The DeathList 1997

On today, gone tomorrow.

The DeathList 1997

1997 marks the tenth anniversary of the Death List. It is painstakingly prepared annually by a team of experts who have accumulated vast experience in the death arena. The list is now proving to be quite stable with many familiar near-death celebrities reappearing year after year. The list is in order of celebs most likely to die in 1997. Potential assassins, please take a careful look. EMail us with your comments and suggestions for next years list at comments@deathlist.net

Rank	Prev Year	Appear	Name	Age	Desc
1	3	7	Deng Xiaoping	95	Chinese Premiere
2		6	Mother Theresa	87	Saint
3	42	4	Pope John Paul II	77	Pope
4	5	4	Boris Yeltsin	66	Tsar
5	12	9	Queen Mother	97	Entertainer
6		5	Frank Sinatra	78	Singer
7			James Earl Ray	68	Assassin
8	16	7	Ronald Reagan	86	(former) Idiot
9	30	5	General Pinochet	82	Dictator
10	31	8	Jacques Cousteau	87	Aqua man
11			President Mobutu	67	Dictator
12	19	7	Jimmy Stewart	89	Actor
13		6	John Gielgud	89	Actor
14	17	4	Dr Hastings Banda	95	Dictator
15	24	3	Gene Sarazan	91	Golfer
16			Billy Wilder	91	Director
17	48	7	Bob Hope	94	Entertainer
18	28	5	Alec Guiness	79	Actor
19	18	4	Helen Wills Moody	87	Tennis
20	23	4	Catherine Cookson	86	Writer
21	21	3	Willie Whitelaw	79	Politician
22			Anthony Quinn	78	Actor
23	10	8	Barbara Cartland	92	Literary Genius
24	11	7	Lord Denning	94	Judge
25			Norman Wisdom	82	Comedian
26			Mickey Rooney	77	Actor
27	35	2	Lord Longford	92	Judge
28			Burgess Meredith	89	Actor
29	27	6	Don Bradman	85	Cricketer
30	33	2	Fats Domino	69	Singer
31		2	Perry Como	81	Singer
32		2	Quentin Crisp	85	'Performer'
33		3	Jeffrey Bernard	65	Drunkard
34	40	4	Kurt Waldheim	79	Nazi
35	7	3	Prince Rainier	74	Prince
36			Gregory Peck	81	Actor
37	47	3	Victor Borge	84	Comedian
38		2	Arthur C Clarke	80	Scientist/Author
39		3	John Mills	89	Actor
40	37	5	Katharine Hepburn	90	Actress
41			Edward Heath	81	ex PM
42			Gerald Ford	84	ex US President
43			Kirk Douglas	81	Actor
44		2	Joe Di Maggio	79	Baseball
45	36	2	Marlon Brando	73	Actor: The Godfather of Method
46			Thora Hird	86	Actress
47		3	Alistair Cooke	89	Broadcaster
48		7	Clive Dunn	77	DeathList Favourite
49		2	William Burroughs	83	Drugs Guru
50	41	5	Red Adair	82	Fire Fighter

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1997 News

Death Ticker

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Dr Hastings Banda

27th Nov 1997: Its number nine! Dr Hastings Banda former dictator of Malawi and number 14 on this years list has succumbed to pneumonia and the curse of the Death List. Dr B had been reported as being 100 years old recently but the obituaries report him as only 99 years old - to us he's just Number 9! Just one more now to tie the record of ten.

"Fan Mail"

14th Nov 1997: The deathlist occasionally recieves messages of appreciation however the following email was recently received at Deathlist HQ:

Subject: current deathlist
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 01:33:20 +0000
From: Steven J Walden <steve@sjwalden.demon.co.uk>
To: comments@deathlist.net

Sir,

I am currently working as a freelance production assistant, on a film that is to star Mr Norman Wisdom, and Sir John Mills. I can reliably inform you that both gentlemen are in fine health; I know them personally. If they were to be made aware of their inclusion on this sickening list of yours, they would be likely to take offence, or worse, be upset. I suggest that you remove their names forthwith and no further reference be made; and that you, whoever you are, find someting more worthwhile to do with your life than indulge in morbid speculation.

SJ Walden.

Obviously we were shocked to read this mail and have considered its contents very seriously. We had absolutely no idea that both gentlemen in question are in fine health. Had we have known this their inclusion on the deathlist would have been seriously in doubt. We can assure you Mr Walden that the situation will be reviewed at length in compiling the 1998 Deathlist. Of course if either of them, say, catches a cold please would you let us know and if there is any dangerous stunt work in the movie perhaps you could suggest the actors in question may wish to consider doing their own stunts. Many Thanks.

Burgess Meredeath!

11th Sep 1997: The Death List is on fire! Burgess Meredith, 89 year old actor who appeared in the Rocky movies and the Batman TV series, has died of Alzheimer's, Cancer and old age. An impressive collection of ailments from the number 28 selection. Its now 4 in a week, the 1995 record of 10 is a real possibility and we're starting to think we've created a monster. Keep watching those obituaries.

Jeffrey Bernard is (very) Unwell

6th Sep 1997: It's non-stop action now!! Jeffrey bernard, the famous 65 year old Soho playwright and drinking guy, stopped his dialysis treatment for diabetes and died in his council flat. bernard always enjoyed a drink but perhaps his non-acceptance of Alcopops was the beginning of the end. He was a regular on the list was many years and was firmly in at number 33 this year. He was really very drunk.

Tumble in the Jungle

6th Sep 1997:

T for Two!!

5th Sep 1997: Mother Theresa, number two on the 1997 death list, checks out with a badly timed demise! Mother T just put too much heart into the Princess Die tribute and soon after it just packed up. T has been a big favourite of the death list for the last few years and really wanted a piece of the Diana hype. Don't believe what you read in the media this IS the Mother of all Deaths.

Dead Beat!

3rd Aug 1997: William Burroughs finally succumbed to years of bodily abuse today and keeled over with a fatal heart attack at the age of 83. Burroughs had been a strong candidate for many years but had dropped down to number 49 in this year's list after consistently failing to show any signs of death. Finally the 1997 Death List looks as though it could finish with a respectable score.

It's a Wonderful Death!

2nd Jul 1997: When it rains, it pours! Jimmy Stewart, one of the veterans of the inaugural death list in 1987, had a heart attack and died today to take the Death List 97 score to three. Stewart had been suffering from severe oldness for some time it was really only a mater of time. Keep 'em coming!

Jacques Joins the Fish!

25th Jun 1997: After a desperate few months the Death List chalks up Number 2. Jacques Cousteau has flipped his last flipper by expiring after 87 years of splashing around. No particular illness involved just that old favourite Old Age.

Deng Xiao Gone!!!!!

19th Feb 1997: News has just filtered through (from the JLM newswire) that Deng Xiao Ping has finally expired. Apparently a (well overdue!) press conference has been held announcing the fact. Death List 1997 finally starts the ball rolling.

The DeathList 1997

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