinton's first inaugural celebration and oversaw the all-star recording of We Are The World, the 1985 charity record for famine relief in Africa.

Lionel Richie, who co-wrote We Are the World and was among the featured singers, would call Jones "the master orchestrator".

OJ Simpson

OJ Simpson was the chief character in what may be the most high-profile murder trial of all time.

He died aged 76 following a short battle with cancer.

The former NFL star was controversially cleared of double murder in the 'trial of the century' in 1995.

Simpson first rose to fame as a college footballer before playing in the NFL.

He was chosen first in the draft by the Buffalo Bills and played for them for nine seasons before joining the San Francisco 49ers.

He became one of the most successful and popular sports stars of his generation, being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

After Simpson retired from the NFL in 1979, an acting career beckoned, with him becoming one of the TV glory boys as a commentator and then an actor in films.

Simpson was acquitted of the murder of his former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in 1995.

The pair were found stabbed to death outside Brown's home in LA in 1994, with Simpson quickly emerging as a suspect.

He was ordered to surrender himself to police but instead fled in his white Ford Bronco.

The car chase that led to Simpson's arrest and the subsequent trial were televised live and were media sensations.

Famously, Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian's father Robert Kardashian was a member of his defence team.

An estimated 100 million people nationwide tuned in to watch or listen to the verdict.