dies

Lou Reed, the singer, guitarist and songwriter and a key figure in the history of rock music through his work both solo and with The Velvet Underground, has died at the age of 71.

Reed had a liver transplant earlier this year, and his literary agent said he died of a "liver-related ailment".

Born in New York in 1942, Lewis Allen 'Lou' Reed attended Syracuse University where...

The legendary broadcaster Sir David Frost has died following a suspected heart attack while on board a cruise ship, his family have announced. He was 74.

Tributes have begun pouring in for the veteran writer and broadcaster, many via Twitter.

The news of Sir David Frost's death is sudden. It is believed he had been giving a speech aboard the cruise ship, the Queen Elizabeth on...

The American author Elmore Leonard, who wrote the crime novels, Get Shorty and Out Of Sight , has died at the age of 87 according to a brief statement on his website . He had been recovering after a recent stroke.

Born in New Orleans, Elmore John Leonard Jr. began writing westerns in the 1950s, before becoming one of the most popular and critically acclaimed crime writers of his...

The journalist and broadcaster Alan Whicker has died at the age of 87 after suffering from bronchial pneumonia.

He died in the early hours of Friday morning at his home in Jersey.

Born in Cairo in Egypt in 1925, Whicker served in the British army during the Second World War.

After reporting for a newspaper from the Korean War, he went on to enjoy a hugely successful...

The singer and actress Bernadette 'Bernie' Nolan has died at the age of 52 after a long illness.

Bernie Nolan is best known as the former lead singer with The Nolans and for her parts in television dramas, Brookside and The Bill.

Born in Dublin but raised with her five sisters and two brothers in Blackpool, Bernie Nolan toured the local pubs and clubs with her family before The...

The actor James Gandolfini, best known for his coruscating lead performance as Tony Soprano in the US drama The Sopranos, has died at the age of 51.

Gandolfini is believed to have suffered a heart attack while on a visit to Italy.

Born in New Jersey in 1961, James Gandolfini's acting career was given a boost when he landed a part in a 1992 Broadway production of A Streetcar...

The acclaimed author Tom Sharpe, who wrote the novels Porterhouse Blue, Blott On The Landscape and the Wilt series of comedies, has died at his home in Llafranc in Spain at the age of 85.

Born in London in 1928 and educated at Lancing and Cambridge, Sharpe spent time in the Royal Marines before moving to South Africa in 1951 where worked as a social worker, teacher and photographer. He...

The BBC have reported the death from cancer of the Radio Devon presenter Douglas ("Dougie") Mounce. He was 65.

A familiar voice across Devon's airwaves for nearly 30 years, Douglas Mounce also spent many seasons in pantomime, regularly playing the role of the dame and often spoke of his love for the stage.

He began broadcasting the popular Treasure Hunt programme for BBC Radio...