Richard Roundtree, the actor nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in Shaft (1971) who died last October at the age of 81, heads the list of the tribute poster published annually by the British illustrator and art director Chris Barker on his Instagram account. X (formerly Twitter) to pay tribute to public figures who have died during the year.
The tribute is based on the cover of the album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), by The Beatles, where the members of the band appeared alongside other relevant figures such as Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, Oscar Wilde, Einstein and Albert Stubbins. . Despite maintaining an inevitably local perspective, focused on British culture, Barker also includes other internationally known faces such as the actor Matthew Perry or the Spanish fashion designer Paco Rabanne. Of course, the list includes relevant figures from various sectors such as interpretation, the fashion industry or the business world.
One of the most international names on the list is actress Lisa Loring (64), who died in January due to a passive stroke caused by smoking and high blood pressure. The interpreter gave life to Wednesday in the adaptation of The Addams Family to the television format. The resurrection of her character through Netflix had restored popularity to an actress who, although she had a prodigal childhood in Hollywood, settled for supporting roles in series such as Fantasy Island and in television movies.
Just entering the month of February, came the sad news of the death of the Spanish fashion designer and businessman Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo (88), better known as Paco Rabanne. He was a revolutionary of luxury fashion and haute couture: the San Sebastian couturier was a pioneer on the catwalks in the use of materials such as metal, plastic and paper, joined by welding and rivets. The structures made from it have become key pieces of the industry and are still paraded today as current garments on the streets and red carpets.
Tina Turner (83), the rock goddess with wild hair, died last May after having suffered various health problems. The singer sold more than 100 million records as a solo artist after breaking up with her husband and her musical duo, Ike, who subjected her to physical abuse for years. Her sexy wardrobe and dancing were imitated by numerous artists, from Mick Jagger to Beyoncé.
On August 30, millionaire Mohamed al Fayed (94) died, one day before the 26th anniversary of the fateful car accident that killed his son Dodi, Lady Di and the driver. The former owner of the Harrods department store (London) and the Ritz hotel (Paris) came into the media spotlight in 1997 after the death of his son: from that day on he was obsessed with finding evidence that would hold the British secret services responsible for plotting with the family. real life of the couple’s accident. According to the Egyptian businessman, Buckingham Palace did not approve of the future king’s mother marrying a Muslim.
Chris Barker’s poster also pays tribute to Matthew Perry (54), who was found dead in the jacuzzi of his home in Los Angeles (California), on October 28. He became a superstar for his role as Chandler Bing in the sitcom Friends, a comedy that revolutionized television in the 90s. The actor, who played a humorous and sarcastic character on the small screen, struggled with fame, insecurities and addictions in real life.
Beyond the list created by the illustrator, this year we have also been left with people who have been relevant in Spain. An example of this was the influencer Elena Huelva (20), who died on January 3. The Sevillian was 16 years old when she was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma in the pelvis with metastasis to the lungs. She managed to overcome the disease, but a relapse in 2020 led her to a spiral of comings and goings to the hospital. Under the motto “My desire wins”, Elena became an example of self-improvement and won the affection of hundreds of thousands of followers and well-known faces such as Sara Carbonero, Manuel Carrasco, Aitana or Ana Obregón.
María Teresa Campos (82), one of the great faces in the history of Spanish television, has also left us in 2023. The television presenter, who had health problems derived from cerebral ischemia in 2017, died due to a picture of acute respiratory failure. From a very young age she became a regular voice on Malaga radio, and made the leap to television in the 1980s. In the 1990s she became ‘the queen of the mornings’, and participated in several television formats. the small screen.
The presenter and sports journalist Pepe Domingo Castaño (80) also died suddenly at the Zarzuela Hospital in Madrid after complications from a persistent throat infection. The charisma and passion of the Galician have marked several generations of radio listeners: his “hello, hello” initial greeting in each program became a classic of the time, as did the spot “Pepe, un cigar.” He had fun doing radio and entertained his listeners when he intervened.
The multifaceted Carmen Sevilla (92) died after having been in a delicate state of health for years, since she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2009. The singer, actress and presenter revolutionized the cultural panorama of our country from the beginning, with a total of 70 titles to his credit. Nicknamed “the bride of Spain” for her beauty, charisma and talent, she triumphed with great titles such as The Sister of San Sulpicio (1952), Imperial Violets (1952), Revenge (1958) or King of Kings (1961). ).
In 2023, Francisco Ibáñez (87), the creator of Mortadelo y Filemón, also left us. His drawings and funny comics have entertained several generations of Spaniards: in addition to having created the clumsiest secret agents in history, he was the inventor of the bungling Pepe Gotera and Otilo and the blind Rompetechos. The Catalan lived his profession intensely, and for seven decades as a cartoonist he was able to illustrate the funniest comics and comics in the country.
2023 has been a year of sad goodbyes. Other world-class actors Ryan O’Neal (Love Story), David McCallum (NCIS), Mark Margolis (Breaking Bad) and Angus Cloud (Euphoria), the politician and businessman Silvio Berlusconi, the writer Milan Kundera and the journalist have also died. Fernando Sánchez Dragó, among others.
