2011 has been a year of many highs but it’s also been a time tinged with sadness, as we've said a tearful goodbye to a number of personalities and celebrities who have passed away in the last 12 months.
The year got off to a sad star when Baker Street singer Gerry Rafferty passed away on January 4, aged just 63.
The Scottish singer-songwriter died in a hospital in England, after suffering a long illness. He had been admitted to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital in November 2010 following a suspected liver failure, but never recovered.
A moving tribute to the late star will feature in music festival Celtic Connections in early 2012, when an all-star line-up will celebrate the star’s life and his music, in a show organised by his daughter Martha Rafferty and friend Rab Noakes.
There were also many tears shed when Hollywood legend Dame Elizabeth Taylor passed away on 23 March this year.
Having just celebrated her 79th birthday, Elizabeth died in Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, following a battle with congestive heart failure.
She was surrounded by her children Michael Wilding, Christopher Wilding, Liza Todd, and Maria Burton. Son Michael called Liz "an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest".
Liz was married no less than eight times - twice to movie star Richard Burton – and touched the lives of many others, so her death shook the nation. Shortly after news of Elizabeth’s passing, celebrities and personalities flocked to Twitter to pay their condolences.
They included pop princess Kylie Minogue, who retweeted a moving message which Taylor has herself posted on the social networking site, which read: “Give. Remember always to give. That is the thing that will make you grow.” Twitter legend, actor Stephen Fry also wrote: “RIP Dame Elizabeth Taylor, surely the last of a breed...”
The world was truly left in shock when R&B/jazz singer Amy Winehouse passed away on July 23, aged just 27.
Found dead in her North London flat by a bodyguard, the singer’s sudden passing sent shockwaves round the globe.
Amy first made her mark on the music industry with the release of her debut album Frank, which was later followed up with her second album, Back to Black, which won her no less than five Grammys. It was this win that also earned Winehouse the title of the first British female to win five Grammy Awards.
Commercially and critically successful, Winehouse’s glittering career was often overshadowed by her troubled personal life. Amy suffered a very public battle with drink and drugs, as well as a turbulent marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil, whom she later divorced.
Amy had spent several years out of the limelight and was attempting a comeback when she was found dead.
Her sudden passing, caused by alcohol poisoning, came as a huge shock. The star had been “dry” for several weeks after trying to kick her addiction to alcohol - but had embarked on a booze binge which pushed her to more than five times the legal drink-drive limit, causing Amy’s sudden and premature death.
FOND FAREWELL:
- Video above: late star Gerry Rafferty talking about his Scottish background
- Life coaching: Dr Alex Yellowlees shares advice on coping with celebrity deaths
- A look back at the life of Dame Elizabeth Taylor
- Celebrities flock to Twitter to say goodbye to Dame Elizabeth Taylor
- Shock as Amy Winehouse dies aged just 27
- Stars react to news of Amy’s passing
- Sir Jimmy Savile dies aged 84
- Royalty and celebrities pay tribute to Sir Jimmy
- Gerry Rafferty dies following battle with illness
- Apple co-founder Steve Jobs passes away
- A look back at those we said goodbye to in previous years
Later in the year, news quickly spread that co-founder and former chief executive of Apple, Steve Jobs, had passed away aged just 56 on October 5.
The entrepreneur and inventor had been suffering a long battle with pancreatic cancer, and lost his fight with his beloved family beside him.
Born to unmarried student parents, Steve was adopted at birth and in his young years showed an interest in electronics. This was perhaps no massive surprise, considering the fact he was raised in in Silicon Valley, the hub of the US electronics industry.
While attending secondary school, Steve was offered a summer job at the Hewlett Packard plant in Palo Alto – which is where he met another student, Steve Wozniak, who he later co-founded Apple with.
After news of his death emerged, President Barack Obama said the world had "lost a visionary”. Steve was also hailed as "the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives".
Later that month, more sad news was to arrive, after it was annouced that Sir Jimmy Savile, star of Jim’ll Fix It, had passed away just two days before his 85th birthday, on October 29.
Famous for his wacky dress sense and infectious personality, Jimmy didn’t always work in showbiz, starting out as a coal miner before making his way into television.
He started out on shows including Top of the Pops and Jim'll Fix It, a show on which he granted wishes to children, making dreams come true for more than 1,500 kids.
But Sir Jimmy was also passionately committed to helping various charities and raised over £40 million for causes and organisations, including Stoke Mandeville Hospital, which was very close to his heart.
He was knighted by the Queen in 1990, and mixed with prime ministers and royalty.
Sir Jimmy was found dead in his home in Roundhay, Leeds. He had previously spent 10 days in hospital earlier in the month with suspected pneumonia.
Leave your condolence messages for people who have passed away in 2011 using the comments facility on the site.
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